Jolley, Elizabeth (1923–)
Jolley, Elizabeth (1923–)
British-born Australian short-story writer and novelist. Born Monica Elizabeth Knight, June 4, 1923, in Gravelly Hill, England; dau. of Charles Wilfred Knight (1890–1977, teacher) and Margarethe Johanna Carolina (von Fehr) Knight (1896–1979); m. Leonard Jolley (1914–1994, librarian); children: Sarah, Richard and Ruth Jolley.
Preeminent in Australia and overseas for her innovative and experimental fiction, immigrated with family to Australia (1959); started writing for publication (1960s); had 1st book published, Five Acre Virgin and Other Stories (1976); became a university lecturer in creative writing at Curtin University (1978); produced about a book a year, including Peabody, Milk and Honey, Palomino, Newspaper, The Sugar Mother, Foxybaby, Cabin Fever, My Father's Moon, Mr. Scobie's Riddle, The Well and the Vera Wright trilogy. Received New South Wales Prize for Fiction for Milk and Honey (1985) and Miles Franklin Award for The Well (1987); named Officer of the Order of Australia for Services to the Arts (1988); won Canada-Australia Literary Award (1989); joint winner with Françoise Cartano of the Inaugural France-Australia Literary Award for The Sugar Mother (Tombé du ciel), a book in French translation (1993).
See also Caroline Lurie, ed. Central Mischief: Elizabeth Jolley on Writing, Her Past and Herself (Viking, 1992); and Women in World History.