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M. J. Hyland (Maria Joan Hyland)

エム・ジェイ・ハイランド（マリア・ジョーン・ハイランド）

M. J. Hyland (Maria Joan Hyland)

Pen Names: M. J. Hyland（publishing name）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1968 （London, England）
Nationality
British
Languages
English
Residence History
London, England → Manchester, England → Brisbane, Australia (residency/visit)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Lecturer
Active Years
2000-
Affiliations
University of Manchester, Manchester Centre for New Writing

Awards

Hawthornden Prize
2007
Work: Carry Me Down
Organization: Hawthornden Prize
Result: Winner
Encore Prize
2007
Work: Carry Me Down
Organization: Encore Prize
Result: Winner
Man Booker Prize
2006
Work: Carry Me Down
Organization: Man Booker Prize
Result: Shortlisted
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
2004
Work: How the Light Gets In
Organization: Commonwealth Foundation
Result: Shortlisted
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
2006
Work: Carry Me Down
Organization: Commonwealth Foundation
Result: Shortlisted
The Age Book of the Year Award
2004
Work: How the Light Gets In
Category: Fiction
Organization: The Age (Australia)
Result: Shortlisted
Orange Prize / Women's Prize for Fiction
2007
Work: Carry Me Down
Organization: Women's Prize for Fiction
Result: Longlisted
Orange Prize / Women's Prize for Fiction
2010
Work: This Is How
Organization: Women's Prize for Fiction
Result: Longlisted
International Dublin Literary Award
2009
Work: This Is How
Organization: International Dublin Literary Award
Result: Longlisted
Pushcart Prize
2008
Organization: Pushcart Press
Result: Nominated
BBC National Short Story Award
2011
Work: Rag Love
Organization: BBC
Result: Shortlisted
BBC International Short Story Prize
2012
Work: Even Pretty Eyes Commit Crimes
Organization: BBC International Short Story Prize
Result: Shortlisted
Sunday Times Short Story Award
2014
Work: Other People's Beds
Organization: The Sunday Times
Result: Longlisted
William Hazlitt Essay Prize
2013
Work: Hardy Animal
Organization: William Hazlitt Essay Prize
Result: Shortlisted

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

How the Light Gets In

2004 Novel

A debut novel exploring family and coming-of-age themes with a sharp observational voice.

familycoming of ageidentity

Carry Me Down

2006 Novel

A novel told in a restrained tone combining unease and dark humour; one of her major works that received multiple award nominations and wins.

moral complexitydomestic tensionchild vs adult perspective

This Is How

2009 Novel

A novel about crime that focuses on the perpetrator's interior life, delivered in a tense present-tense narration: stark, compassionate and morally complex.

crimemoralitycompassion and cruelty

Bibliography

  • How the Light Gets In (2004)
  • Carry Me Down (2006)
  • This Is How (2009)
  • Short fiction (e.g. Even Pretty Eyes Commit Crimes, Rag Love)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
restrained tonalityconcise, tense present-tense narration (in some works)observational coolness combined with dark humour
Recurring Motifs
moral dilemmasfamily and isolationchild/adult perspective gaps

Health

  • Multiple sclerosis
    2008–present
    Diagnosed in 2008. Has impacted life and work but she has continued writing and teaching.

Legacy

M. J. Hyland is recognized for her restrained prose and exploration of moral complexity, with multiple major award nominations and wins. She has also contributed as an educator nurturing emerging writers.

Quotes

  • "She makes it look so simple, with her words of one syllable, with a style almost entirely devoid of affect; but there is nothing simplistic about her achievement."
    Source: The New York Times (review) (2009)

Trivia

  • Former lawyer who began publishing novels from the 2000s onward.
  • Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2008.
  • Has lectured at the University of Manchester and run workshops alongside writers such as Martin Amis, Colm Tóibín and Jeanette Winterson.
  • Short fiction has appeared in Granta, Narrative Magazine and other outlets.