Elizabeth Knox

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Elizabeth Knox

CNZM
Knox in 2021
Knox in 2021
Born (1959-02-15) 15 February 1959 (age 65)
Wellington, New Zealand
OccupationWriter
NationalityNew Zealander
Period1987–
Notable worksThe Vintner's Luck (1998)
SpouseFergus Barrowman
Children1
Website
www.elizabethknox.com

Elizabeth Fiona Knox

CNZM (born 15 February 1959) is a New Zealand writer. She has authored several novels for both adults and teenagers, autobiographical novellas, and a collection of essays. One of her best-known works is The Vintner's Luck (1998), which won several awards, has been published in ten languages,[1] and was made into a film of the same name by Niki Caro in 2009. Knox is also known for her young adult literary fantasy series, Dreamhunter Duet
. Her most recent novels are Mortal Fire and Wake, both published in 2013, and The Absolute Book, published in 2019.

Early life

Knox was born in Wellington, New Zealand. She and her two sisters were raised by atheist parents in a household where religion was often debated.[2] They spent their childhood living in various small suburbs of Wellington, including Pomare, Wadestown, Waikanae and Paremata.[1] She went to high school at Tawa College,[1] and later published a trilogy of novellas that were influenced by her childhood experiences of living in and around Wellington.[3][4]

Knox enjoyed inventing stories as a child, and was an avid reader,[5] but had difficulties with writing because she was slightly dyslexic.[2] When she was eleven she created an oral narrative history with her younger sister Sara and its characters and plot evolved based on their input along with the input of their older sister, Mary, and their friend, Carol.[6] It became an elaborate imaginary world with many characters, intricate plot lines, and involvements. When she was sixteen, Knox's father overheard a discussion between her, her sisters, and Carol regarding the consequences of a secret treaty set in their imaginary world and remarked that he hoped they were writing this down.[1] Following this, they all tried "writing stories about, letters between, and poems by their characters"[6] and Knox enjoyed it so much that she decided she would like to be a writer.[7]

Career

Early career: 1983–1997

In 1983, when Knox was 24, she started a degree in English Literature at

Victoria University Press,[9] and Knox graduated from Victoria University of Wellington the same year. She was also awarded the ICI Young Writers Bursary award that year.[1]

In 1988 Knox, Fergus Barrowman, Nigel Cox, and Damien Wilkins, with the help of Bill Manhire, Alan Preston and Andrew Mason, co-founded the literary journal Sport.[10] Knox was one of its editors and has been a frequent contributor to the magazine.[3]

Her second and third novels, Treasure (1992)[11] and Glamour and the Sea (1996),[12] were both set in Wellington; the former was about a religious community while the latter was a mystery novel set in the 1940s.[3] Alongside these novels, Knox also wrote a trilogy of novellas based on her own experiences growing up in Wellington: Paremata (1989), Pomare (1994), and Tawa (1998),[3] later published in the compilation The High Jump: A New Zealand Childhood (2000).[4] She was the recipient of the Victoria University of Wellington Writing Fellowship in 1997.[3][13]

The Vintner's Luck and other work: 1998–2010

WORD Christchurch Festival

Knox's fourth full-length novel, The Vintner's Luck, was published in 1998,

Burgundy, France, and spans 55 years. It was inspired by a feverish dream experienced by Knox when she had pneumonia.[2] The Vintner's Luck won Knox widespread critical acclaim and numerous awards, and it raised her profile within New Zealand and overseas.[3] It sold over 60,000 copies in New Zealand alone and in 2018, readers of The Spinoff voted it as the best New Zealand novel of the last 50 years.[16]

After the success of The Vintner's Luck, and spending part of 1999 in Menton, France as the recipient of the Meridian Energy Katherine Mansfield Memorial Fellowship,[17] three novels by Knox were published in quick succession: Black Oxen (2001),[18][19] Billie's Kiss (2002),[20][21] and Daylight (2003).[22][23] Daylight, a novel about vampires created by a virus, received praise from reviewers and did well overseas.[24] Academic Erin Mercer notes that the novel reflects international Gothic and supernatural literary traditions as well as New Zealand fiction's more realistic approach.[24]

In 2002, Knox was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2002 Queen's Birthday and Golden Jubilee Honours, for services to literature.[25]

Knox's first young adult books, Dreamhunter and Dreamquake, were published in 2005 and 2007 respectively, as the

Montana New Zealand Book Awards.[29] Since 2013 a quotation from The Love School has been featured on a concrete plaque forming part of the Wellington Writers Walk, a series of quotations installed along the Wellington waterfront.[30]

In 2009 the

34th Annual Toronto International Film Festival.[31] Knox was disappointed at the direction the movie took as she felt Caro "took out what the book was actually about", referring to the romantic relationship between Sobran and Xas which was a core aspect of the novel.[32] Her sister Sara, who is gay, was also upset about the film version.[33] Knox's bad experience with the film made her pull out of a potential film contract with New Zealand filmmaker Jonathan King for her young adult fantasy series, The Dreamhunter Duet.[2][34]

That same year, Knox published The Angel's Cut,[35] a sequel to The Vintner's Luck. The story follows the tale of Xas after the events of the first book and is set in 1930s Hollywood. At the time she said that she was intending to write a third book in the series, The Angel's Reserve, set in contemporary times, but as of 2020 it has not yet been published.[2][36]

Later career

In 2013, Mortal Fire was published,

The Guardian said in its review: "Knox keeps the monster off stage and examines the psychological consequences of its depredations on the survivors, subverting the norms of the horror genre and thus making the ambiguous finale all the more startling."[40] The publication of both books in the same year caused some confusion, with New Zealand bookstore Whitcoulls inadvertently shelving Wake in the children's section and listing it as a "great gift for kids".[41]

Since 2016, Knox has taught a world-building writing workshop at Victoria University.[5]

In 2019, The Absolute Book was published,[42] a fantasy novel that won critical acclaim both in New Zealand and overseas.[43] The book attracted particular attention after a January 2020 book review by Slate writer Dan Kois headlined "This New Zealand Fantasy Masterpiece Needs to Be Published in America, Like, Now".[44] The book was subsequently acquired by overseas publishers. It was published in the US and Canada in February 2021,[45][46][47] and in the UK in March 2021.[48] Kirkus Reviews wrote: "This darkly luminous fantasy reads like a mystery, thoroughly and wonderfully transporting readers to another world."[49] The Times described the novel as "bursting with imagination" and "a bewitching, frustrating, strange and perverse novel".[50] Nina Allan, reviewing the novel for The Guardian, said it "has the feel of an instant classic" and "is everything fantasy should be: original, magical, well read". She praised the diverse characters and the book's "genuine feeling of jeopardy".[51] It was listed as one of the best science fiction and fantasy books of 2021 by The New York Times.[52]

In June 2020, Knox was promoted to

Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to literature, in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours.[53] She said that on receiving the award her first thought was that her parents would have been amused, given her lack of writing ability as a child.[5]

Honours and awards

Fellowships and honours

Prizes for individual books

Personal life

As of 2020 Knox lives in

Victoria University Press. They have a son, Jack Barrowman.[5] Barrowman and Knox met when he was involved in publishing her first book, After Z-Hour (1987).[73]

Selected works

References

  1. ^
    Macmillan Books. Archived
    from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e Noonan, Kathleen (30 October 2009). "Year of hell for writer Elizabeth Knox". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Knox, Elizabeth". Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020.
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8647-3337-5
    .
  5. ^ a b c d Green, Kate (1 June 2020). "QB HONOURS - Wellington author Elizabeth Knox awarded Queen's Birthday honours". Dominion Post. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  6. ^ a b Knox, Elizabeth (1988). "Origins, Authority and Imaginary Games". Sport. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  7. ^ Knox, Elizabeth (2002). "Starling". Sport. Archived from the original on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  8. ^ Knox, Elizabeth (2000). "On Being Picked Up". Sport. Archived from the original on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  9. ISBN 978-0-8647-3070-1
    .
  10. ^ "About Sport". Sport. Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  11. ISBN 978-0-8647-3228-6
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  12. ISBN 978-0-8647-3305-4
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  13. ^ Knox, Elizabeth (1999). "1997 Elizabeth Knox". In Robinson, Roger (ed.). Writing Wellington: Twenty Years of Victoria University Writing Fellows. Wellington, NZ: Victoria University Press. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  14. ISBN 978-0-8647-3677-2
    .
  15. ^ "Elizabeth Knox - Biography". Penguin Books (UK). Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Winner of our great book prize announced as Elizabeth Knox is proved most popular author of all times". The Spinoff. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Mansfield Prize Fellows". Mansfield Prize. Archived from the original on 6 May 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  18. ISBN 978-0-3741-1405-3
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  19. ^ May, Sarah (11 August 2001). "Leaps of faith". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  20. ISBN 978-0-3454-5052-4
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  21. ^ Thomson, Margie (28 February 2001). "Elizabeth Knox: Billie's Kiss". NZ Herald. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  22. ISBN 978-0-3454-5795-0
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  23. ^ Thomson, Margie (27 March 2003). "Elizabeth Knox: Daylight". NZ Herald. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  24. ^
    JSTOR 41939307
    . Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  25. ^ a b "Queen's Birthday and Golden Jubilee honours list 2002". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 3 June 2002. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  26. ISBN 9780732281939
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  27. ISBN 978-0-7322-8194-6
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  28. ^ Gracewood, Jolisa (10 February 2007). "Book of Revelations". New Zealand Listener. Archived from the original on 10 November 2009. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  29. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8647-3592-8
    . Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  30. ^ Mateparae, Sir Jerry (21 March 2013). "Wellington Writers Walk Quotation Unveiling". Office of the Governor-General. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  31. ^ Davison, Isaac (16 September 2009). "Vintner's Luck movie gets critical panning". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
  32. The Dominion Post. Archived
    from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  33. The Dominion Post. Archived
    from the original on 30 November 2009. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  34. ^ Hunter, Kathy (20 October 2005). "Elizabeth Knox interview". LeafSalon. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  35. ISBN 978-0-8647-3600-0
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  36. ^ Linnell, Christine (12 October 2009). "Elizabeth Knox on The Angel's Cut". The Lumière Reader. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  37. ISBN 9780374388317
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  38. ^ Green, Paula (7 June 2013). "Book Review: Mortal Fire". NZ Herald. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  39. ISBN 978-0-8647-3770-0
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  40. ^ Brown, Eric (10 April 2015). "The best science fiction novels in April – review roundup". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  41. ^ Downes, Siobhan (23 December 2013). "Horror novel in kids' section". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  42. ISBN 978-1-7765-6230-5
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  43. ^ Downes, Siobhan (14 February 2020). "Kiwi author Elizabeth Knox's The Absolute Book makes waves overseas". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  44. ^ Kois, Dan (29 January 2020). "This New Zealand Fantasy Masterpiece Needs to Be Published in America, Like, Now". Slate. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  45. ^ Cowdrey, Katherine (19 October 2020). "MJ bags Knox's The Absolute Book". The Bookseller. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  46. ^ "The Absolute Book". Penguin Random House (US). Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  47. ^ "The Absolute Book". Penguin Random House (CA). Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  48. ^ "The Absolute Book". Penguin Random House (UK). Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  49. ^ "THE ABSOLUTE BOOK". Kirkus Reviews. 15 November 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  50. ^ Ditum, Sarah (20 March 2021). "The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox review — this tale is away with the fairies". The Times. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  51. ^ Allan, Nina (25 March 2021). "The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox review – an instant classic". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  52. ^ El-Mohtar, Amal (8 December 2021). "The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2021". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  53. ^ a b "Queen's Birthday honours list 2020". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  54. ^ "Writer in Residence". Victoria University of Wellington. Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  55. ^ "Laureate Awards". The Arts Foundation. Archived from the original on 15 April 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  56. ^ "Elizabeth Knox to receive Michael King Writer's Fellowship". News. Manatū Taonga - the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  57. ^ "University alumnae win Prime Minister's Awards for Fiction and Poetry". Victoria University of Wellington. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  58. ^ "Wellington.scoop.co.nz » 2800 students in VUW graduation ceremonies this week". Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  59. ^ Wellington, Victoria University of (11 August 2020). "Acclaimed New Zealand writer to receive honorary doctorate | News | Victoria University of Wellington". www.wgtn.ac.nz. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  60. ^ a b "New Zealand Book Awards – Winners 1999". Booksellers. Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  61. ^ "Orange 1999 Longlist". Orange. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  62. ^ "New Zealand Book Awards – Winners 2002". Booksellers. Archived from the original on 18 January 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  63. ^ "Montana New Zealand Book Awards". Christchurch City Libraries. Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  64. ^ "LIANZA Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  65. ^ "White Ravens: 2006". International Children's Digital Library. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  66. ^ "2007 BBYA List with Annotations". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  67. ^ "Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 8 February 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  68. ^ "2008 BBYA List with Annotations". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  69. Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand. Archived
    from the original on 14 March 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  70. ^ Kellogg, Carolyn (19 February 2014). "Announcing the L.A. Times Book Prize finalists for 2013". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  71. ^ "Past Winners: 2014". New Zealand Book Awards. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  72. ^ English / New Zealand - Mortal fire. Retrieved 18 November 2020. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  73. ^ Catherall, Sarah (1 October 2017). "Us Two: writer Elizabeth Knox and her husband, publisher Fergus Barrowman". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 19 November 2020.

External links

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