Helen Garner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Garner
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Garner in 2015
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| Born | Helen Ford 7 November 1942 Geelong, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation | Novelist, short-story writer, journalist |
| Education | University of Melbourne |
| Notable works | Monkey Grip The First Stone Joe Cinque's Consolation This House of Grief |
| Spouse | Bill Garner (1967–71) Jean-Jacques Portail (1980–85) Murray Bail (1992–2000) |
| Children | Alice Garner |
Helen Garner (born 7 November 1942) is a very well-known Australian writer. She writes many different kinds of books, including novels and short stories. She also writes for newspapers and magazines as a journalist. Helen Garner has even written screenplays for movies and TV shows!
Her first novel, Monkey Grip, came out in 1977. It quickly became famous and is now seen as a classic Australian book. Helen Garner often uses her own life experiences in her stories. This has made her writing very popular. Many of her books have won important awards. Some of her books have even been turned into movies. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) calls her one of Australia's "most important writers."
Contents
Growing Up in Australia
Helen Ford was born in Geelong, Victoria. She was the oldest of six children. Her sister, Catherine Ford, also became a writer. Helen described her childhood home as an "ordinary Australian home." She said there were not many books or much talking about deep topics.
Helen went to several schools in Victoria. These included Manifold Heights State School and Ocean Grove State School. She then attended The Hermitage in Geelong. There, she was the top student and a student leader. After finishing high school at 18, she moved to Melbourne. She studied at the University of Melbourne. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her main subjects were English and French.
After university, Helen worked as a teacher. She taught in different high schools in Victoria from 1966 to 1972. In 1967, she traveled overseas. She met Bill Garner and they married in 1968. Their daughter, Alice Garner, was born in 1969. Alice is now an actor, musician, and writer. Helen's first marriage ended in 1971.
In 1972, Helen lost her teaching job. This happened after she wrote an article for a magazine called The Digger. The article talked about open discussions she had with her students about health topics.
Helen Garner's Writing Journey
Helen Garner became famous when there were not many Australian writers. Even fewer Australian women writers were well-known. People quickly saw her as a talented writer. She was known for her realistic style. Many also saw her as a writer who supported women's rights.
Early Novels and Short Stories
Her first novel, Monkey Grip (1977), tells the story of young artists and single parents. They live in shared houses in Melbourne. Helen wrote much of this book in the Latrobe Reading Room. This was after she stopped teaching. She later said she used her personal diaries to write the book. The characters were based on people she knew.
Monkey Grip was a huge success. It won the National Book Council Award in 1978. It was also made into a movie in 1982. This book helped other Australian women writers become more recognized. Some critics have called Monkey Grip a "Grunge Lit" novel. This means it shows real city life and social issues.
Helen continued to use her experiences in her later books. Her other novels include The Children's Bach (1984) and Cosmo Cosmolino (1992). In 2008, she wrote The Spare Room. This novel is about taking care of a friend who is very ill. It was based on a real experience.
She has also published several collections of short stories. These include Honour & Other People's Children (1980) and Postcards from Surfers (1985).
A critic named Don Anderson once said that The Children's Bach was one of four "perfect short novels" in the English language. An Australian composer, Andrew Schultz, even turned The Children's Bach into an opera in 2008.
Helen Garner once said that writing novels is like making a "patchwork quilt." She explained that a novel is made from pieces of our own lives. It also includes parts of other people's lives. She writes to understand things she has lived through or seen. She writes to make sense of her fears and hopes.
Not everyone has loved Helen Garner's work. Some critics find her writing too personal. However, many others believe she is one of Australia's best writers. They praise her for her honesty and skill.
Writing for Film and TV
Helen Garner has also written screenplays for three films:
- Monkey Grip (1982)
- Two Friends (1986) – a TV film directed by Jane Campion.
- The Last Days of Chez Nous (1992)
One critic, Peter Craven, said that Two Friends is one of the best screenplays ever written in Australia. He noted that it shows great understanding of teenage girls.
Non-Fiction Writing and Real-Life Stories
Helen Garner has written non-fiction throughout her career. In 1993, she won a Walkley Award. This is a major award for Australian journalists. She won it for an article in Time magazine. The article was about a court case involving a child's death.
One of her most famous and talked-about books is The First Stone (1995). It sold many copies in Australia. However, it also received some strong criticism. Helen said she was shocked by how angry some people were about it.
Her other non-fiction books include True Stories (1996) and The Feel of Steel (2001). She also wrote Joe Cinque's Consolation (2004) and This House of Grief – The Story of a Murder Trial (2014). Joe Cinque's Consolation was made into a movie in 2016.
Exploring Important Themes
Helen Garner's books cover many different topics. She writes about love, loss, sadness, and growing older. She also explores ideas of good and evil in people.
Her novels often look at how families work. She writes about living in shared houses versus traditional families. She also explores the meaning of home. Helen Garner is known for showing Australian life very clearly. She writes about both city and country areas. She was born in Geelong and has lived much of her life in Melbourne. One writer said that Helen Garner made Melbourne a character in Monkey Grip. This helped many readers see their own world in her books.
Her books like Joe Cinque's Consolation and This House of Grief explore the justice system in Australia. She asks how well it deals with real-life events. She also looks at who is responsible for actions.
Critics say Helen Garner is very accurate in showing how people feel. She often writes about the strange or dark parts of human behavior. She tries to understand why people act the way they do. She believes that people often prefer to keep difficult stories "at arm's length." This is because it is "more comfortable, easier." Peter Craven said that Helen Garner is brave in her honesty. She shows what she doesn't know or understand. She even tries to understand the person who might seem like the "villain" in a story. Her work often focuses on everyday people. These are people who, under great pressure, might show their darker sides.
Helen Garner's Life
After her first marriage, Helen Garner married two more times. She was married to Jean-Jacques Portail from 1980 to 1985. She then married Australian writer Murray Bail in 1992. They separated in the late 1990s. She is not currently married.
Helen has been open about her struggles with depression. Her only child, Alice Garner, was born in 1969. Alice is a writer, musician, teacher, and historian.
In 2003, a painting of Helen Garner was a finalist for the Archibald Prize. This is a famous Australian art award. The painting was called True Stories.
Awards and Recognition
Helen Garner has won many awards for her writing:
- Monkey Grip
- 1978 – National Book Council award
- The Children's Bach
- 1986 – South Australian Premier's Awards
- Postcards from Surfers
- 1986 – New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Christina Stead Prize for Fiction
- Two Friends
- 1987 – New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Television Writing Award
- 1987 – Best Screenplay in a Telefeature
- Cosmo Cosmolino
- 1993 – Shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award
- Did Daniel Have to Die?
- 1993 – Walkley Award for Best Feature Writing
- True Stories: Selected Non-fiction
- 1997 – Nita Kibble Literary Award
- Joe Cinque's Consolation
- 2004 – ABIA Book of the Year
- 2005 – Ned Kelly Awards joint winner for Best True Crime
- The Spare Room
- 2008 – Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction
- 2008 – Queensland Premier's Literary Awards Fiction Book Award
- 2009 – Barbara Jefferis Award
- This House of Grief
- 2015 – Ned Kelly Award – Best True Crime
- 2015 – Longlisted Stella Prize
- 2015 – Shortlisted ABIA General Non-Fiction Book of the Year
- 2015 – Shortlisted New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards
- 2016 – Windham–Campbell Literature Prize for non-fiction works
- 2016 – Western Australian Premier's Book Awards – non-fiction
- 2016 – Western Australian Premier's Book Awards – overall prize
- Everywhere I Look
- 2017 – Shortlist for The Indie Book Awards
- 2006 – Melbourne Prize for Literature
- 2019 – Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature
- 2020 – Australian Book Industry Awards' Lloyd O'Neil Award and Hall of Fame
- 2023 – Australian Society of Authors' ASA Medal
