PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
1 appearances
-
Edition 17 (1992) Winner
Louis Begley
ルイ・ベグリー
Louis Begley
Aliases:
Ludwik Begleiter
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1933-10-06 （Stryi (then Second Polish Republic, now Ukraine)）
- Nationality
- Poland, United States
- Languages
- English, Polish, French
- Residence History
- Stryi (birth) → Lwów / Lviv → Warsaw → Kraków → Paris → New York City → Göppingen (while serving in the U.S. Army, Germany)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, lawyer, essayist, biographer
- Active Years
- 1954-
- Affiliations
- Debevoise & Plimpton (law firm), PEN American Center (former president), American Academy of Arts and Letters, American Philosophical Society
- Memberships
- PEN American Center (board 1992–2001; president 1993–1995), American Philosophical Society, American Academy of Arts and Letters
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard College | Faculty of Arts and Sciences | English Literature | AB | 1950–1954 | United States |
| Harvard Law School | Law | Law | LL.B. | 1956–1959 | United States |
Harvard College
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
/ English Literature
Degree:
AB
Period:
1950–1954
Year of Graduation:
1954
Country:
United States
summa cum laude
Harvard Law School
Law
/ Law
Degree:
LL.B.
Period:
1956–1959
Year of Graduation:
1959
Country:
United States
magna cum laude
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | PEN/Hemingway Award | Wartime Lies | — | PEN/Ernest Hemingway Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1992 | Prix Médicis étranger | Wartime Lies | — | Prix Médicis | 受賞 |
| — | The Irish Times/Aer Lingus International Fiction Prize | — | — | The Irish Times / Aer Lingus | 受賞 |
| — | American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Letters | 受賞 |
| — | Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Literature Prize | — | — | Konrad Adenauer Stiftung | 受賞 |
PEN/Hemingway Award
1991
Work:
Wartime Lies
Organization:
PEN/Ernest Hemingway Foundation
Result:
受賞
Prix Médicis étranger
1992
Work:
Wartime Lies
Organization:
Prix Médicis
Result:
受賞
The Irish Times/Aer Lingus International Fiction Prize
Organization:
The Irish Times / Aer Lingus
Result:
受賞
American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result:
受賞
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Literature Prize
Organization:
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Prix Médicis
1 appearances
Works
Major Works
Wartime Lies
1991 semi-autobiographical novelA semi-autobiographical novel based on Begley's childhood during the Nazi occupation, depicting a child's survival using forged identity papers.
memoryidentityHolocaustsurvival
Adaptations
- [planned (unproduced)] Wartime Lies (film project) / 未制作（Stanley Kubrick, William Monahan による案）
About Schmidt
1996 novelA novel following the introspection and reassessment of middle-aged Warren Schmidt, blending pathos and humor; adapted into a 2002 film by Alexander Payne.
middle agelonelinessreassessmentfamily relationships
Adaptations
- [film] About Schmidt / Alexander Payne (2002)
Schmidt Delivered
2000 novelA follow-up to About Schmidt, continuing the story of the protagonist Schmidt.
continuation of lifeagingpersonal change
Schmidt Steps Back
2012 novelAnother volume in the Schmidt trilogy, further exploring the protagonist's perspective and life.
self-reflectionretrospectionfamily
Venice for Lovers
2005 non-fiction / travelA co-written essayistic book with Anka Muhlstein celebrating and reflecting on Venice.
citymemorytravel
Bibliography
- Wartime Lies (1991)
- The Man Who Was Late (1993)
- As Max Saw It (1994)
- About Schmidt (1996)
- Mistler's Exit (1998)
- Schmidt Delivered (2000)
- Shipwreck (2003)
- Matters of Honor (2007)
- Schmidt Steps Back (2012)
- Memories of a Marriage (2013)
- Killer, Come Hither (2015)
- Kill and Be Killed (2016)
- Killer's Choice (2019)
- New Life of Hugo Gardner (2020)
Adaptations
- About Schmidt — film adaptation (2002), directed by Alexander Payne
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- polished, meticulous proseanalytical perspective on legal and ethical issuesmemoir-like, semi-autobiographical narration
- Recurring Motifs
- memory and re-examination of the pastidentity and disguiselaw and ethicsexile/immigrant experience
Legacy
Louis Begley is internationally recognized for works drawing on his wartime childhood (notably Wartime Lies) and the Schmidt trilogy about later-life introspection. He is also known for his long legal career, essays, and the translation and film adaptations of his work.
Academic Societies
- American Philosophical Society
- American Academy of Arts and Letters
In Popular Culture
- The 2002 film About Schmidt contributed to wider recognition of his work.
Quotes
-
"my most important themes were treated with great intelligence and sensitivity"
Source: The New York Times (essay) (2003)
Trivia
- Born Ludwik Begleiter.
- Survived World War II using forged identity papers posing as Polish Catholics.
- Had a long legal career, heading international practice at Debevoise & Plimpton.
- Served as president of PEN American Center from 1993 to 1995.
- About Schmidt was adapted into a 2002 film.