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 Extension School (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 books, including Primordial Soup, A Can of Sunshine, and In Amber's Wake. Her books have been translated into 25 different languages. She is most famous for her historical novel Caging Skies. This book was made into the movie Jojo Rabbit, which won an Academy Award!
Contents
Christine Leunens: Her Early Life and Learning
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 19, Leunens moved to Montpellier, France, to study for a year.
To help pay for her studies and early writing, she worked as a model in France. She modeled for famous fashion brands like Givenchy and Paco Rabanne. She also appeared in magazines such as Vogue and Marie Claire.
In 1990, she spent a year raising horses on a farm in Picardy, France. This is when she started writing her first stories. In 1996, she won an award for Best Original Screenplay. The next year, she studied English Literature at Exeter College, Oxford. This experience inspired her to write her first novel, Primordial Soup.
Leunens continued her education in the United States. In 2005, she earned a Master's degree in English and American Literature from the Harvard Extension School. She received a special prize for her excellent academic work.
Later, in 2008, Leunens received a scholarship to study for her PhD in Creative Writing. She attended Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Her studies focused on how mothers-in-law are shown in English literature. This research helped her write her novel A Can of Sunshine.
Christine Leunens: Her Writing Career
Primordial Soup: Her First Novel
Leunens' first novel, Primordial Soup, came out in 1999. This book explores ideas about food and faith. It was very well-received by critics. Major newspapers like The Times and The Independent praised it.
Caging Skies: The Book Behind Jojo Rabbit
Her second novel, Caging Skies, was first published in 2004. The story takes place in Vienna during World War II. It is about a boy who is part of the Hitler Youth. He discovers that his parents are hiding a young Jewish woman behind a secret wall in their home.
Caging Skies became very popular. In 2017, it was turned into a play in Wellington, New Zealand. Then, the famous film director Taika Waititi 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 in 2020. Leunens and Waititi also received other awards for their work on the film.
A Can of Sunshine: A Story of Family
Leunens' research for her PhD inspired her third novel, A Can of Sunshine. This book was published in 2013. It tells the story of a young mother who faces challenges with her mother-in-law. This happens after the young mother tragically loses her husband. The novel follows their relationship over ten years. The New Zealand Herald newspaper chose it as one of the best books worldwide in 2013.
In Amber's Wake: A Love Story with History
Leunens' most recent novel is In Amber's Wake, published in 2022. It is a love story set in the 1980s. The story includes the anti-nuclear movement and the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior. A movie based on this novel is currently being planned.
In 2023, Leunens received a special award. It was a UNESCO-Prague City of Literature Writer-in-Residence award. This will allow her to work on her fifth novel.
Christine Leunens: Her Personal Life
Christine Leunens got married in 1999. She and her husband have three children together.
Christine Leunens: Her Novels
- Primordial Soup (1999)
- Caging Skies (2008)
- A Can of Sunshine (2013)
- In Amber's Wake (2022)
