Now he could be about to raise that standard once again if he wins the esteemed literary prize a third time.
Coetzee, whose novels The Life and Times of Michael K and Disgrace were both previous winners of the annual Man Booker prize, found his latest offering, Summertime on the shortlist for the 2009 event when the finalists were announced Tuesday.
As only 6 books make it to the final shortlist each year, being selected even once is a great achievement. If Coetzee were to win a third time it would be a history and record-making event.
Summertime has been described as "a self-flagellatory fictionalised autobiography" -and indeed Coetzee's books are seldom cheerful. He writes in a sparse style which many authors have tried to immitate, some readers find dreary or depressing, but which the Booker judges clearly hold in high regard.
Even though the acclaimed writer now lives in New Zealand, South African literature always enjoys reflected glory from the spotlight his achievements attracts.
Apart from literary acclaim, the winner receives a prize of £50 000.
The result will be announced on 06 October 2009.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction, also known in short as the Booker Prize, is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of either the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe.
The winner of the Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and success and, for this reason, the prize is of great significance for the book trade. It is also a mark of distinction for authors to be nominated for the Booker longlist or selected for inclusion in the shortlist.
(Wikipedia)
