Peter Carey

Peter Carey is an Australian writer whose works have been awarded many accolades, including two Booker Prizes, making him the only author to have received the award twice. His works span multiple genres, including novels, short stories, and plays, though he is most widely known for his fiction. He has written some of the most iconic, award-winning works of contemporary fiction and is considered one of the greatest, most influential authors of the English language.

Carey was born in Australia in 1943, to a working-class family, and grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne. He first studied at the University of Melbourne and then entered the Catholic seminary, though he soon found religion to be too constricting and left to pursue a career in advertising. After some time in the industry, he quit and went to live in London to study writing. He returned to Australia in 1975, and published his first novel, The Fat Man In History, in 1975. It was later published in the United States in 1983 and became a critical success in the indie book circuit. This success allowed him to quit advertising and pursue full-time writing. He published his second novel, Bliss, in 1981 and was awarded the Miles Franklin Literary Award for the work.

After the release of Bliss, Carey moved to New York and continued writing, producing works such as The Tax Inspector (1991), and Jack Maggs (1997), for which he was awarded his first Man Booker Prize in 1998. Both books were considered to be major successes and cemented Carey’s reputation as one of the great contemporary storytellers.

Carey is well-known for his inventive re-imaginings of history, which he has done in works such as True History of the Kelly Gang (2000), which was awarded his second Booker Prize, and the play Naples (1992). These works do not attempt to be historically accurate but instead provide a fascinating glimpse into the past, allowing the reader to experience a different era. Carey has also written novels that capture the contemporary culture of Australia, such as Oscar and Lucinda (1988) and My Life as a Fake (2004). Both of these books were also critically acclaimed and won several awards.

His most recent works, including Parrot and Olivier in America (2009) and The Chemistry of Tears (2012), cement his reputation as an author capable of producing outstanding works in multiple genres. He has also written several short stories for anthologies, as well as children’s books.

Carey’s body of work is one that reflects his interest in social and political issues, his fascination with the past, and his understanding of contemporary culture. His novels and short stories provide a unique look into the world in which we live, and his plays have earned him multiple awards and accolades. He is considered one of Australia’s most influential authors, and his works continue to win critical praise for their unique and inventive genres.