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Bernice Rubens

バーニス・ルーベンス

Bānisu Rūbensu

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1923-07-26 （Splott, Cardiff, Wales）
Died
2004-10-13 （Royal Free Hospital, London） age 81
Nationality
Welsh, British
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
Splott, Cardiff → London

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Teacher, Documentary filmmaker
Active Years
1960-2004

Education

Cardiff High School for Girls
Country: United Kingdom
Cardiff University (University of Wales, Cardiff)
English
Degree: BA
Period: 1944–1947
Year of Graduation: 1947
Country: United Kingdom
Bachelor of Arts in English

Awards

Booker Prize
1970
Work: The Elected Member
Organization: The Booker Prize organization
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Set on Edge

1960 Novel

Rubens's debut novel. An early long-form work exploring everyday anxieties and strained personal relationships.

Interpersonal relationshipsPsychology

Madame Sousatzka

1962 Novel

A story about a prodigy pianist and his teacher, based on the experiences of her brother Harold. Themes include talent, mentorship, and cultural background.

MusicTalentMentor-student relationship
Adaptations
  • [Film] Madame Sousatzka (film) / John Schlesinger (1988)

The Elected Member

1969 Novel

Focuses on a man struggling with mental illness and addiction, and the conflicts among his family and acquaintances. Winner of the 1970 Booker Prize.

Mental illnessFamilyJewish identity

Mr Wakefield's Crusade

1985 Novel

Portrays a middle-aged protagonist drawn into social and personal struggles, exploring human contradictions and tensions with community.

Individual vs societyMidlife crisis
Adaptations
  • [Television] Mr Wakefield's Crusade (BBC) (1992)

Bibliography

  • Set on Edge (1960)
  • Madame Sousatzka (1962)
  • Mate in Three (1966)
  • Chosen People (1969)
  • The Elected Member (1969)
  • Sunday Best (1971)
  • Go Tell the Lemming (1973)
  • I Sent a Letter To My Love (1975)
  • The Ponsonby Post (1977)
  • A Five-Year Sentence (1978)
  • Spring Sonata (1979)
  • Birds of Passage (1981)
  • Brothers (1983)
  • Mr Wakefield's Crusade (1985)
  • Our Father (1987)
  • Kingdom Come (1990)
  • A Solitary Grief (1991)
  • Mother Russia (1992)
  • Autobiopsy (1993)
  • Hijack (1993)
  • Yesterday in the Back Lane (1995)
  • The Waiting Game (1997)
  • I, Dreyfus (1999)
  • Milwaukee (2001)
  • Nine Lives (2002)
  • The Sergeants' Tale (2003)
  • When I Grow Up (2005)

Adaptations

  • Madame Sousatzka — film adaptation (1988), dir. John Schlesinger
  • I Sent a Letter To My Love — film adaptation (1980, France: Chère inconnue)
  • Mr Wakefield's Crusade — BBC television adaptation (1992)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Psychological realism with strong character focusIncisive prose often laced with dark humour
Recurring Motifs
Family conflict and complex relationshipsStruggles around music and talentJewish and immigrant cultural background

Health

  • Chronic bronchitis
    1990年代後半–2004
    A smoking-related chronic respiratory condition that significantly affected her health in later life.
  • Stroke
    2004
    Occurred in 2004 and contributed to her death.

Legacy

Bernice Rubens was the first woman to win the Booker Prize (1970) and, as of 2024, the only Welsh author to have done so. Known for psychological insight blended with dark humour, her works have been adapted for film and television. In 2024 a Purple Plaque was installed on her family home in Cardiff.

Archives

  • National Library of Wales

In Popular Culture

  • In 2024 a Purple Plaque was installed in Cardiff, reaffirming local recognition of her contribution.

Quotes

  • I wrote every single day.
    Source: Obituaries / profiles (summarized) (2004)

Trivia

  • Won the Booker Prize in 1970, the second year of the award.
  • As of 2024 she remains the only Welsh author to have won the Booker Prize.
  • Came from a musical family; her brother Harold's experiences partly inspired Madame Sousatzka.
  • Suffered health problems later in life attributed to long-term smoking.