Brownjohn, John 1929–

(J. Brownjohn, John Nevil Maxwell Brownjohn)

PERSONAL: Born April 11, 1929, in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England; son of Sir Nevil Charles Dowell (a military general) and Isabelle Brownjohn; married Jacqueline Sally Byrd, 1969; children: Emma Louise, Jonathan Nevil. Ethnicity: "English." Education: Lincoln College, Oxford, M.A., 1952. Religion: Church of England.

ADDRESSES: Home and office—Vine House, Nether Compton, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4QA, England. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Literary translator and screenwriter, 1957–. Military service: British Army, Somersetshire Light Infantry, served with Royal West African Frontier Force, 1948–49.

MEMBER: Translators Association, Society of Authors (chair of executive committee, 1976).

AWARDS, HONORS: Schlegel-Tieck Award, 1979, for translation of People and Politics: The Years 1960–1975, 1993, for translations of The Swedish Cavalier and Infanta, and 1999, for translation of Heroes like Us; Goethe-House Prize, International PEN, 1981, for translation of A German Love Story; Christopher Award, 1995; Helen and Kurt Wolff Prize, 1998, for translations of The Karnau Tapes and Heroes like Us.

WRITINGS:

TRANSLATOR

Grace Rasp-Nuri, Yusuf: A Tale, J. Cape (London, England), 1957.

Ivar Lissner, The Living Past: The Great Civilizations of Mankind, Putnam (New York, NY), 1957.

Ivar Lissner, Power and Folly: The Story of the Caesars, Putnam (New York, NY), 1958.

Dietrich Seckel, Emakimono: The Art of the Japanese Painted Handscroll, Pantheon (New York, NY), 1959.

Frank Arnau, Three Thousand Years of Deception in Art and Antiques, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1961.

Ivar Lissner, Man, God, and Magic, Putnam (New York, NY), 1961.

Ivar Lissner, The Silent Past: Mysterious and Forgotten Cultures of the World, Putnam (New York, NY), 1962.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, The Night of the Generals, Harper (New York, NY), 1963.

Gotthard Jedlicka, Spanish Painting, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1963.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, What Became of Gunner Asch, Harper (New York, NY), 1964.

Max Steck, Dürer and His World, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1964.

Otto Klemperer, Minor Recollections, Dobson (London, England), 1964.

Helmut De Terra, Memories of Teilhard de Chardin, Collins (London, England), 1964.

Zinaida Schakovskoy, Precursors of Peter the Great: The Reign of Tsar Alexis, Peter the Great's Father, and the Young Peter's Struggle against the Regent Sophia for the Mastery of Russia, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1964.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, Brothers in Arms, Harper (New York, NY), 1965.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, The Twentieth of July, Harper (New York, NY), 1965.

Ludwig Baldass, Giorgione, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1965.

Heinz Hajek-Halke, Abstract Pictures on Film: The Technique of Making Lightgraphics, Dobson (London, England), 1965.

Jean Francois Chabrun, Goya, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1965.

Wolfgang Mueller-Wiener, Castles of the Crusaders, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1966.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, The Last Card, Pyramid Press (New York, NY), 1967.

Robert Thomas Stoll, Architecture and Sculpture in Early Britain: Celtic, Saxon, Norman, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1967.

Franz Unterkircher, European Illuminated Manuscripts in the Austrian National Library, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1967.

Bernard Champigneulle, Rodin, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1967.

Eugen Dollmann, The Interpreter, Hutchinson (London, England), 1967.

Bernhard Grzimek, Four-legged Australians: Adventures with Animals and Men in Australia, Collins (London, England), 1967.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, The Fox of Maulen: The Wolves, Coward (New York, NY), 1968.

Peter Bamm (pseudonym of Kurt Emmrich), Alexander the Great: Power as Destiny, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1968.

Hans Habe (pseudonym of Janos Bekessy), The Poisoned Stream, McGraw Hill (New York, NY), 1969.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, Camp 7, Last Stop, Coward (New York, NY), 1969.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, Undercover Man, Coward (New York, NY), 1970.

Hans Hass, The Human Animal: The Mystery of Man's Behavior, Putnam (New York, NY), 1970.

Wim Hornman, The Rebel Priest, J.B. Lippincott (Philadelphia, PA), 1971.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, Who's in Charge Here?, Coward (New York, NY), 1971.

Max Silberschmidt, The United States and Europe: Rivals and Partners, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1971.

Bernhard Grzimek, Among Animals of Africa, Collins (London, England), 1971.

Fulvio Roiter, Brazil, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1971.

Michael Heim, The Waters of Aswan: Preconstruction of a Disaster, Knopf (New York, NY), 1972.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, Hero in the Tower, Coward (New York, NY), 1972.

Werner Spies, Picasso Sculptures: With a Complete Catalogue, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1972.

Evi Melas, Temples and Sanctuaries of Ancient Greece: A Companion Guide, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1972.

Peter Norden, Madam Kitty: A True Story, Abelard Schumann (New York, NY), 1973, published as Salon Kitty: A True Story, Coronet Books (London, England), 1977.

Hans Peter Bleuel, Strength through Joy: Sex and Society in Nazi Germany, Secker & Warburg (London, England), 1973.

Max A. Wyss and Yoshikazu Shirakawa, The Alps, Thames & Hudson (London, England), 1973.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, A Time for Scandal, Coward (New York, NY), 1974.

Lothar-Guenther Buchheim, U-Boat, Collins (London, England), 1974.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, A Time for Truth, Coward (New York, NY), 1974.

Romain Gary, A Direct Flight to Allah, Collins (London, England), 1975.

Joseph Kirschner, The Manipulation Game and How to Play It: Eight Rules to Help You Influence Others, Abelard Schumann (New York, NY), 1975.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, Everything Has Its Price, Coward (New York, NY), 1976.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, Nights of the Long Knives, Coward (New York, NY), 1976.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, A Time for Payment, Collins (London, England), 1976.

Leni Riefenstahl, The People of Kau, Collins (London, England), 1976.

Johannes Lehmann, The Hittites: People of a Thousand Gods, Collins (London, England), 1977.

Willy Brandt, People and Politics: The Years 1960–1975, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1978.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, Twilight of the Generals, Coward (New York, NY), 1979.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, Party Games, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1979.

Heinz Höhne, Canaris, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1979.

Maureen Bisilliat, The Xingu, Collins (London, England), 1979.

Michael Klein, Animals My Teachers: The Autobiography of a Veterinary Surgeon, Collins Harvill (London, England), 1979.

Rudolf Braunburg, Betrayed Skies, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1980.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, The Affairs of the Generals, Fontana (London, England), 1980.

Rolf Hochhuth, A German Love Story, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1981.

Hans Hellmut Kirst, Heroes for Sale, Collins (London, England), 1982.

Hasso G. Stachow, If This Be Glory, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1982.

Werner Rings, Life with the Enemy, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1982.

Hans Herlin, Solo Run, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1983.

Martin Gregor-Dellin, Richard Wagner: His Life, His Work, His Century, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1983.

Erwin Wickert, The Middle Kingdom, Harvill Press (London, England), 1983.

Hans Herlin, The Last Spring in Paris, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1984.

Ingeborg Hecht, Invisible Walls: A German Family under the Nuremberg Laws, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (San Diego, CA), 1985.

Natascha Wodin, The Interpreter, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1986.

Michael Ende, Mirror in the Mirror, Penguin (New York, NY), 1986.

Michael Ende, Momo, Penguin (New York, NY), 1986.

Hans Herlin, Assassin, Hutchinson (London, England), 1987.

Inge Jens, editor, At the Heart of the White Rose, Harper (New York, NY), 1987.

Gilles Lapouge, The Battle of Wagram, Hutchinson (London, England), 1988.

Loup Durand, Daddy, Muller (London, England), 1989.

Leo Perutz, The Marquis of Bolibar, Collins Harvill (London, England), 1989.

Leo Perutz, Little Apple, Collins Harvill (London, England), 1990.

Uta Ranke-Heinemann, Eunuchs for Heaven, Andre Deutsch (London, England), 1990.

Loup Durand, Jaguar, Muller (London, England), 1990.

Leo Perutz, The Swedish Cavalier, Collins Harvill (London, England), 1992.

Bodo Kirchhoff, Infanta, Collins Harvill (London, England), 1992.

Ruth-Alice von Bismarck and Eberhard Bethge, editors, Love Letters from Cell 92, Harper Collins (New York, NY), 1992.

Hans Herlin, Siberian Transfer, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1992.

Wolfgang Wagner, Acts, Weidenfeld & Nicolson (London, England), 1994.

Knut Boeser, Nostradamus, Bloomsbury (London, England), 1995.

Leo Perutz, Turlupin, Harvill (London, England), 1996.

Marcel Beyer, The Karnau Tapes, Harcourt Brace (New York, NY), 1997.

Thomas Brussig, Heroes like Us, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York, NY), 1997.

Jean Ziegler, The Swiss, the Gold, and the Dead, Harcourt Brace (New York, NY), 1998.

Robert Sole, The Photographer's Wife, Harvill (London, England), 1999.

Robert Sole, Birds of Passage, Harvill (London, England), 2000.

Peter Schneider, Eduard's Homecoming, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York, NY), 2000.

Robert Sole, The Alexandria Semaphore, Harvill (London, England), 2001.

Franz Hohler, The Stone Flood, Harvill (London, England), 2001.

Dorie Dörrie, Where Do We Go from Here?, Blooms-bury (New York, NY), 2001.

Lothar Machtan, The Hidden Hitler, Basic Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Michel Crespy, Head Hunters, Harvill (London, England), 2002.

Sebastian Haffner, Churchill, Haus Publishing (London, England), 2003.

Dietlof Reiche, I, Freddy: Book One in the Golden Hamster Saga, illustrated by Joe Cepeda, Scholastic Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Dietlof Reiche, Freddy in Peril: Book Two in the Golden Hamster Saga, illustrated by Joe Cepeda, Scholastic Press (New York, NY), 2004.

Günter Ohnemus, The Russian Passenger, Bitter Lemon Press (London, England), 2004.

Martin Doerry, editor, My Wounded Heart, Bloomsbury (London, England), 2004.

Walter Moers, Rumo, Harvill Secker (London, England), 2004.

Dietlof Reiche, Freddy to the Rescue: Book Three in the Golden Hamster Saga, illustrated by Joe Cepeda, Scholastic Press (New York, NY), 2005.

Dietlof Reiche, Ghost Ship: A Novel, Scholastic Press (New York, NY), 2005.

Lili Thal, Mimus, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

Dietlof Reiche, The Haunting of Freddy: Book Four in the Golden Hamster Saga, illustrated by Joe Cepeda, Scholastic Press (New York, NY), 2006.

Dietlof Reiche, Freddy's Final Quest: Book Five in the Golden Hamster Saga, illustrated by Joe Cepeda, Scholastic Press (New York, NY), 2006.

Walter Moers, The City of Dreaming Books, Harvill Secker (London, England), 2006.

Jean-Claude Carrière, Please, Mr Einstein, Harvill Secker (London, England), 2006.

Jan Costin Wagner, Ice Moon, Harvill Secker (London, England), 2006.

Also translated Dali, 1992; The Survivor, 1994; Picasso, 1994; The Giraffe Has a Long Neck, 1995; Claude Monet, 1996; Pierre Lalande, 1996; Love of the Draw by Carl Haffner, 1999; The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Blue-bear, 2000; A Wild Ride through the Night, 2003; Libidissi (novel) by Georg Klein; and Berlin Blues: ein Schauspiel by Ralf Rothmann.

SCREENPLAYS

(With Roman Polanski and Gérard Brach) Tess, Columbia Pictures, 1980.

The Boat, Columbia Pictures/Bavaria Atelier, 1981.

Pirates, Cannon/Cartago, 1986.

The Name of the Rose, TCF/Bernd Eichinger/Bernd-Schaefers/Cristaldi/Ariane/ZDF, 1986.

(With Roman Polanski) Bitter Moon, R.P. Productions/Timothy Burrill Productions, 1992.

(With Roman Polanski) The Ninth Gate, Artisan Pictures, 1999.

Also author of the screenplay The Bear, 1989.

SIDELIGHTS: John Brownjohn once told CA: "As one whose school diet from the age of eight included both Latin and Greek, I lament the modern disdain for a classical education, that door to the development of wide linguistic and cultural interests. It has certainly enhanced my appreciation of our own rich language and furthered my career as a literary translator. A bonus is that I come of a ramified family whose members fought on both sides in World War II, and that my adult years have been divided among several European countries. I am not a natural originator of literary material. My forte is working on and sometimes—dare I say it?—refining the creative achievements of others. The only original creative writing I undertake is for the screen. The teamwork entailed by this activity forms an enjoyable and stimulating contrast to my solitary occupation as a translator."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Hollywood Reporter, June 22, 1998, p. 6.

Library Journal, October 1, 1997, p. 118; November 15, 1997, p. 75.

Nation, December 22, 1997, p. 32.

New York Times, December 12, 1980.

Publishers Weekly, February 13, 1995, p. 46; May 15, 1995, p. 62; September 15, 1997, p. 49; September 22, 1997, p. 67; February 2, 1998; September 20, 1999, p. 71.

Variety, August 30, 1999, p. 50.