Karen Jeynes
Karen has been on our staff for almost a decade. Over the years she has established herself as a hugely popular and respected mentor for emerging scriptwriters. She studied Drama and Linguistics at UCT and obtained her Honours degree in The Art of Writing from UWC.
Karen has won numerous awards and nominations for her co-writing of TV series, including two Emmy nominations for Best TV Comedy. Currently, she is the head writer for Both Worlds Productions, overseeing ZANews: Puppet Nation (winner of 22 South African Film and Television Awards, and two Writer’s Guild of South Africa awards for Best TV Comedy), as well as Point of Order (SAFTA winner for Best Game Show in 2017), Comedy Central News, and Parlement Parlement.
Before joining Both Worlds Productions, Karen had extensive experience writing and producing in both theatre and television. Her plays include the multi-award-winning Everybody Else (is F*cking Perfect) (Best Comedy 2005), Kiss Kiss, I’ll Have What She’s Having, and Laying Blame, as well as Vaslav, which was nominated for 3 Fleur du Cap Awards. She served as head writer for 90 Plein Street, as well as writing for shows like Thabang Thabong, Vaya Mzansi, and Moferefere Lenyalong. She is in demand as a script consultant and advisor, working with local and international production companies and channels. Today she serves on the board of Women Playwrights International, and was the President of the International Centre for Women Playwrights for six years.
Her achievements aren’t confined to television and theatre. Her adaptation of Thomas Rapakgadi’s The Purse is Mine aired on Bush Radio. SAfm has featured her excellent series, Office Hours, co-written with Nkuli Sibeko, as well as the radio version of Sky Too Big. Her teen novels, Jacques Attack, co-authored with Nkuli Sibeko, and Flipside, co-authored with Eeshaam September, were released by New Africa Books. She also has a children’s story published in the anthology, Metz and Bop and other stories.
Karen tutors the Scriptwriting and Advanced Scriptwriting courses. When she isn’t busy, she indulges her deep obsession with reality television, Good Omens, chaos theory and Nutella.
Testimonials
‘This course exceeded my expectations. I have grown incredibly as a writer and storyteller, and this course increased my already burning passion for the craft. Karen was amazing and would always inspire and motivate me – something I’ll never forget.’ Kgalaletso Mataboge, Scriptwriting Course
‘The course was insightful and enjoyable. It provided a good foundation on which to build further success. Karen is focused and driven so I think she is the best tutor for an aspiring writer. She was not too gentle but she didn’t break my confidence. I’m happy she was my tutor. I was, quite frankly, happy with everything from start to finish.’ Janie Davel, Scriptwriting Course
‘Writing a film script is something I’ve always wanted to do so this course helped me realise that. It also made me realise I need to seriously consider a career in storytelling. My tutor Karen clearly has a keen regard for stories and words and dialogue and I felt she understood what I was trying to achieve. This was a massive help. Her encouragement and guidance were both helpful and motivating.’ Murray Walker, Scriptwriting Course
‘The course was an eye-opener. I’m amazed at the insight I was able to gain in such a short space of time. Karen’s notes and feedback were truly helpful and clear: it made this course enjoyable as she was challenging me in my writing to go deeper which, in turn, helped refine my skills. I would recommend this course to anyone interested in getting into scriptwriting. Karen was helpful, genuine and approachable. She really wants to see the growth in you as a writer. Overall, she is a great tutor. A memorable experience to be learning such an art form from home at your own pace. It was fun.’ Katlego Motsamai, Scriptwriting Course
‘It was a great learning experience which equipped me with tools necessary for my growth. Karen was a great tutor and all her feedback was helpful towards my growth as a writer. She was also understanding, which I appreciated. A great online college equipping students with tools to be the best at what they do.’ Portia Mothupi, Scriptwriting Course