John Maxwell Coetzee, 1940- . South African author
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Finding-Aid for the Coetzee Papers [00169]Collection Description
Papers
17 items, 1964-1965
Access: Researchers must have the permission of Coetzee and the Curator of Manuscripts to see this collection.
Educated at the University of Cape Town (M.A. 1963) and the University of Texas (Ph.D. 1969), Coetzee has taught at Cape Town since 1971. Several of Coetzee's novels are noted for their eloquent protest against political and social conditions in South Africa, particularly the suffering caused by imperialism, apartheid, and post-apartheid violence, as well as for their technical virtuosity. His critically acclaimed writings include From the Heart of the Country (1977), Waiting for the Barbarians (1982), the Booker Prize–winning novels The Life and Times of Michael K (1983) and Disgrace (1999), Foe (1986), and the memoir Boyhood (1997). He became the first author to win the prestigious Booker Prize twice, in the 31-year history of the award. He has also won many other literary prizes, including the Lannan Award for Fiction, the Jerusalem Prize, and The Irish Times International Fiction Prize. In 2003, Coetzee won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Before choosing to attend the University of Texas, Coetzee applied to, and was accepted to, Washington University in St. Louis for admission as a graduate student in the English program. The Coetzee collection contains the materials surrounding his application in 1964, including letters of recommendation, letters to Robert M. Schmitz, then Chairman of the English Department, an autographed picture, as well as other application materials.
Selected Names
Coetzee, John Maxwell, 1940- . South African writer