Christine Leunens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christine Leunens
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Leunens at the Humanitas Awards, 2020
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| Born | 29 December 1964 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | novelist |
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| Education | Victoria University of Wellington (PhD) Harvard University (ALM) |
| Period | 1999–present |
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Christine Leunens, born on December 29, 1964, is a talented writer from New Zealand and Belgium. She has written several popular novels, including Primordial Soup, A Can of Sunshine, and In Amber's Wake. Her books have been translated into many different languages, reaching readers all over the world. She is most famous for her historical novel Caging Skies, which was made into the award-winning movie Jojo Rabbit.
Early Life and Education
Christine Leunens was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in the United States. Her mother was Italian, and her father was Belgian. She studied French Literature at the University of North Carolina.
When she was nineteen, Christine moved to Montpellier, France, for a year of study. To help pay for her education and early writing, she worked as a model in France. She posed for famous fashion designers like Givenchy and Paco Rabanne. Her pictures appeared in magazines such as Vogue and Marie Claire. She also appeared in TV commercials, including one for Mercedes-Benz.
In 1990, she spent a year on a horse farm in Picardy, France. During this time, she started to write. In 1996, she won an award for Best Original Screenplay from the Centre National du Cinéma. The next year, she studied English Literature at Exeter College, Oxford. This experience inspired her to write her first novel, Primordial Soup.
Christine continued her studies and earned a Master's degree in English and American Literature from Harvard Extension School in 2005. She received special awards for her academic achievements. Later, in 2008, she received a scholarship from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. She earned her PhD in Creative Writing there.
Her Books and Career
Christine Leunens' first novel, Primordial Soup, came out in 1999. This book explored themes of life and belief. It was well-received by critics, getting good reviews from newspapers like The Times and The Sunday Times.
Her second novel, Caging Skies, was first published in 2004. This story is set in Vienna during the Second World War. It follows a young member of the Hitler Youth who finds a Jewish girl hidden by his parents. The French version of the book was nominated for important awards in 2007 and 2008.
In 2017, Caging Skies was turned into a play. It premiered at the Circa Theatre in Wellington, New Zealand. The famous film director Taika Waititi then adapted the novel into the movie Jojo Rabbit. This film was nominated for six Academy Awards in 2019. It won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2020. Christine Leunens and Taika Waititi were also recognized for their work on the film.
Christine's third novel, A Can of Sunshine, was published in 2013. This book was inspired by her studies on family relationships. It tells the story of a young mother and her mother-in-law. The novel was chosen by the New Zealand Herald as one of the best books worldwide in 2013.
Her most recent novel, In Amber’s Wake, was released in 2022. It is a love story that takes place during the 1980s anti-nuclear movement. It also features the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior. A movie based on this novel is currently being developed.
In 2023, Christine Leunens was chosen for a special writer-in-residence program in Prague. This allowed her to work on her fifth novel.
Personal Life
Christine Leunens got married in 1999. She and her husband have three children together.
List of Novels
- Primordial Soup (1999)
- Caging Skies (2008)
- A Can of Sunshine (2013)
- In Amber's Wake (2022)
