Edward Docx (born 1972
/ref>) is a British writer. His first novel, ''

The Calligrapher The Calligrapher is the debut novel of Edward Docx, published in 2003. It was selected by both ''San Francisco Chronicle'' and ''San Jose Mercury'' as a 'Best Book of the Year'. It was also a finalist for the William Saroyan International Prize ...

'', was published in 2003. He is an

associate editor An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

of '' New Statesman Magazine''.

Biography

Docx was born in Newcastle. He was educated at St Bede's College in Manchester and then at

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 170 graduate students. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as ...

, where he read English Literature and was President of the JCR. His mother was a classical music agent and he has described his upbringing as eccentric. He is the eldest son of a family of seven children. He lives in London.

Works

Docx's first novel, ''

'' (2003), was short-listed for both the William Saroyan prize and the Guilford Prize. The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' called it the best debut book of the year. This was followed by ''Pravda'' (2007, entitled ''

Self Help Self-help or self-improvement is a self-guided improvement''APA Dictionary of Physicology'', 1st ed., Gary R. VandenBos, ed., Washington: American Psychological Association, 2007.—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a subst ...

'' in the UK), which was long-listed for the Man-Booker Prize (2007) and won the

Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize The Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize is a British literary prize established in 1963 in tribute to Geoffrey Faber, founder and first Chairman of the publisher Faber & Faber. It recognises a single volume of poetry or fiction by a United Kingdom, Irish ...

(2007). His third novel was ''

The Devil's Garden ''The Devil's Garden'' is a lost 1920 American silent drama film produced by Whitman Bennett, directed by Kenneth Webb, and released through First National Exhibitor's Circuit, which was later known as First National Pictures. The film starre ...

'' (2011). His fourth novel, ''

Let Go My Hand ''Let Go My Hand'' is the fourth novel by British author Edward Docx. Plot introduction Louis Lasker his father Larry is in his seventies and suffering from MND. Together they accompany in their VW camper from Dover to Dignitas in Switzerland ...

'', was published in April 2017 (also by Picador). Docx's work is often extremely well received by critics in the UK and America. The ''New York Times'' has described him as 'fiendishly clever' and the ''Independent'' as a 'virtuoso phrasemaker' and one of the most humane writers of his generation. Docx was cited as one of the 21 most gifted young writers from around the world by The Hay Festival Committee (2008). Docx also works as a screenwriter for television and film. He has co-written several film scripts with the Australian director

P.J. Hogan Paul John "P. J." Hogan (born 30 November 1962) is an AACTA Award-winning Australian film director and writer. Early life Hogan was born in Brisbane, Queensland. As a teenager, he lived on the North Coast of New South Wales and attended Mt St ...

and has worked variously with Ringside Productions, Rainmark and Mandabach on television drama in the UK. Docx co-writes the Swift and Hawk series of children's books with Matthew Plampin under the pen name Logan Macx. The first book in the series, ''Swift and Hawk: Cyberspies'', was published in 2022.

Themes and style

Docx has been compared to writers as diverse as Dickens, Dostoyevsky and Coetzee. And his writing is often praised for its descriptive skill. His work is chiefly noted for its vitality and the attention given to character as well as style. A review in ''The New Yorker'' says "Docx has a gift for assessing “the exact shape and weight of other people’s inner selves, the architecture of their spirit” and even his most ancillary characters flare into being, vital and insistent."

Journalism

Docx has contributed to British and American newspapers and magazines. In the UK, his journalism most often appears in the ''Guardian'', the ''New Statesman'' or ''Prospect'' magazine. Docx was short-listed for The George Orwell Prize for Journalism in 2012. He was short-listed in 2014 for the Foreign Press Association Feature of the Year. In 2015, he was again long-listed for the George Orwell Rowntree Prize. And for a third time for the Orwell-Rowntree in 2021. He has worked in The House of Commons and has interviewed several of the British party political leaders.

Newspaper, radio and television work

Docx reviews contemporary fiction for the ''Guardian''. He has also worked extensively on television and radio. He presented his own show for BBC Television and BBC Radio. He has written widely on the cultural importance of literature and is a regular teacher of the ''Guardians Masterclass series on fiction.

Politics

Docx campaigned publicly for the UK to remain in the European Union.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Docx, Ed People educated at St Bede's College, Manchester 1972 births Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge Living people People from Hale, Greater Manchester