Summary
Gerard Woodward (born December 4, 1961 in Enfield, London) is a British novelist, poet and short story writer, best known for his trilogy of novels concerning the troubled Jones family, the second of which, I'll Go to Bed at Noon, was shortlisted for the 2004 Man Booker Prize. As of April 2024, he is a professor of creative writing at Bath Spa University.
Gerard Woodward | |
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| Born | December 4, 1961 Enfield, London, England |
| Education | London School of Economics (BSc), University of Greenwich (CertEd), University of Manchester (PgD) |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards |
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Early life and education edit
Woodward was born in Enfield, London on December 4, 1961 to Reginald L. and Sylvia Woodward (née Walsh).[1] He had four younger siblings. In 1981, his brother Francis died after being struck by a train while drunk. His mother died shortly after.[2]
Woodward attended St Ignatius College, a Jesuit comprehensive school, leaving at 16 to work for two years in a variety of jobs. He later studied painting at Falmouth School of Art in Cornwall, though dropped out in his second year. Woodward ultimately received a Bachelor of Science Honours in social anthropology from London School of Economics,[2] a Certificate in Education from the University of Greenwich, and a postgraduate diploma in social anthropology from the University of Manchester.[3] In 2019, Woodward received an Honorary Doctorate from Middlesex University.[citation needed]
Career edit
In 1989, Woodward won a Eric Gregory Award for poets under 30.[4] He published his first poetry collection, Householder, in 1991; it won the year's Somerset Maugham Award.[2] His later poetry collections include After the Deafening (1994); Island to Island (1999); We Were Pedestrians (2005); and The Seacunny (2012). In 2001, he published his first novel, August, which was the first in a trilogy, followed by I'll Go to Bed at Noon (2004) and A Curious Earth (2007). August was shortlisted for the 2001 Whitbread Award, and I'll Go to Bed at Noon was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.[2][5][6] Woodward has since published the short story collection Caravan Thieves (2008) and the novels Nourishment (2010) and Vanishing (2014).[5]
Woodward has been a writer-in-residence at Columbia College Chicago (2011) and the University of Stockholm (2013).[3] He has taught or been a writer in residence in many countries including China, Greece, Sweden, Slovenia and Ireland.[citation needed] Since 2004, Woodward has worked in the creative writing department at Bath Spa University;[1] as of April 2024, he runs the Ph.D. programme with Tracy Brain.[3] He has been a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature since 2005.[7]
Awards and honors edit
In 1989, Woodward won the Eric Gregory Award for poets under age 30.[1][4] He received an Arts Council England bursary for poetry in 1994 and for fiction in 1999.[1] He has been a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature since 2005.[7]
Householder (1991) and After The Deafening (1994) have been Poetry Book Society Choice books.[citation needed]
| Year | Title | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Householder | Somerset Maugham Award | Winner | [1][2][5] |
| 1992 | Householder | John Llewellyn-Rhys Memorial Prize | [5] | |
| 1994 | After the Deafening | T. S. Eliot Prize | Shortlist | |
| 2001 | August | Whitbread Award for First Novel | Shortlist | [2][5] |
| 2004 | I'll Go to Bed at Noon | Man Booker Prize for Fiction | Shortlist | [2][5][6][8] |
| 2004 | Encore Award | Shortlist | [5] | |
| 2005 | We Were Pedestrians | T. S. Eliot Prize | Shortlist | [5] |
| 2011 | Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award | Shortlist | [5] | |
| 2014 | Vanishing | Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize | Winner | [9][10] |
| 2017 | O. Henry Award | |||
| 2018 | The Paper Lovers | Bad Sex in Fiction | Shortlist | [11] |
Personal life edit
Woodward met his wife Suzanne Jane Anderson while studying at Falmouth School of Art.[2] He has two children: Corin and Phoebe.[1]
Bibliography edit
Poetry edit
- The Unwriter & Other Poems (1989)
- Householder (1991), ISBN 0-7011-3758-4
- After the Deafening (1994), ISBN 0-7011-6271-6
- Island to Island (1999), ISBN 0-7011-6869-2
- We Were Pedestrians (2005), ISBN 0-7011-7887-6
- The Seacunny (2012)
- The Vulture (2022)
Fiction edit
- August (2001), ISBN 0-7011-7111-1
- I'll Go to Bed at Noon (2004), ISBN 0-7011-7118-9
- A Curious Earth (2007)
- Caravan Thieves (short stories; 2008)
- Nourishment (2010; published as Letters from an Unknown Woman in the US)
- Vanishing (2014)
- Legoland (short stories; 2016), ISBN 978-1447288671
- The Paper Lovers (2018)
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f "Woodward, Gerard (Vaughan) 1961-". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Crown, Sarah (23 November 2012). "A life in writing: Gerard Woodward". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ a b c "Gerard Woodward". Bath Spa University. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Eric Gregory Awards". The Society of Authors. 8 May 2020. Archived from the original on 14 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Gerard Woodward - Literature". British Council. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ a b Lyall, Sarah (20 October 2004). "Tale of Gay Life in Britain Wins a Top Literary Prize". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Woodward, Gerard". Royal Society of Literature. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ Doran, Amanda-Jane (27 September 2004). "Some Surprises on Booker Shortlist". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ Haig, Matt (20 June 2014). "What the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered prize reveals". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ "Awards: Jerwood Fiction Uncovered". Shelf Awareness. 23 June 2014. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ "Awards: Bad Sex in Fiction Shortlist". Shelf Awareness . 3 December 2018. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.