Dave Eggers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dave Eggers
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Eggers in 2018
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| Born | March 12, 1970 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| Education | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
| Period | 1993–present |
| Literary movement | Postmodern literature, post-postmodern, new sincerity |
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| Spouse | Vendela Vida (2003-present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | William D. Eggers (brother) Constance Demby (aunt) |
| Website | |
Dave Eggers (born March 12, 1970) is a famous American writer, editor, and publisher. He is well-known for his book A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. This book came out in 2000 and was very popular. It was even considered for a Pulitzer Prize.
Eggers also started many important projects. These include a literary magazine called Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern. He also created 826 Valencia, which helps kids with writing. Another project is Voice of Witness, a group that works for human rights. He also founded ScholarMatch. This program helps students find money for college. His stories and articles have been in magazines like The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine.
Contents
Dave Eggers' Early Life
Eggers was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up with three brothers and sisters. His father was a lawyer, and his mother was a teacher. His family later moved to Lake Forest, Illinois. There, Eggers went to public high school. He was even classmates with actor Vince Vaughn.
Eggers went to the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He planned to study journalism. But his studies were stopped by sad events. Both of his parents passed away. His father died in 1991, and his mother in 1992. Eggers wrote about these times in his first book. It was called A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. When he was 21, Eggers became the guardian for his younger brother, Christopher. They moved to Berkeley, California.
Dave Eggers' Writing Career
Eggers started his writing career as an editor for Salon.com. In 1994, he started Might magazine in San Francisco. He also wrote a comic strip for SF Weekly. Might magazine was known for its funny and unique style. It gained many loyal readers.
Eggers later wrote in his memoir that the magazine had money problems. It stopped publishing in 1997. A collection of the best articles from Might magazine was published. It was called 'Shiny Adidas Tracksuits and the Death of Camp' and Other Essays from Might Magazine. By this time, Eggers was writing for Esquire magazine. He also kept working for Salon.
First Book: A Heartbreaking Work
His first book, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, came out in 2000. It is a memoir with some made-up parts. The book is about his efforts to raise his younger brother. This happened in the San Francisco Bay Area after his parents died. The book quickly became a bestseller. It was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. People praised the book for being very original.
Later Novels and Nonfiction
In 2002, Eggers published his first novel. It was called You Shall Know Our Velocity. This story is about trying to give money to people in need. He travels around the world to do this. He later published How We Are Hungry, a collection of short stories.
In 2005, Eggers published Surviving Justice. This book shares interviews with people who were wrongly sentenced to death. They were later proven innocent.
His 2006 novel, What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, was also very popular. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Eggers also edits the Best American Nonrequired Reading series. This is a yearly collection of stories, essays, and comics.
In 2009, he received an award for his book Zeitoun. This book tells the true story of a Syrian-American family. They were caught in Hurricane Katrina.
In the early 2010s, Eggers wrote several novels. These books looked at important social and political issues. In 2012, he published A Hologram for the King. This book was about the Great Recession. It was a finalist for the National Book Award.
In 2013, he released The Circle. This novel is about a young worker at a big tech company. She starts to question the company's goals. In 2014, Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? was published.
In 2016, Eggers published Heroes of the Frontier. Also, movies based on his books were released. A Hologram for the King came out in 2016. The Circle movie was released in 2017. It starred Emma Watson and Tom Hanks.
In 2018, he published The Monk of Mokha. This is a true story about a young Yemeni-American man. He tries to bring back ancient Yemeni coffee. But he gets stuck in a civil war.
In 2019, Eggers published two short novels. The Parade was about two Western workers in a dangerous country. The Captain and the Glory was a funny story. It made fun of the Trump administration.
In 2021, his short story The Museum of Rain was published. His novel The Every also came out in 2021. It is a follow-up to his 2013 novel The Circle.
McSweeney's and Other Projects
Eggers started McSweeney's, an independent publishing company. It is known for its literary magazine, Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern. He started this in 1998. McSweeney's also publishes The Believer. This is a monthly magazine edited by Eggers' wife, Vendela Vida.
Eggers is also very involved in helping others. In 2002, he helped start 826 Valencia. This is a free writing and tutoring center for kids and teens. This project grew into a national organization, 826 National. It has centers all over the United States. In 2010, Eggers launched ScholarMatch. This group connects people who want to donate with students who need money for college.
In 2007, Eggers received a $250,000 Heinz Award. He gave all the money to 826 National and The Teacher Salary Project.
Dave Eggers' Visual Art
Eggers studied art in college. After his first book, he focused on writing. But in 2010, he returned to visual art. He had a show called "It Is Right to Draw Their Fur". It showed many drawings of animals.
He also designed album art for music groups. He created the artwork for Thrice's album Vheissu.
Dave Eggers' Personal Life
Eggers lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He lives with his wife, Vendela Vida, who is also a writer. They met in 1998 and married in 2003. They have two children. Eggers was the main guardian for his youngest brother, Toph. They even wrote children's books together.
Awards and Recognition
Eggers has won many awards for his books and his work. He has also received an honorary doctorate.
2000s Awards
- 2000 – Time Best Book of the Year for A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
- 2001 – Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction finalist for A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
- 2005 – Named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People
- 2005 – Honorary Doctor of Letters from Brown University
- 2007 – The 13th Annual Heinz Award (Arts and Humanities)
- 2008 – TED Prize
- 2009 – Prix Médicis for What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng
- 2009 – Literarian Award of the National Book Award
- 2009 – Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Current Interest for Zeitoun
2010s Awards
- 2012 – National Book Award (Fiction) Finalist for A Hologram for the King
- 2013 – Smithsonian magazine's American Ingenuity Award (Social Progress)
- 2015 – Inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters
2020s Awards
- 2024 – Newbery Medal for The Eyes and the Impossible
Works by Dave Eggers
Fiction Books
- You Shall Know Our Velocity (2002)
- What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng (2006)
- The Wild Things (2009)
- A Hologram for the King (2012)
- The Circle (2013)
- Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? (2014)
- Heroes of the Frontier (2016)
- The Parade (2019)
- The Captain and the Glory (2019)
- The Museum of Rain (2021)
- The Every (2021)
Nonfiction Books
- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (2000)
- Surviving Justice: America's Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated (2005)
- Zeitoun (2009)
- The Monk of Mokha (2018)
Children's Books
- The Eyes and the Impossible (2023)
The Haggis-on-Whey World of Unbelievable Brilliance series
Eggers and his brother, Christopher, wrote this series together. They used the pen name Benny and Doris Haggis-on-Whey.
Works Edited or Contributed To
Voice of Witness series
Voice of Witness is a non-profit group. Dave Eggers and Lola Vollen started it. It uses oral history to share stories about human rights issues. They publish a book series and have an education program.
Music Contributions
- Eggers can be heard talking on Beck's 2006 album The Information.
- He wrote lyrics for a song on One Ring Zero's album As Smart as We Are (2004).
See also
In Spanish: Dave Eggers para niños
