In 1967, Boyle was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of another gangland figure, William "Babs" Rooney. He served fourteen years before his release in 1980.[1] Boyle has always denied killing Rooney[2] but has acknowledged having been a violent and sometimes ruthless moneylender from the Gorbals, one of the roughest and most deprived areas of Glasgow. During his incarceration in the special unit of Barlinnie Prison, Riddrie, he turned to art, with the help of the special unit's art therapist, Joyce Laing.[3][4] He wrote an autobiography, A Sense of Freedom (1977), which was later turned into a film of the same name. In 1979, whilst still a prisoner at Barlinnie, he was commissioned to produce a memorial statue of poet William McGonagall. Various difficulties associated with the project meant that the work was never completed.[5]
In 1980, while still in prison, Boyle married psychiatrist Sara Trevelyan. In 2017, Trevelyan wrote Freedom Found,[6] a book about her twenty year marriage to Boyle. In an interview after her book's publication, she stated that she had never felt unsafe with him. [7]
Life after releaseedit
Upon his release from prison on 26 October 1981, he moved to Edinburgh to continue his artistic career. He designed the largest concrete sculpture in Europe called "Gulliver" for the Craigmillar Festival Society in 1976.[8]In 1983, Boyle set up the Gateway Exchange with Trevelyan and artist Evlynn Smith; a charitable organisation so he could keep in contact with ex prisoners as part of his life licence he wasn't allowed contact with so it was a front to circumnavigate the legal systom offering art therapy workshops to recovering drug addicts and ex-convicts. Though the project secured funding from private sources (including actor Sir Sean Connery, comedian Sir Billy Connolly and John Paul Getty) it lasted only a few years.[9]
In 1994, his son James, a drug addict, was murdered in the Oatlands neighbourhood of Glasgow.[10]
Boyle has published Pain of Confinement: Prison Diaries (1984), and a novel, Hero of the Underworld (1999). The latter was adapted for a French film, La Rage et le Rêve des Condamnés (The Anger and Dreams of the Condemned), and won the best documentary prize at the Fifa Montreal awards in 2002. He also wrote a novel, A Stolen Smile, which is about the theft of the Mona Lisa and how it ends up hidden on a Scottish housing scheme. It was rumoured that Disney bought the film rights, but Boyle has denied this.[11][12][13]
In 1998, he was named as a financial donor of the Labour Party.[14]
He divides his time between France and Morocco with his second wife, Kate Fenwick, a British actress.[15][16] They married at a ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco on 27 October 2007.
Cultural impactedit
The character Nicky Dryden in the 1999 film The Debt Collector is reportedly loosely based on Boyle.[17]
The punk band The Exploited released a song titled Jimmy Boyle in 1982.[18]
Referencesedit
^"Glasgow gangster turned writer Jimmy Boyle: 'I would be dead now without books'". the Guardian. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
^"Jimmy Boyle's life less ordinary". BBC News. 27 August 1999. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
^Cooper, Neil (28 July 2022). "Obituary: Joyce Laing, art-therapy pioneer who helped transform the lives of prisoners in Barlinnie's Special Unit". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
^The Special Unit, Barlinnie Prison : its evolution through its art : an anthology of essays, statements, art works, creative writings and documentary photographs. Christopher Carrel, Joyce Laing, Alice Bain. Glasgow: Third Eye Centre. 1982. ISBN0-906474-18-3. OCLC 18497157.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
^Strachan, Graeme (2 March 2019). "The curious tale of the Barlinnie lifer and Dundee's Bard". The Courier.
^"Scotland Street Press | Bookstore | Freedom Found". www.scotlandstreetpress.com. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
^Smith, Ken (20 February 2017). "Freedom Found: Sara Trevelyan on her life with Jimmy Boyle". The Herald.
^Laughlan, Kim (10 July 2010). "Boyle sculpture expected to fetch £20,000 at auction". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
^The Exploited – Jimmy Boyle, retrieved 17 November 2023
External linksedit
"Boyle's Boy". The Scotsman. 26 August 2007. from the original on 16 July 2014.
Vedrickas, Genetta (31 January 2007). "My Home: Jimmy Boyle". The Independent. from the original on 14 July 2014.
Greenwood, Lynn (5 February 2005). . The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009.
January 01, 1970
jimmy, boyle, artist, james, boyle, born, 1944, scottish, former, gangster, convicted, murderer, became, sculptor, novelist, after, release, from, prison, contents, imprisonment, life, after, release, cultural, impact, references, external, linksimprisonment, . James Boyle born 17 May 1944 is a Scottish former gangster and convicted murderer who became a sculptor and novelist after his release from prison Contents 1 Imprisonment 2 Life after release 3 Cultural impact 4 References 5 External linksImprisonment editIn 1967 Boyle was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of another gangland figure William Babs Rooney He served fourteen years before his release in 1980 1 Boyle has always denied killing Rooney 2 but has acknowledged having been a violent and sometimes ruthless moneylender from the Gorbals one of the roughest and most deprived areas of Glasgow During his incarceration in the special unit of Barlinnie Prison Riddrie he turned to art with the help of the special unit s art therapist Joyce Laing 3 4 He wrote an autobiography A Sense of Freedom 1977 which was later turned into a film of the same name In 1979 whilst still a prisoner at Barlinnie he was commissioned to produce a memorial statue of poet William McGonagall Various difficulties associated with the project meant that the work was never completed 5 In 1980 while still in prison Boyle married psychiatrist Sara Trevelyan In 2017 Trevelyan wrote Freedom Found 6 a book about her twenty year marriage to Boyle In an interview after her book s publication she stated that she had never felt unsafe with him 7 Life after release editUpon his release from prison on 26 October 1981 he moved to Edinburgh to continue his artistic career He designed the largest concrete sculpture in Europe called Gulliver for the Craigmillar Festival Society in 1976 8 In 1983 Boyle set up the Gateway Exchange with Trevelyan and artist Evlynn Smith a charitable organisation so he could keep in contact with ex prisoners as part of his life licence he wasn t allowed contact with so it was a front to circumnavigate the legal systom offering art therapy workshops to recovering drug addicts and ex convicts Though the project secured funding from private sources including actor Sir Sean Connery comedian Sir Billy Connolly and John Paul Getty it lasted only a few years 9 In 1994 his son James a drug addict was murdered in the Oatlands neighbourhood of Glasgow 10 Boyle has published Pain of Confinement Prison Diaries 1984 and a novel Hero of the Underworld 1999 The latter was adapted for a French film La Rage et le Reve des Condamnes The Anger and Dreams of the Condemned and won the best documentary prize at the Fifa Montreal awards in 2002 He also wrote a novel A Stolen Smile which is about the theft of the Mona Lisa and how it ends up hidden on a Scottish housing scheme It was rumoured that Disney bought the film rights but Boyle has denied this 11 12 13 In 1998 he was named as a financial donor of the Labour Party 14 He divides his time between France and Morocco with his second wife Kate Fenwick a British actress 15 16 They married at a ceremony in Marrakech Morocco on 27 October 2007 Cultural impact editThe character Nicky Dryden in the 1999 film The Debt Collector is reportedly loosely based on Boyle 17 The punk band The Exploited released a song titled Jimmy Boyle in 1982 18 References edit Glasgow gangster turned writer Jimmy Boyle I would be dead now without books the Guardian 20 May 2016 Retrieved 22 July 2021 Jimmy Boyle s life less ordinary BBC News 27 August 1999 Retrieved 2 July 2014 Cooper Neil 28 July 2022 Obituary Joyce Laing art therapy pioneer who helped transform the lives of prisoners in Barlinnie s Special Unit HeraldScotland Retrieved 26 August 2022 The Special Unit Barlinnie Prison its evolution through its art an anthology of essays statements art works creative writings and documentary photographs Christopher Carrel Joyce Laing Alice Bain Glasgow Third Eye Centre 1982 ISBN 0 906474 18 3 OCLC 18497157 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link Strachan Graeme 2 March 2019 The curious tale of the Barlinnie lifer and Dundee s Bard The Courier Scotland Street Press Bookstore Freedom Found www scotlandstreetpress com Retrieved 7 June 2022 Smith Ken 20 February 2017 Freedom Found Sara Trevelyan on her life with Jimmy Boyle The Herald Laughlan Kim 10 July 2010 Boyle sculpture expected to fetch 20 000 at auction The Herald Glasgow Retrieved 2 July 2014 Obituary Evlynn Smith The Daily Telegraph 30 April 2003 Son of reformed gangland killer stabbed to death The Independent 16 May 1994 Gardiner Claire 9 November 2003 Jimmy Boyle agrees 2m film deal with Disney Scotland on Sunday Cramb Auslan 10 November 2003 Disney in 2m deal for novel by Jimmy Boyle The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 2 July 2014 French fall for Glasgow hardman BBC News 17 November 2002 Retrieved 2 July 2014 Luvvies for Labour BBC News 30 August 1998 Retrieved 29 April 2011 Sherwood Seth 21 October 2007 In Marrakesh Homes Among the Palm Groves The New York Times Retrieved 2 July 2014 Harrison Anthony 16 February 2007 Je ne regrette riad The Guardian Retrieved 2 July 2014 Kelly Richard The Debt Collector Sight amp Sound British Film Institute Archived from the original on 3 August 2012 Retrieved 2 July 2014 The Exploited Jimmy Boyle retrieved 17 November 2023External links edit Boyle s Boy The Scotsman 26 August 2007 Archived from the original on 16 July 2014 Vedrickas Genetta 31 January 2007 My Home Jimmy Boyle The Independent Archived from the original on 14 July 2014 Greenwood Lynn 5 February 2005 Jimmy s jewel The Telegraph Archived from the original on 11 April 2009 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jimmy Boyle artist amp oldid 1222272523, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
