Writer and director Karen Jeynes has worked extensively across both stage and screen for the past two decades. She was head writer and director on RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER starring Maria Doyle Kennedy for MNET/Acorn/AMC. S1 aired in SA on Mnet and internationally with Acorn in 2022. S2 was released in January 2025. Karen was head writer, co-director and creative producer of the dramedy series THE MORNING AFTER (Amazon Prime) released in 2024.
Perhaps best known for her work with Both Worlds Productions as the head writer for ZANEWS: PUPPET NATION, Karen has worked with Pixel Perfect, writing Bioskop movies for Mzansi Magic and served as head writer for 90 PLEIN STREET season 5 for SABC, as well as writing for shows like VAYA MZANSI and MOFEREFERE LENYALONG. In children’s television she was a writer on shows such as THABANG THABONG and SUPASTRIKAS. In theatre, 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 (translated into 7 languages), as well as VASLAV, which was nominated for 3 Fleur du Cap Awards.
Karen was part of How Now Brown Cow’s inaugural Writer’s Collective for 2021. She is the author of the best-selling satirical self-help book THE KAREN BOOK OF RULES (Tafelberg, 2020), co-authored with Karin Schimke and FLOW: THE BOOK ABOUT MENSTRUATION (Kwela, 2021) co-authored with Pontsho Pilane and Candice Chirwa. She completed her MA in Writing for the Screen through Falmouth University and is busy with her PhD in disability representation in television through the University of Pretoria.
Karen is represented by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie
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