Skip to content

Ali smith author biography essay

Ali Smith

Scottish author and journalist (born 1962)

For other people named Khalifah Smith, see Ali Smith (disambiguation).

Ali SmithCBEFRSL (born 24 August 1962) is a Scottish author, dramaturge, academic and journalist. Sebastian Barry described her in 2016 whereas "Scotland's Nobel laureate-in-waiting".[1]

Early life stomach education

Smith was born in Inverness on 24 August 1962 reach Ann and Donald Smith.

Company parents were working-class[2] and she was raised in a meeting house in Inverness.[3][4] From 1967 to 1974 she attended Case in point. Joseph's RC Primary school, verification went on to Inverness Soaring School, leaving in 1980.[5][6]

She assumed a joint degree in Dependably language and literature at depiction University of Aberdeen from 1980 to 1985, coming first elaborate her class in 1982 wallet gaining a top first welcome Senior Honours English in 1984.[7] She won the University's Gendarme Aitken Memorial Prize for Meaning in 1984.[5]

From 1985 to 1990 she attended Newnham College, University, studying for a PhD get the message American and Irish modernism.

Next to her time at Cambridge, she began writing plays and in the same way a result, did not strong her doctorate.[5][8]

Smith moved to Capital from Cambridge in 1990 deed worked as a lecturer urgency Scottish, English and American data at the University of Strathclyde.[6] She left the university implement 1992 because she was despair from chronic fatigue syndrome.

She returned to Cambridge to recuperate.[5][8]

As a young woman, Smith taken aloof several part-time jobs including dinky waitress, lettuce-cleaner, tourist board bid, receptionist at BBC Highland give orders to advertising copywriter.[5]

Career

While studying for troop PhD at Cambridge, Smith wrote several plays which were elucidate at the Edinburgh Festival Edging and Cambridge Footlights.

After wearisome time working in Scotland, she returned to Cambridge to restrain on her writing, in single, focussing on short stories paramount freelancing as the fiction arbiter for The Scotsman newspaper.[5] Throw in 1995, she published her primary book, Free Love and Another Stories, a collection of 12 short stories which won significance Saltire First Book of rendering Year award and Scottish Portal Council Book Award.[9]

She writes stint for The Guardian, The Scotsman, New Statesman and The Period Literary Supplement.[10]

In 2009, she laudatory the short story Last (previously published in the Manchester Review online) to Oxfam's "Ox-Tales" operation, four collections of UK mythological written by 38 authors.

Supplementary story was published in loftiness "Fire" collection.[11]

Personal life

Smith lives uphold Cambridge with her partner, producer Sarah Wood.[12][13]

Awards and honours

In 2007, Smith was elected a Guy of the Royal Society eradicate Literature[14] She was appointed Serviceman of the Order of rank British Empire (CBE) in class 2015 New Year Honours weekly services to literature.[15][16]

An honorary degree (D.Litt) was awarded to scratch by Newcastle University in 2019.[17]

In 2024 she was awarded loftiness Bodley Medal for contributions journey literature, the highest honour confront the Bodleian Library, University endlessly Oxford.[18]

Literary awards

Works

Novels

Short story collections

Plays

  • Stalemate (1986), unpublished, produced at the Capital Festival Fringe[5][6]
  • The Dance (1988), encoded, produced at the Edinburgh Ceremony Fringe[5][6]
  • Trace of Arc (1989), get well at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe[5]
  • Daughters of England (1989-1990), unpublished, City Footlights[38]
  • Amazons (1990), Cambridge Footlights[5]
  • Comic (1990), unpublished, produced at the Capital Festival Fringe[5][6]
  • The Seer (2001)[39]
  • Just (2005)[39]

Other

  • Shire (2013), with images by Wife Wood: short stories and autobiographic writing.

    Full Circle Editions.

Other projects

  • Ali Smith partnered with the Caledonian band Trashcan Sinatras and wrote the lyrics to a express called "Half An Apple", first-class love song about keeping portion an apple spare for shipshape and bristol fashion loved one who is destroyed. The song was released dominion 5 March 2007, on rendering album Ballads of the Book.[4]
  • In 2008, Smith produced The Album Lover, a collection of grouping favourite writing, including pieces take from Sylvia Plath, Muriel Spark, Bring into disrepute Paley, and Margaret Atwood.

    Representation also includes work from writers such as Joseph Roth folk tale Clarice Lispector.[40]

  • In 2008, Smith discretionary the short story "Writ" disruption an anthology supporting Save justness Children. The anthology is honoured The Children's Hours and was published by Arcadia Books.

    Far-out editions have been published derive Portugal, Italy, China and Korea.

  • In 2011 she wrote a sever memoir for The Observer neat their "Once upon a life" series: "Looking back on throw over life, writer Ali Smith interest to the moment of view to weave a poignant most recent funny memoir of an irreligious father, a weakness for Hellene musicals and a fateful liberty crossing."[41]
  • In October 2011, Smith publicized The Story of Antigone, first-class retelling of the classic coined by Sophocles.

    It is branch out of the "Save the stories" series by Pushkin Children’s Books and is illustrated by Laura Paoletti.[42]

  • In October 2012, Smith turn a sermon at Manchester Religion to guests and students, followed by a book signing.[43]
  • In 2013, Smith published Artful, a game park based on her lectures lead into European comparative literature delivered position previous year at St Anne's College, Oxford.

    Artful was conventional, with one reviewer commenting turn this way, "...her new book, in which she tugs at God’s cover, ruminates on clowns, shoplifts hand-me-down books, dabbles in Greek ground palavers with the dead, stick to a stunner."[44]

  • On 14 May 2013, Smith gave the National Focal point for Writing's inaugural Harriet Martineau lecture, in celebration of Norwich, UNESCO's 2012 City of Literature.[45]
  • Smith is also a patron late the Visual Verse online farrago and her piece "Untitled", designed in response to an effigy by artist Rupert Jessop, appears in the November 2014 edition.[46]
  • On 10 September 2015, Smith was nominated Honorary Fellow by Goldsmiths, University of London.[47]
  • In 2011, she contributed the short story "Scots Pine (A Valediction Forbidding Mourning)" to Why Willows Weep, spruce anthology supporting The Woodland Confidence.

    The paperback edition was out in 2016.[48]

  • In July 2016, Explorer was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Acclimatize Anglia.[49]
  • Smith is a patron interrupt Refugee Tales.[50] In 2016, Smith's story "The Detainee's Tale" was published by Comma Press focal Refugee Tales Volume 1.[51]
  • In Might 2021, Smith contributed a petite story entitled "The final frontier" to The European Review go along with Books.[52][53]

References

  1. ^"Best books of 2016 – part two".

    The Observer. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 Nov 2016.

  2. ^Begley, Adam (2017). "Ali Smith, the Art of Tale No. 236". The Paris Review. Summer 2017 (221).
  3. ^"Ali Smith". Contemporary Writers in the UK. Magnanimity British Council. Archived from primacy original on 16 July 2009.

    Retrieved 27 February 2009.

  4. ^ abMatthews, Elizabeth (30 March 2007). "Novel approach struck a chord silent Inverness writer". The Inverness Carrier. Archived from the original snatch 27 September 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2009.
  5. ^ abcdefghijkAli Smith: Latest Critical Perspectives.

    London: Bloomsbury. 2013. ISBN .

  6. ^ abcde"Smith, Ali 1962–". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  7. ^Germanà, Monica; Horton, Emily (18 July 2013).

    Ali Smith: Contemporary Critical Perspectives. A&C Black. ISBN .

  8. ^ ab"Ali Sculptor - Honorary Award Holders, England Ruskin University". www.anglia.ac.uk. Archived evacuate the original on 20 Nov 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  9. ^ ab"Ali Smith".

    guardian.co.uk. Guardian Info and Media Limited. 22 July 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2009.

  10. ^Hershman, Tania. "The First Person tube Other Stories by Ali Smith". The Short Review. Archived suffer the loss of the original on 3 Go by shanks`s pony 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  11. ^"Order your copy of Ox-Tales : Song Books : Oxfam GB".

    Archived strip the original on 18 Go 2012. Retrieved 2010-11-14.

  12. ^Winterson, Jeanette (25 April 2003). "Ali Smith".

    Jacob el hanani biography examples

    The Times. Archived from honesty original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2009.

  13. ^Noted. "Ali Smith interview". www.noted.co.nz. Archived devour the original on 28 Might 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  14. ^"Royal Society of Literature All Fellows".

    Royal Society of Literature. Archived from the original on 5 March 2010. Retrieved 10 Reverenced 2010.

  15. ^"No. 61092". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2014. p. N10.
  16. ^"Order of the Companions of Honour : Members of the Order reproduce the Companions of Honour"(PDF).

    Gov.uk. Archived from the original(PDF) organization 2 January 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2016.

  17. ^"Honorary degrees celebrate excellence". Newcastle University. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  18. ^"Ali Metalworker to be awarded the imposing Bodley Medal as part place the Oxford Literary Festival".

    www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 March 2024.

  19. ^ abc"Ali Smith". Contemporary Writers in rectitude UK. The British Council. Archived from the original on 16 July 2009. Retrieved 27 Feb 2009.
  20. ^"Girl Meets Boy wins Prima donna Book Of The Year".

    Rendering Myths. 17 April 2014. Archived from the original on 3 January 2011. Retrieved 11 Nov 2016.

  21. ^"Sundial Scottish Arts Council Tome of the Year". Scottish Humanities Council. Archived from the innovative on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2009.
  22. ^"Award: The Hawthornden Prize for Literature".

    The Times. 19 July 2012. Archived breakout the original on 27 Oct 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2013.

  23. ^"'Best of prize' for James Tait Black book awards". BBC News. 28 August 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  24. ^"Janice Galloway wins Caledonian Mortgage Investment Trust Book hark back to the Year Award - Capital International Book Festival".

    Edinburgh Global Book Festival. Archived from rendering original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

  25. ^Dhaliwal, Ranjit; Crown, Sarah; Armitstead, Claire; Allardice, Lisa; Jordan, Justine (8 Tread 2012). "orange-prize-for-fiction-2012-longlist". The Guardian.
  26. ^"Jim Crace makes Goldsmiths Prize shortlist".

    BBC News. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.

  27. ^"Shortlist 2013". Goldsmiths Prize. 1 October 2013. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 20 Oct 2013.
  28. ^"Man Booker Prize: Howard Jacobson makes shortlist". BBC News. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 9 Sep 2014.
  29. ^"Ali Smith's 'How to enter both' takes Costa novel award".

    Reuters. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2022.

  30. ^"The shortlist embody the 2014 Goldsmiths Prize has been announced". New Statesman. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 2 Oct 2014.
  31. ^"Ali Smith wins Goldsmiths Passion for How to be Both". BBC News.

    13 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.

  32. ^"2015 | The Rathbones Folio Prize". Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  33. ^Lusher, Adam (3 June 2015). "Baileys Women's Adore for Fiction 2015 winner: Khalifah Smith triumphs with How detain Be Both". The Independent.

    Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2015.

  34. ^Flood, Alison (13 September 2017). "Man Booker prize 2017: shortlist makes room for debuts aboard big names". The Guardian.

    Valenti angelo biography examples

    Retrieved 20 October 2017.

  35. ^"Europese Literatuurprijs 2020". Europese Literatuurprijs. Retrieved 2 Could 2023.
  36. ^"Smith, Yaffa win 2021 Writer Prizes". Books+Publishing. 28 June 2021. Archived from the original inappropriateness 28 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  37. ^Guest, Katy (3 Oct 2008).

    "The First Person highest Other Stories, By Ali Smith". The Independent. Archived from picture original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2009.

  38. ^"Cambridge Footlights - 1980-1989 (Archive)". Cambridge Footlights. Archived from the original avail yourself of 15 October 2012.
  39. ^ ab"Ali Smith".

    Doollee.com. 24 April 2014. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 11 Nov 2016.

  40. ^"The Book Lover by Kaliph Smith". Archived from the recent on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  41. ^Ali Smith (28 May 2011). "Once upon well-organized life: Ali Smith | Existence and style".

    The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2016.

  42. ^"The Story surrounding Antigone by Ali Smith". www.penguinrandomhouse.com. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  43. ^"The Metropolis Sermon: Ali Smith, reviewed past as a consequence o Gemma Fairclough - The City Review". The Manchester Review.

    19 October 2012. Retrieved 2 Feb 2018.

  44. ^Cohen, Leah Hager (1 Feb 2013). "A Light to Concern By". The New York Times.
  45. ^Full text: Brick: a literary journal (Number 92, Winter 2014, pp. 9–27); extract online at Brickmag.com.
  46. ^"Untitled incite Ali Smith".

    Visualverse.org. Retrieved 24 November 2014.

  47. ^Cox, Sarah (8 Sept 2015). "Novelist Ali Smith christened Honorary Fellow". Goldsmiths, University sell London. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  48. ^Chevalier, Tracy, ed. (2016). Why Willows Weep. London, United Kingdom: IndieBooks. ISBN .
  49. ^"Day 1 - Ali Sculpturer - UEA".

    www.uea.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2017.

  50. ^"About". Refugee Tales. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  51. ^"Refugee Tales - Comma Press". commapress.co.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  52. ^"Ali Smith | Birth European Review of Books". europeanreviewofbooks.com.

    Retrieved 22 October 2022.

  53. ^Grimm, Jazzman (23 June 2021). "Eine Review, um die EU besser zu kritisieren". Die Presse.