Nobel prize winner here for Festival
Friday, 22 June 2007

Celebrated scholar, essayist, novelist and worldwide best seller, J M Coetzee heads an impressive line up of writers attending this year's Mildura Writers' Festival beginning on July 19th

Attendees can look forward to a fascinating panel discussion on Censorship - The Individual and the State with JM Coetzee, Barry Hill and Paul Kane on July 19 from 8 p.m. at the Mildura Club.

The Latrobe University in conjunction with the Mildura Writers' Festival will present a Dean's Lecture on Sunday July 22nd with J M Coetzee reading from his work.

  Much of Coetzee's writing depicts the strong personal influences of his South African background, which will have great relevance for the panel discussion.

He has won many awards including the Booker prize twice and he was the Nobel Prize for Literature winner in 2003. Currently, Coetzee holds an honorary position at the University of Adelaide's department of English.

Born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1940, Coetzee graduated with honours degrees in Maths and English in the early 1960's.

He received his PhD in English, linguistics and Germanic languages in 1968.

  He has taught at the University of New York, the University of Cape Town, the University of Adelaide and at the Committee on Social Thought. 

J M Coetzee emigrated to Australia in 2002 and in March 2006 he became an Australian Citizen.

 "I was attracted by the free and generous spirit of the people, by the beauty of the land itself and-when I first saw Adelaide-by the grace of the city that I now have the honour of calling my home."

Coetzee's first Booker Prize winner  "The Life and Times of Michael K" 1983, is set in Cape Town, a city about to embark on racial wars.

 It is the story of a son who attempts to take his dying mother to the farm where she spent her youth.

 She dies along the way, but he continues his journey with her ashes.  He lives on her farm alone and in reasonable contentment until captured and accused of helping guerrillas.

JM Coetzee's second Booker Prize was awarded for "Disgrace"1999, also set in set in South Africa. "Disgrace" deals with humanity, modern life and themes relevant to Coetzee's birth country.

Tickets to the panel discussion:  Censorship - The Individual and the State -featuring J M Coetzee, Barry Hill and Paul Kane are $15 or $10 Concession.

The Latrobe University Dean's Lecture on 22nd July in conjunction with Mildura Writers' Festival features J M Coetzee reading from his work is a free lecture.
The Latrobe University is a leading sponsor of the Mildura Writers' Festival along with Book City, Quality Hotel Mildura Grand, Deakin Estate, Zilzie Wines and Tasco Inland.

All details and the Mildura Writers' festival program are on line at www.mwaf.com.au and bookings may be made by phoning 5021 5100.