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Alison Louise Kennedy

アリソン・ルイーズ・ケネディ

Alison Louise Kennedy

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1965-10-22 （Dundee, Scotland）
Nationality
Scots
Languages
English
Residence History
Dundee (birthplace) → Wivenhoe (former residence) → Scottish Highlands (current residence)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Academic, Stand-up comedian
Active Years
1987-
Memberships
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

Education

University of Warwick
Faculty of Theatre Studies / Theatre Studies and Dramatic Arts
Degree: BA Hons
Country: United Kingdom

Awards

Scottish Arts Council Book Award (multiple)
Organization: Scottish Arts Council
Result: winner
Granta Best Young British Novelist
1993
Organization: Granta
Result: winner
Granta Best Young British Novelist
2003
Organization: Granta
Result: winner
Saltire Society Scottish First Book of the Year
1991
Work: Night Geometry and the Garscadden Trains
Organization: Saltire Society
Result: winner
Edinburgh Fringe First
1993
Work: The Audition
Organization: Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Result: winner
Somerset Maugham Award
1994
Work: Looking for the Possible Dance
Organization: The Society of Authors
Result: winner
Encore Award
1996
Work: So I Am Glad
Organization: Encore Award
Result: winner
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
1999
Organization: Royal Society of Literature
Result: elected
Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year
2007
Work: Day
Organization: Saltire Society
Result: winner
Lannan Literary Award for Fiction
2007
Organization: Lannan Foundation
Result: winner
Austrian State Prize for European Literature
2007
Organization: Austrian State
Result: winner
Costa Book Awards (Book of the Year)
2007
Work: Day
Organization: Costa Book Awards
Result: winner
Internationale Eifel-Literatur-Preis
2008
Organization: Eifel Literature Festival
Result: winner
Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award (shortlist)
2014
Work: All the Rage
Organization: Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award
Result: shortlist
Heinrich Heine Prize
2016
Organization: Heinrich Heine Foundation
Result: winner
Austrian Booksellers' Award for Tolerance in Thought and Action
2016
Organization: Austrian Booksellers' Association
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Night Geometry and the Garscadden Trains

1990 Short story collection

An early short story collection exploring unease in everyday life and ruptures in human relationships.

lonelinessmadness in the ordinaryfamily

Day

2007 Novel

Focuses on an Iraq veteran and his caregiver, quietly depicting war, memory, and the pain of daily life.

effects of wartraumahealing

Serious Sweet

2016 Novel

A novel about two people in the later stages of life, exploring love, loss, and subtleties of existence.

ageinglossinterplay of humour and sadness

All the Rage

2014 Short story collection

A collection of stories about various forms of anger and alienation; internationally recognised and shortlisted for awards.

angeralienationviolence

Alive in the Merciful Country

2024 Novel

A recent novel notable for having a German edition published before the English edition.

movementmemorymercy and cruelty
Translations
  • Als lebten wir in einem barmherzigen Land (German edition)

Bibliography

  • Looking for the Possible Dance (1993)
  • So I Am Glad (1995)
  • Everything You Need (1999)
  • Paradise (2004)
  • Day (2007)
  • The Blue Book (2011)
  • Doctor Who: The Drosten's Curse (2015)
  • Serious Sweet (2016)
  • The Little Snake (2018)
  • Alive in the Merciful Country (2024)
  • Night Geometry and the Garscadden Trains (1990)
  • Now That You're Back (1994)
  • Tea and Biscuits (1996)
  • Original Bliss (1997)
  • Indelible Acts (2002)
  • What Becomes (2009)
  • All the Rage (2014)
  • We Are Attempting to Survive Our Time (2020)
  • Life & Death of Colonel Blimp (1997, non-fiction)
  • On Bullfighting (1999, non-fiction)
  • On Writing (2013, non-fiction)

Adaptations

  • Stella Does Tricks (film related)
  • Dice (Channel 4, co-production)

Translations of Works

  • Als lebten wir in einem barmherzigen Land (German edition of Alive in the Merciful Country)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
dark, restrained toneblend of realism and fantasyconcise yet evocative prose
Recurring Motifs
lonelinessdeathfamily ruptureviolence and mercy

Legacy

A. L. Kennedy is a Scottish writer known for dark humour and stark realism; acclaimed internationally for both short stories and novels. Numerous awards and translations have established her as a significant contemporary English-language author.

Academic Societies

  • Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)

Trivia

  • Her 2023 novel attracted attention because it was first published in German before the English edition.
  • Has performed stand-up and stage work at the Edinburgh Fringe.