Coetzee was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2002. Coetzee studied English and Mathematics at the University of Cape Town. He managed to graduate from the English department in 1960 and the Mathematics department in 1961.
South African writer John Maxwell Coetzee was born in 1940 in Capetown, South Africa. The author started writing novels in 1974.
Coetzee, who gained international fame with his novel "Waiting for the Barbarians" in 1980, won the Booker Prize, England's prestigious literary award, with his book "Michael, His Life and Times" in 1983, and the Nobel Prize in Literature given by the Swedish Academy in 2003.
Who is John Maxwell Coetzee?
The author, who was born in Cape Town in 1940, is South African. Coetzee, who worked as an academic and writer, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2002. The author's father is a lawyer and his mother is a teacher. His family was among the first Dutch immigrants to move to the country in the 17th century. Coetzee spent his early years in Cape Town and Worcester. He described his experiences in his book published in 1997. The book "Boyhood" has content where you can read about the early years of the author. Coetzee studied English and Mathematics at the University of Cape Town. He managed to graduate from the English department in 1960 and the Mathematics department in 1961.
John Maxwell Coetzee (born 9 February 1940) is a South African and Australian novelist, essayist, linguist, translator and recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature. He is one of the most critically acclaimed and decorated authors in the English language. He has won the Booker Prize (twice), the CNA Literary Award (thrice), the Jerusalem Prize, the Prix Femina étranger, and The Irish Times International Fiction Prize, and holds a number of other awards and honorary doctorates.
The author's academic career is also very deep-rooted. Coetzee, who completed his doctorate at the University of Texas, also taught literature and English at the State University of New York until 1971. Again in 1971, he applied for a permanent residence permit in the USA. However, the author was denied a residence permit because he participated in various protests against the Vietnam War. However, Coetzee later returned to South Africa to work as a professor of English literature at the University of Cape Town. In 2002, the retired South African writer moved to Adelaide, Australia. However, he worked as a research assistant at Adelaide University. The author also gave lectures at the University of Chicago until 2003. Coetzee, who became an Australian citizen in 2006, has made translations as well as his novels. His translations were in Afrikaans and Dutch languages.
Awards Received by John Maxwell Coetzee
We can say that Coetzee, who left important works to the world of literature, was deemed worthy of different kinds of awards. The academic success of the author, who has been entitled to receive many awards in different years, is also impressive. Coetzee received the Booker Prize in 1983 and 1999. Among the author's important awards: It also includes the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he received in 2003. In addition, he received an award supporting the freedom of individuals in Jerusalem society. The Jerusalem Individual Freedom Award was given to the author in 1987. This award is given every two years in the literary field. At the same time, the Lannan Literary Award For Fiction is one of the awards presented to the author in 1998. In addition to this award, it is one of the awards given in the James Tait Black Memorial Prize-Fiction, which has a positive impact on the author's career. This award for literature is one of Britain's oldest literary awards.
These awards are divided into three categories. We can say that this award, which is given in the form of biography, drama, and fiction, is presented to the author for literature. The awards the author received spurred the success of his career. For this reason, John Maxwell Coetzee's work in the field of literature is of great importance.
Some of Coetzee's important works are as follows:
”Dusklands” (1974),
”In the Heart of the Country: A Novel” (1977),
”Waiting for the Barbarians” (1980),
”Life and Times of Michael K.” (1983).
”Foe” (1986),
”Age of Iron” (1990),
”The Master of Petersburg” (1994),
”Disgrace” (1999)
”White Writing: On the Culture of Letters” (1988),
”Doubling the Point: Essays and Interviews” (1992),
”Giving Offense: Essays on Censorship” (1996).