Bryce Courtenay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bryce Courtenay
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| Born | Arthur Bryce Courtenay 14 August 1933 Lebombo Mountains, Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Died | 22 November 2012 (aged 79) Canberra, Australia |
| Resting place | Hall Cemetery |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | South African/Australian |
| Period | 1989–2012 |
| Genre | Bildungsroman, Historical novel |
| Notable awards | British Book Awards 1990 The Power of One APA Who Weekly Reader's Choice Award 1998 Tommo & Hawk APA Who Weekly Reader's Choice Award 1999 Jessica APA Who Weekly Reader's Choice Award 2000 Jessica |
Arthur Bryce Courtenay (born August 14, 1933 – died November 22, 2012) was a very popular writer and advertising expert. He was born in South Africa and later became an Australian citizen. He is known as one of Australia's best-selling authors. His most famous book is The Power of One.
Contents
Bryce Courtenay's Early Life
Arthur Bryce Courtenay was born in the Lebombo Mountains in South Africa. His mother was Maude Greer, and she gave him the last name Courtenay. Bryce spent most of his early years in a small village in the Lebombo Mountains. He later went to King Edward VII School in Johannesburg.
In 1955, Bryce was studying journalism in London. There, he met Benita Solomon. They moved to Sydney, Australia, in 1958 and got married in 1959. They had three sons named Brett, Adam, and Damon.
Career in Advertising
Bryce Courtenay worked in advertising for 34 years. He became a Creative Director at big advertising companies like McCann Erickson and J. Walter Thompson. He created many successful advertising campaigns. One of his famous campaigns was the original Milkybar Kid commercial.
Bryce also helped create the idea for the Cadbury Yowie. This was a chocolate that came with a toy inside. The toys were usually Australian or New Zealand native animals.
Sadly, Bryce's son Damon passed away at age 24 in 1991. Damon had a blood condition called haemophilia. Later, Bryce's first wife, Benita, died in 2007. Bryce then lived in Canberra with his second wife, Christine Gee.
Becoming a Famous Author
Bryce Courtenay's books are often set in South Africa, where he was born, or Australia, his adopted home. His first book, The Power of One, came out in 1989. Even though Bryce worried it wouldn't sell, it quickly became one of Australia's most popular books. The story was even made into a movie. There is also a special version of the book for children.
Bryce was one of Australia's most successful writers. He worked hard to connect with his readers. For example, he would give away thousands of free books each year to people he met. He wrote a new book almost every year. He often spent 12 hours a day writing! Before becoming a writer, he had a long career in advertising. During his lifetime, he sold more than 20 million copies of his books around the world.
His Final Years
In September 2012, Bryce Courtenay shared that he was very sick with cancer. He announced that his last book would be Jack of Diamonds. He passed away on November 22, 2012, at his home in Canberra. This was just two weeks after his final book was released.
Awards and Special Honours
Bryce Courtenay received many awards and honors for his work:
- Member of the Order of Australia (AM): He received this in 1995 for his contributions to advertising, marketing, and as an author.
- Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.): He received this honorary degree from the University of Newcastle in 2005.
- Doctor of the University (D.Univ.): He received this honorary degree from the University of Canberra in 2012.
- Australia Post Literary Legend: In 2010, he was honored on an Australian postage stamp.
Images for kids
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Bryce Courtenay
