Oliver Emanuel

Oliver Robert Michael Emanuel (4 April 1980 – 19 December 2023) was a British playwright and radio dramatist.

Early life and education
Oliver Robert Michael Emanuel was born in Kent on 4 April 1980; his mother was a drama teacher and his father was a solicitor. He attended St Gregory's Catholic Comprehensive School in Tunbridge Wells, studied English and Theatre Studies at University of Leeds, and received an MA from the University of East Anglia.

Career
Emanuel was Writer-on-Attachment at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2006 and Writer-in-Residence for BBC Radio 4 Children in Need in 2010. He lived in Glasgow from 2006. He was Reader of Playwriting at the University of St Andrews, an Associate Playwright at Playwrights' Studio Scotland, and Writer-in-Residence at Gladstone's Library.

In addition to his radio and stage plays below, Emanuel wrote two plays for Polmont Young Offenders Institute, Ship of Shadows (October 2009) and John (7 May 2010), and scripted the short film This Way Up.

Personal life and death
In April 2023, Emanuel was diagnosed with brain cancer, and died from the disease on 19 December 2023, at the age of 43.

Emanuel had two children with Victoria Beesley; he and Beesley married in late 2023, shortly before his death.

Short stories

 * Nude

Other work

 * Desperate Run

Awards

 * Daniel and Mary received a Bronze Sony Radio Academy Award for Best Drama in 2010.
 * Dragon won Best Show For Children and Young People at the UK Theatre Awards in 2014.
 * His version of Titus won the People's Choice Victor Award in 2015 at IPAY.
 * A History of Paper was shortlisted for the Tinniswood Award 2017.
 * When The Pips Stop won the Tinniswood Award in 2019.
 * The Truth About Hawaii won the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Original Series or Serial in 2019.