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Ivan Vladislavić

イヴァン・ヴラディスラヴィッチ

Ivan Vladislavić

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1957-09-17 (Pretoria, South Africa)
Nationality
South African
Languages
English
Residence History
Johannesburg, South Africa → Pretoria, South Africa (birthplace)

Career

Occupations
novelist, essayist, editor, professor
Active Years
1980-
Affiliations
University of the Witwatersrand (Distinguished Professor in Creative Writing), Ravan Press (former Social Studies Editor), Staffrider (editorial involvement)

Education

University of the Witwatersrand
Year of Graduation: 1979
Country: South Africa
Graduated in 1979

Awards

Olive Schreiner Prize
1991
Work: Missing Persons
Organization: unknown
Result: 受賞
CNA Literary Award
1993
Work: The Folly
Organization: CNA
Result: 受賞
Thomas Pringle Prize
1994
Work: Propaganda by Monuments / "The WHITES ONLY Bench"
Organization: unknown
Result: 受賞
Noma Award for Publishing in Africa (Honorable Mention)
1997
Work: Propaganda by Monuments
Organization: Noma Award
Result: 特別言及
Sunday Times Fiction Prize
2002
Work: The Restless Supermarket
Organization: The Sunday Times
Result: 受賞
Sunday Times Alan Paton Award for Nonfiction
2007
Work: Portrait with Keys
Organization: The Sunday Times
Result: 受賞
University of Johannesburg Prize
2007
Work: Portrait with Keys
Organization: University of Johannesburg
Result: 受賞
Warwick Prize for Writing (longlisted)
2009
Work: Portrait with Keys
Organization: Warwick Prize for Writing
Result: ロングリスト
University of Johannesburg Prize
2011
Work: Double Negative
Organization: University of Johannesburg
Result: 受賞
M-Net Literary Awards
2011
Work: Double Negative
Organization: M-Net
Result: 受賞
Windham–Campbell Literature Prize (Fiction)
2015
Category: Fiction
Organization: Yale University (Windham–Campbell Prize)
Result: 受賞(賞金付き)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Missing Persons

1989 short story collection

A collection of early short stories exploring urban life and memory in South Africa.

memorythe citypersonal history

The Folly

1993 novel

An early novel portraying fragments of South African society through characters living on the margins of the city.

urban lifesocial stratificationfragments of history

The Restless Supermarket

2001 novel

Combines social observation and character portraiture set in Johannesburg, with elements of humor and irony.

urban observationconsumer societyhuman relationships

The Exploded View

2004 collection / episodic fiction

A set of episodic stories that meticulously depict urban minutiae and the lives intertwined with them, showing postmodern techniques.

urban detailmemoryanonymity

Double Negative

2011 essay / literary experiment

Includes collaboration with photographer David Goldblatt, experimenting with dialogue between photographs and text.

photography and textwitnessingrecord

A Labour of Moles

2012 novella / illustrated

A short illustrated work presented with a focus on design and experimental form.

memoryformal experiment

Portrait with Keys

2006 essay / nonfiction

An essayistic exploration of Johannesburg, weaving place, memory and personal reminiscence, critically acclaimed.

urban historymemorypersonal reminiscence

The Loss Library and other unfinished stories

2011 hybrid (essay/fiction)

A blend of essays and short prose that intersects storytelling with bibliographic reflection.

bibliographic thoughtunfinishednessmemory

The Distance

2019 novel

A novel about memory, loss and family history, characterized by a structure that reconstructs the present from fragments of the past.

memoryfamilyloss

The Near North

2024 novel

A recent novel that has attracted critical attention for its themes and techniques (see sources for details).

the cityhistorymemory

Bibliography

  • Missing Persons (1989)
  • The Folly (1993)
  • Propaganda by Monuments (1996)
  • The Restless Supermarket (2001)
  • The Exploded View (2004)
  • Portrait with Keys (2006)
  • Double Negative (2011)
  • The Loss Library and other unfinished stories (2011)
  • A Labour of Moles (2012)
  • 101 Detectives (2015)
  • The Distance (2019)
  • The Near North (2024)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
postmodernexperimentalhumorousfragmentary / hybrid essay-fiction
Recurring Motifs
Johannesburg (the city)memorypersonal and historical fragmentsphotography-text dialogue

Legacy

Ivan Vladislavić is internationally recognized for his distinctive perspective on South African urban life and memory. His postmodern style and formal experiments have attracted critical attention and international awards such as the Windham–Campbell Prize.

Trivia

  • His father was a mechanic of Croatian heritage.
  • He collaborated with photographer David Goldblatt on a project.
  • He serves as a Distinguished Professor in Creative Writing at the University of the Witwatersrand.
  • Won the Windham–Campbell Literature Prize (Fiction) in 2015.