John Michael Coetzee
- Born:
- 9 February 1940, Cape Town, South Africa
- Nationality:
- South African-Australian
- Profession(s):
- Novelist, Essayist, Linguist, Translator, Academic
Early Life and Education
- Educated at St. Joseph's College, Rondebosch and the University of Cape Town, where he earned Bachelor's degrees in Mathematics and English.
- Moved to London in 1962, working as a computer programmer.
- Received a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin in 1969 with a dissertation on Samuel Beckett.
Career and Major Achievements
- Taught English and Literature at the State University of New York at Buffalo from 1968 to 1971.
- Returned to South Africa and lectured at the University of Cape Town until 2000.
- Emigrated to Australia in 2002 and became an honorary research fellow at the University of Adelaide.
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003.
- Two-time winner of the Booker Prize (1983, 1999), the only author to have achieved this at the time.
Notable Works
- Novels:
- Dusklands (1974)
- In the Heart of the Country (1977)
- Waiting for the Barbarians (1980)
- Life & Times of Michael K (1983)
- Foe (1986)
- Age of Iron (1990)
- The Master of Petersburg (1994)
- Disgrace (1999)
- Elizabeth Costello (2003)
- Slow Man (2005)
- Diary of a Bad Year (2007)
- The Childhood of Jesus (2013)
- The Schooldays of Jesus (2016)
- Jesus Dies (2020)
- Memoirs:
- Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life (1997) - A fictionalized autobiography focusing on the author's early years.
- Youth: Scenes from Provincial Life II (2002)
- Summertime (2009)
- Essays:
- Doubling the Point: Essays and Interviews (1992)
- Giving Offense: Essays on Censorship (1996)
Legacy and Impact
J.M. Coetzee is a highly influential writer known for his stark prose, moral probing, and explorations of post-colonialism, apartheid, and animal rights. His works often challenge conventional narrative structures and engage with philosophical themes, leaving a significant mark on contemporary literature. As described in his memoir, Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life, his early experiences shaped his later artistic vision.