David Higham Prize for Fiction
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1975) Winner
Jane Gardam
ジェーン・ガーダム
Jēn Gādamu
Aliases:
Jean Mary Pearson
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1928-07-11 （Coatham, England）
- Died
- 2025-04-28 （Chipping Norton, England） age 96
- Nationality
- British, English
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Cumberland → North Riding of Yorkshire → Kent → Wimbledon, London → Yorkshire
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Critic
- Active Years
- 1971-2014
- Affiliations
- Royal Society of Literature
- Memberships
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL)
- Nominations
- Booker Prize nomination (God on the Rocks, 1978), BBC National Short Story Award nomination (The People on Privilege Hill, 2007), Folio Prize shortlist (Last Friends, 2014)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford College, London | — | English | BA | — | United Kingdom |
Bedford College, London
English
Degree:
BA
Year of Graduation:
1949
Country:
United Kingdom
now part of Royal Holloway, University of London
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Whitbread Children's Book Award | The Hollow Land | Children's Book | Whitbread | Winner |
| 1991 | Whitbread Novel Award | The Queen of the Tambourine | Novel | Whitbread | Winner |
| 1975 | David Higham Prize for Fiction | Black Faces, White Faces | — | — | Winner |
| 1975 | Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize | Black Faces, White Faces | — | — | Winner |
| 1984 | Katherine Mansfield Award | The Pangs of Love and Other Stories | — | — | Winner |
| 1995 | PEN/Macmillan Silver Pen Award | Going into a Dark House | — | PEN | Winner |
| 1991 | Phoenix Award | A Long Way From Verona | — | Children's Literature Association | Winner |
| 2009 | Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) | — | — | UK Government | Recipient |
Whitbread Children's Book Award
1983
Work:
The Hollow Land
Category:
Children's Book
Organization:
Whitbread
Result:
Winner
Whitbread Novel Award
1991
Work:
The Queen of the Tambourine
Category:
Novel
Organization:
Whitbread
Result:
Winner
David Higham Prize for Fiction
1975
Work:
Black Faces, White Faces
Result:
Winner
Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize
1975
Work:
Black Faces, White Faces
Result:
Winner
Katherine Mansfield Award
1984
Work:
The Pangs of Love and Other Stories
Result:
Winner
PEN/Macmillan Silver Pen Award
1995
Work:
Going into a Dark House
Organization:
PEN
Result:
Winner
Phoenix Award
1991
Work:
A Long Way From Verona
Organization:
Children's Literature Association
Result:
Winner
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
2009
Organization:
UK Government
Result:
Recipient
Awards & Nominations
Costa Book Awards
2 appearances
-
Edition 11 (1981) Winner
-
Edition 21 (1991) Winner
Works
Major Works
God on the Rocks
1978 NovelA story of religion and growth from a girl's perspective.
ReligionClassBritish society
The Queen of the Tambourine
1991 NovelA monologue of a mentally unstable woman.
MadnessLossRelationships
Old Filth
2004 NovelThe life of a former judge in Hong Kong reflecting on the waning British Empire.
ImperialismAgingPast
Bibliography
- A Long Way From Verona (1971)
- A Few Fair Days (1971)
- The Summer After the Funeral (1973)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Witty and elegant proseIntricate web of manners and class
- Recurring Motifs
- Waning British EmpireEnglish middle class
Legacy
Acclaimed British writer of children's and adult fiction, winner of multiple awards, notably the Old Filth trilogy.
In Popular Culture
- Old Filth voted among BBC's 100 greatest British novels
Trivia
- Married to David Gardam QC (d. 2010)
- Three children, including Tim Gardam