Kate Atkinson
Author of Life After Life
About the Author
Kate Atkinson was born in York, and studied English Literature at the University of Dundee. She earned her Masters Degree from Dundee in 1974. She then went on to study for a doctorate in American Literature but she failed at the viva (oral examination) stage. After leaving the university, she took show more on a variety of jobs from home help to legal secretary and teacher. Her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the 1995 Whitbread Book of the Year ahead of Salman Rushdie's The Moor's Last Sigh and Roy Jenkins's biography of William Ewart Gladstone. It went on to be a Sunday Times bestseller. Since then, she has published another five novels, one play, and one collection of short stories. Her work is often celebrated for its wit, wisdom and subtle characterisation, and the surprising twists and plot turns. Her most recent work has featured the popular former detective Jackson Brodie. In 2009, she donated the short story Lucky We Live Now to Oxfam's 'Ox-Tales' project, four collections of UK stories written by 38 authors. Atkinson's story was published in the 'Earth' collection. In March 2010, Atkinson appeared at the York Literature Festival, giving a world-premier reading from an early chapter from her forthcoming novel Started Early, Took My Dog, which is set mainly in the English city of Leeds. Atkinson's bestselling novel, Life after Life, has won numerous awards, including the COSTA Novel Award for 2013. The follow-up to Life After Life is A God in Ruins and was published in 2015. This title won a Costa Book Award 2015 in the novel category. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Kate Atkinson Photo: John Foley/Opale
Series
Works by Kate Atkinson
Il regno della notte 2 copies
Normal Rules Dont Apply 1 copy
Creepy Crawlies 1 copy
Life After Life / Started Early, Took My Dog / Case Histories / One Good Turn / When Will There Be Good News? /… (2014) 1 copy
Life after Life 1 copy
Lucky We Live Now - story 1 copy
Lineup 1 copy
Affairs of the Heart 1 copy
LOS TIEMPOS DEL JÚBILO 1 copy
Associated Works
The Book That Changed My Life: 71 Remarkable Writers Celebrate the Books That Matter Most to Them (2006) — Contributor — 389 copies
Freedom: Stories Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (2009) — Contributor — 73 copies
Out of Line: Women on the Verge of a Breakthrough — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1951-12-20
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- England
- Country (for map)
- England, UK
- Birthplace
- York, Yorkshire, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Whitby, Yorkshire, England, UK
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - Education
- University of Dundee (1974)
- Occupations
- legal secretary
teacher
novelist - Relationships
- Hixon, Andy (partner or husband)
- Awards and honors
- British Book Award (Newcomer of the Year ∙ 1997)
E. M. Forster Award (1998)
Order of the British Empire (Member ∙ 2011) - Agent
- Peter Straus
- Short biography
- She was born in York, and studied English Literature at the University of Dundee, gaining her Masters Degree in 1974. During her final year of this course, she was married for the first time. The marriage lasted only two years, but produced Atkinson's first daughter, Eve, who was born in 1975. She subsequently studied for a doctorate in American Literature which she failed at the viva stage. After leaving university, she took on a variety of miscellaneous jobs from home help to legal secretary and teacher. She lived in Whitby, Yorkshire for a time, but now lives in Edinburgh.
Members
Discussions
BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE - OCTOBER 2016 - ATKINSON & GOLDING in 75 Books Challenge for 2016 (October 2016)
"Life After Life": Is it worth a read? in Girlybooks (September 2015)
Life after Life - Kate Atkinson in Orange January/July (May 2014)
Reviews
Transcription: A Novel by Kate Atkinson
Marvellous! This tale of an 18 year old girls very rapid growing up at the onset of WW2 and her induction into MI5 and subsequent adventures is told in the style of the wonderful writers of postWW2 England, such as Muriel Spark and Penelope Fitzgerald. Actually, Atkinson hails Fitzgerald in the Author’s Note that concludes this wonderful book. While I have read Atkinson’s 'Life After Life' and thought it fine I likely would not have read another if ‘Transcription’ had not been recommended in the pages of Louise Erdrich’s amazing story “The Sentence” and its whacky book store characters and their favourite novels, of which “Transcription” was one… but I digress. Ms. Atkinson applies the style of post WW2 writers very effectively, and the narrator/heroine Juliet has an amazing voice; articulate, droll, insightful, witty, brave, and full of cheeky lies. In fact, she lied to me also, and will to you too should you read this tale. The story is based mostly in two time windows, the war and 10 years later, as Juliet’s experiences in MI5 play out, and then the follow up as the past has its consequences. I loved following her adventures and thoughts. 4.5 easy!… (more)
Well written but in the end it all just seemed futile. Urusla was able to make some adjustments that helped her and her family but they were all Etch a Sketch-ed out when she died so I was just left with the feeling of 'what's the point though?'
Shrines of Gaiety -Atkinson
Audio performance by Jason Watkins
4 stars
This book was everything I've come to expect from Kate Atkinson; quirky characters, plenty of ironic humor, non-linear storytelling with an ambiguous, though satisfying ending.
The story is set in the roaring of the Soho nightclubs in post WW1 London. In the opening chapter, Nellie Coker, night club mavin, is being released from prison after serving some months on a liquor licensing charge. She is welcomed home, with varying levels of enthusiasm, by her six children. Nellie’s shady empire is threatened on several fronts; old enemies seeking revenge, corrupt policemen seeking fortune, and one honest policeman seeking justice. Beneath the glitter and frantic gaiety of the club scene there’s a muck of abuse and violence.
With the death of her mother, former front line nurse Gwendolyn Kelling is ready to leave her boring librarian job. When a friend’s young half sister runs away to London with another local girl, Gwen offers to go in search of Freda and Florence.
The plot meanders. Freda and Florence leave a trail that Gwen and Frobisher (the honest policeman) aren’t quite able to follow. Nellie Coker manages to stay one step ahead of her persecutors, just barely. Each of Nellie’s six children court disaster in their own individual ways. The Roaring 20’s roars on.
There’s a feminist edge to this story. It has a strong theme of righteous female retribution. Although there are some unanswered questions at the end of the book, Atkinson does provide the future history of some characters. It is clear that the gaiety will end. Debauchery and decadence has a price. The next war is coming.… (more)
Audio performance by Jason Watkins
4 stars
This book was everything I've come to expect from Kate Atkinson; quirky characters, plenty of ironic humor, non-linear storytelling with an ambiguous, though satisfying ending.
The story is set in the roaring of the Soho nightclubs in post WW1 London. In the opening chapter, Nellie Coker, night club mavin, is being released from prison after serving some months on a liquor licensing charge. She is welcomed home, with varying levels of enthusiasm, by her six children. Nellie’s shady empire is threatened on several fronts; old enemies seeking revenge, corrupt policemen seeking fortune, and one honest policeman seeking justice. Beneath the glitter and frantic gaiety of the club scene there’s a muck of abuse and violence.
With the death of her mother, former front line nurse Gwendolyn Kelling is ready to leave her boring librarian job. When a friend’s young half sister runs away to London with another local girl, Gwen offers to go in search of Freda and Florence.
The plot meanders. Freda and Florence leave a trail that Gwen and Frobisher (the honest policeman) aren’t quite able to follow. Nellie Coker manages to stay one step ahead of her persecutors, just barely. Each of Nellie’s six children court disaster in their own individual ways. The Roaring 20’s roars on.
There’s a feminist edge to this story. It has a strong theme of righteous female retribution. Although there are some unanswered questions at the end of the book, Atkinson does provide the future history of some characters. It is clear that the gaiety will end. Debauchery and decadence has a price. The next war is coming.… (more)
3-1/2 stars. I liked how she uses humour throughout what is at bottom a crime mystery, though there's a lot of other stuff going on. I wish there were chapters; I love short chapters but this book is full of thought breaks, and only 5 or so real section breaks. Very convoluted story with really too many different pov's to keep straight in my little brain. I will look for another of Atkinson's books though.
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Female Author (6)
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Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 38
- Also by
- 11
- Members
- 45,579
- Popularity
- #355
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 2,250
- ISBNs
- 642
- Languages
- 24
- Favorited
- 221
