Kate Atkinson (born 20 December 1951) is an English writer of novels, plays and short stories.
She is known for creating the
Jackson Brodie series of detective novels, which has been adapted into the
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
series ''
Case Histories
''Case Histories'' (2004) is a detective novel by British author Kate Atkinson and is set in Cambridge, England. It introduces Jackson Brodie, a former police inspector and now private investigator. The plot revolves around three seemingly unc ...
''.
She won the
Whitbread Book of the Year
The Costa Book Awards were a set of annual literary awards recognising English-language books by writers based in UK and Ireland. Originally named the Whitbread Book Awards from 1971 to 2005 after its first sponsor, the Whitbread company, then ...
prize in 1995 in the Novels category for ''
Behind the Scenes at the Museum
''Behind the Scenes at the Museum'' is British novelist Kate Atkinson's debut novel, published in 1995. The book covers the experiences of Ruby Lennox, a girl from a working-class English family living in York. The museum of the title is York ...
'', winning again in 2013 and 2015 under its new name the
Costa Book Awards
The Costa Book Awards were a set of annual literary awards recognising English-language books by writers based in UK and Ireland. Originally named the Whitbread Book Awards from 1971 to 2005 after its first sponsor, the Whitbread company, then ...
.
Early life
The daughter of a shopkeeper, Atkinson was born in
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, the setting for several of her books.
She studied
English literature
English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...
at the
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee; . Abbreviated as ''Dund.'' for post-nominals. is a public university, public research university based in Dundee, Scotland. It was founded as a University college#United Kingdom, university college in 1881 with a donation ...
, gaining her master's degree in 1974.
Atkinson subsequently studied for a doctorate in
American literature
American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also inc ...
, with a thesis titled "The post-modern American short story in its historical context".
She failed at the
viva
Viva may refer to:
Companies and organisations
* Viva (network operator), a Dominican mobile network operator
* Viva Air, a Spanish airline taken over by flag carrier Iberia
* Viva Air Dominicana
* VIVA Bahrain, a telecommunication company
* ...
(oral examination) stage. After leaving the university, she took on a variety of jobs, from home help to legal secretary and teacher.
Writing career
Her first novel, ''Behind the Scenes at the Museum'', won the 1995 Whitbread Book of the Year and went on to be a ''
Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' bestseller. Since then, she has published further novels, as well as plays and short stories.
Some of her books are part of a series of novels, starting with ''Case Histories'', which feature the character of Jackson Brodie as a private investigator and former police inspector.
Atkinson has criticised the media's coverage of her work when she won the
Whitbread award
The Costa Book Awards were a set of annual literary awards recognising English-language books by writers based in UK and Ireland. Originally named the Whitbread Book Awards from 1971 to 2005 after its first sponsor, the Whitbread company, then ...
, for example, it was the fact that she was a "single mother" who lived outside London that received the most attention.
[ In a 2018 interview she declared that she did not spend time in great literary parties or the London high life.][
In 2009, she donated the short story "Lucky We Live Now" to ]Oxfam
Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International.
History
Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...
's Ox-Tales
Ox-Tales refers to four anthologies of short stories written by 38 of the UK's best-known authors. All donated their stories to Oxfam. The books and stories are loosely based on the four elements: Earth, Fire, Air and Water.
The Ox-Tales books we ...
project, four collections of UK stories written by 38 authors. Atkinson's story was published in the ''Earth'' collection.
In March 2010, Atkinson appeared at the York Literature Festival, giving a world-premier reading from an early chapter from her novel '' Started Early, Took My Dog'' (2010), which is set mainly in the English city of Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
.
Atkinson was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(MBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to literature. On 30 November 2018, she was the guest on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
's ''Desert Island Discs
''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942.
Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usu ...
''.
Bibliography
Novels
*''Behind the Scenes at the Museum
''Behind the Scenes at the Museum'' is British novelist Kate Atkinson's debut novel, published in 1995. The book covers the experiences of Ruby Lennox, a girl from a working-class English family living in York. The museum of the title is York ...
'' (1995) winner of the 1995 Whitbread first novel and Book of the Year Prize
*''Human Croquet
''Human Croquet'' is the second novel of Kate Atkinson. The book covers the experiences of Isobel Fairfax, including her occasional bouts of time-travelling, while setting out the legacy of a 300-year-old family curse.
Reception
In a review o ...
'' (1997)
*''Emotionally Weird
''Emotionally Weird'' is the third novel by Kate Atkinson. It was published in 2000.
Plot introduction
The novel begins with chapter one of a murder mystery set in a seaside resort. This tale is later revealed as being written by Euphemia (Ef ...
'' (2000)
*'' Life After Life'' (2013)winner of the 2013 Costa novel award
*'' A God in Ruins'' (2015)winner of the 2015 Costa novel award
*''Transcription
Transcription refers to the process of converting sounds (voice, music etc.) into letters or musical notes, or producing a copy of something in another medium, including:
Genetics
* Transcription (biology), the copying of DNA into RNA, the fir ...
'' (2018)
* '' Shrines of Gaiety'' (2022)
*''The Line of Sight'' (TBC)
Novels featuring Jackson Brodie
*''Case Histories
''Case Histories'' (2004) is a detective novel by British author Kate Atkinson and is set in Cambridge, England. It introduces Jackson Brodie, a former police inspector and now private investigator. The plot revolves around three seemingly unc ...
'' (2004)
*'' One Good Turn'' (2006)
*'' When Will There Be Good News?'' (2008)
*'' Started Early, Took My Dog'' (2010)
*'' Big Sky'' (2019)
Plays
*''Nice'' (1996)
*'' Abandonment'' (2000)
Story collections
*'' Not the End of the World'' (2002)
Television adaptations
The first four Jackson Brodie novels have been adapted by other writers for the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
as Brodie.
in the role of Ursula.
Atkinson has been married twice: while a student, to the father of her first daughter Eve, and subsequently to the father of her second daughter Helen.
.