Peter Carey Australian writer Country: Australia

Biography of Peter Carey

Peter Carey is an Australian writer who has been compared to the works of Kurt Vonnegut, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Jorge Luis Borges. His list of literary accolades is impressive, including the 1998 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for his novel "Jack Maggs". Carey became a laureate of the 2001 Booker Prize, having been a nominee in 1985 and winning in 1988 for his novel "Oscar and Lucinda". This Victorian-era love story was adapted into a film starring British actors Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett.

One of Carey's most acclaimed works is "True History of the Kelly Gang", a confessional novel narrated by Ned Kelly, a 25-year-old Australian folk hero who was hanged 120 years ago. Ned Kelly is often referred to as Australia's Robin Hood and is considered one of the founding figures of Australian nationalism. Carey once stated that almost everything he has written relates to the question of national identity.

Born in 1943, Carey spent his childhood in the town of Bacchus Marsh near Melbourne. His father was a car salesman, and Peter followed in his footsteps after being expelled from university, where he had studied chemistry for a year. His early literary endeavors consisted of surrealist stories, which were later included in his book "Fat Man in History". Winning the Booker Prize in 1988 allowed Carey to focus solely on writing. He moved to New York with his wife and son, where he continues to reside and teach at a university.