Howard Jacobson facts for kids

Howard Eric Jacobson (born on August 25, 1942) is a famous British writer and journalist. He is known for writing funny novels, often about the experiences of Jewish people in Britain. He won the important Man Booker Prize for his writing.

Early Life and Education

Howard Jacobson was born in Manchester, England. His family had roots in Russia, Ukraine, and Lithuania. He grew up in a place called Prestwich.

School and University

He went to Stand Grammar School before studying English at Downing College, Cambridge. There, he learned from a famous teacher named F. R. Leavis. After university, he taught at the University of Sydney in Australia for three years. He then returned to Britain to teach at Selwyn College, Cambridge. From 1974 to 1980, he also taught at the Wolverhampton Polytechnic.

Writing Career

Howard Jacobson's time teaching at Wolverhampton inspired his first novel, Coming from Behind. This book was a funny story about a struggling college. He also wrote a travel book called In the Land of Oz in 1987, based on his time in Sydney.

Award-Winning Novels

His 1999 novel, The Mighty Walzer, tells the story of a teenage table tennis champion. This book won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for funny writing. Jacobson himself loved table tennis as a teenager, so parts of the story are like his own life.

Two of his other novels, Who's Sorry Now? (2002) and Kalooki Nights (2006), were considered for the Man Booker Prize. Jacobson said Kalooki Nights was "the most Jewish novel that has ever been written by anybody, anywhere." It won the 2007 JQ Wingate Prize.

Man Booker Prize Win

In October 2010, Jacobson won the prestigious Man Booker Prize for his novel The Finkler Question. This was a special win because it was the first funny novel to win the award since 1986. The book explores what it means to be Jewish today, and it's also about friendship and dealing with loss. The head judge, Andrew Motion, called it a "marvellous book" that was "very funny, of course, but also very clever, very sad and very subtle."

His novel Zoo Time also won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize in 2013, making it his second time winning that award. In 2012, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. His novel J was also shortlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize.

Newspaper Columns

Besides writing novels, Howard Jacobson also writes a weekly column for The Independent newspaper. He shares his opinions on different topics in these articles.

Broadcasting Work

Howard Jacobson has also worked in television. He wrote scripts for shows like Channel 4's Howard Jacobson Takes on the Turner in 2000. He also worked on The South Bank Show in 2002, where he explored why novels are important. Earlier, he was featured in a TV documentary called "My Son the Novelist" in 1985.

His non-fiction books, Roots Schmoots: Journeys Among Jews (1993) and Seriously Funny: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime (1997), were also made into television series. He presented parts of history series on Channel 4, including "Jesus The Jew" in 2009 and "Creation" in 2010. In 2011, he appeared on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, where he shared his favorite songs. He also presented the Australian TV series Brilliant Creatures in 2014.

Writing Style and Themes

Howard Jacobson often describes himself as "a Jewish Jane Austen" because of his focus on relationships and society. He feels he has a "Jewish mind" and a "disputatious mind," which means he likes to debate and question things. He believes that comedy is a very important part of his writing.

His novels are known for their funny and conversational style. He often writes about relationships between men and women, and the experiences of Jewish people in Britain during the mid-to-late 20th century. People sometimes compare him to other Jewish-American novelists because he creates characters in his books that are similar to himself.

Personal Life

Howard Jacobson has been married three times. He married his first wife, Barbara, in 1964. They have a son named Conrad, born in 1968. They moved to Australia for a few years before returning to the UK. Barbara later divorced him. They share a granddaughter named Ziva.

He married his second wife, Rosalin Sadler, in 1978, and they divorced in 2004. In 2005, he married Jenny De Yong, a radio and TV documentary maker. He has said that he feels "home" with her.

Political Views

In August 2014, Howard Jacobson was one of many public figures who signed a letter asking people in Scotland to vote against becoming independent from the UK. He has also shared his views on other important topics.

Views on Current Issues

Jacobson has spoken out against boycotts of Israel. He has also discussed the importance of education and how different types of education might affect society. He has also expressed concerns about antisemitism (prejudice against Jewish people) within the Labour Party under its former leader, Jeremy Corbyn. He joined other Jewish figures in expressing their worries about this issue.

See also

In Spanish: Howard Jacobson para niños