literary fiction
Literary fiction, mainstream fiction, non-genre fiction or serious fiction is a label that, in the book trade, refers to market novels that do not fit neatly into an established genre (see genre fiction); or, otherwise, refers to novels that are ch ...
writer. She is most noted for her 2013 novel ''Unexploded'', a longlisted nominee for the
2013 Man Booker Prize The 2013 Booker Prize for Fiction was awarded on 15 October 2013 to Eleanor Catton for her novel ''The Luminaries''. A longlist of thirteen titles was announced on 23 July, and these were narrowed down to a shortlist of six titles, announced on 10 ...
, and her 2017 short story collection ''All the Beloved Ghosts'', a shortlisted finalist for the
Governor General's Award for English-language fiction
The Governor General's Award for English-language fiction is a Canadian literary award that annually recognizes one Canadian writer for a fiction book written in English.2017 Governor General's Awards. MacLeod is an occasional contributor to BBC Radio 4, the Sunday Times and the Guardian, and has appeared at numerous literary festivals in the UK and internationally.
Her debut novel ''The Changeling,'' 1996, is the story of the 18th-century historical figure,
Anne Bonny
Anne Bonny (8 March 1697 – disappeared April 1721), sometimes Anne Bonney, was an Irish pirate operating in the Caribbean, and one of the few female pirates in recorded history. What little that is known of her life comes largely from Capta ...
, a cross-dressing woman who was sentenced to hang for piracy. ''The Wave Theory of Angels'', 2005, explored an actual 13th-century theological uproar and in a parallel storyline, controversies in the early 21st-century world of particle physics. Her 2007 short story collection, ''Fifteen Modern Tales of Attraction,'' delves into the complications of desire.
In 2013, she received international attention for her third novel ''Unexploded'', which was long-listed for the 2013 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Adapted for BBC Radio and named one of the Observer Books of the Year, it presents a non-triumphalist perspective on the early years of the second world war in Britain confronting the bigotry that can unfold at times of national strife. Described as ‘a piece of finely wrought ironwork, uncommonly delicate but at the same time astonishingly strong and tensile; it’s a novel of staggering elegance and beauty.’ and ‘Like her modernist forebears, Macleod knows that life and death, the terrible and the mundane always co-exist – her genius lies in illustrating these truths while simultaneously spinning a bona fide pageturner.’ ''Unexploded'' was followed by a short story collection, ''All the Beloved Ghosts,'' 2017, named one of the Guardian‘s "Best Books of 2017," an "exceptionally accomplished collection" blends fiction, biography and memoir.
In ''Tenderness,'' 2021, MacLeod "pulls off a magnificent nonlinear spin on ''Lady Chatterley’s Lover'' and the
censorship
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
of
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
during
D.H. Lawrence
David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...
’s life and beyond... this places MacLeod among the best of contemporary novelists." by tracing "''Lady Chatterley’s'' sources in the thickets of Lawrence’s own biography, then follows its tortured progress towards the light through the indecency trial," where in her last days before becoming first lady,
Jackie Kennedy
Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...
, to honor a novel she loves, attends the trial." ''Tenderness,'' originally a working title for Lawrence's novel, was on the NY Times "Best Historical Novels of 2021" and "The Season’s Best New Historical Novels" lists.
Background
Born in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
of Nova Scotian parents and raised in Montreal and Halifax,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
since 1987. MacLeod studied English literature at
Mount Saint Vincent University
Mount Saint Vincent University, often referred to as the Mount, is a public, primarily undergraduate, university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and was established in 1873. Mount Saint Vincent offers undergraduate programs in Arts, S ...
in Halifax and later, completed her masters in creative writing and Ph.D at the
University of Lancaster
, mottoeng = Truth lies open to all
, established =
, endowment = £13.9 million
, budget = £317.9 million
, type = Public
, city = Bailrigg, City of Lancaster
, country = England
, coor =
, campus = Bailrigg
, faculty = ...
. She is published by Bloomsbury and Penguin Canada, and is a professor of contemporary fiction at the
University of Chichester
, mottoeng = By teaching, we learn
, type = Public
, established = 2005
, administrative_staff = 600
, vice_chancellor = Jane Longmore
, city = Chichester, West Sussex
, country = England, UK
...
. She is a citizen of both Canada and the United Kingdom.
Awards
* 2016 Eccles British Library Writer in Residence Award
* 2013 Man Booker Prize Longlist for ''Unexploded, '' Hamish Hamilton
* 2011
BBC National Short Story Award
BBC National Short Story Award is a British literary award for short stories. It was founded in 2005 by the NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) with support from BBC Radio 4 and ''Prospect'' magazine. The winner re ...
Shortlist for ''The Heart of Dennis Noble''
Selected bibliography
*''The Changeling,'' St. Martin's Press, 1996,
*''The Wave Theory of Angels,'' Penguin Canada, 2005,
*''Fifteen Modern Tales of Attraction,'' Penguin Books, 2007,
*''Unexploded,'' Hamish Hamilton, 2013, ,
*''All the Beloved Ghosts,'' Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017,
*''Tenderness,'' Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021,