Zoe Cooper

Cooper was born in 1984 and her birth was registered in Stockport, England.^[3] She is the daughter of television producer Robert Cooper and the actress Jenny Howe, known for her role as Mrs Keele in Grange Hill.^[4]

She grew up in Twickenham, London, and has described her upbringing as shaping her interest in writing about ordinary lives and relationships.^[4] She studied English literature at the University of Cambridge before completing an MPhil in playwriting at the University of Birmingham and a PhD in creative writing at Newcastle University.^[5][6]

Cooper’s early work as a playwright included plays such as Nativities and Petrification, which explored contemporary relationships and everyday experiences.^[4] Her breakthrough came with Jess and Joe Forever, a play examining friendship and intimacy, which received the Off West End Award for Most Promising Playwright and brought her wider recognition.^[1][4]

She subsequently developed Out of Water, which was shortlisted for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, further establishing her reputation as a playwright of contemporary drama.^[1] Her work has since been staged by major theatre organisations including the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, Northern Stage and Leeds Playhouse.^[1]

Alongside her writing, Cooper has worked in dramaturgy and literary management and has taught playwriting at Newcastle University.^[5] Her work often focuses on personal relationships, identity and the complexities of modern life, drawing on her own experiences and observations.^[4]

In 2024, she was appointed Writer-in-Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company, a role supporting the development of new writing for the stage.^[2] In the same period, she adapted A Song for Ella Grey for the stage.^[1]

Cooper is based in Newcastle upon Tyne.^[1] She has described herself as a queer woman.^[1]