Michel Faber facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michel Faber
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Michel Faber at HeadRead festival, Estonia, in 2019
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| Born | 13 April 1960 The Hague, Netherlands |
| Occupation | Novelist, poet, journalist |
| Citizenship | Naturalized British (since 1993) |
| Education | University of Melbourne |
| Period | 1998–present |
| Genre | Poetry, fiction |
| Notable works | The Crimson Petal and the White, Under the Skin, The Book of Strange New Things, LISTEN: On Music,Sound and Us |
| Partner | Louisa Young |
Michel Faber (born 13 April 1960) is a writer from the Netherlands. He writes books in English. Some of his famous books include The Crimson Petal and the White (2002) and Under the Skin (2000). Under the Skin was even made into a movie starring Scarlett Johansson. He also wrote a book for young adults called D: A Tale of Two Worlds in 2020. In 2023, he released a non-fiction book about music called Listen: On Music, Sound and Us.
Contents
Life Story
Michel Faber was born in The Hague, Netherlands. In 1967, when he was seven, he moved to Australia with his parents. He went to school in Melbourne. Later, he studied at the University of Melbourne. He learned about Dutch, Philosophy, and English Literature. He finished university in 1980.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Michel Faber worked in different jobs. He was a cleaner and also trained as a nurse in Sydney. He worked as a nurse until the mid-1990s. In 1993, he moved to Scotland with his family.
Where is He From?
Michel Faber is seen as a Scottish writer by many people in Scotland. This is because he lived there for a long time. He also won many literary awards in Scotland, like the Neil Gunn Prize. His books are published by a Scottish company.
However, in Australia, some people see him as an Australian writer. He lived there for many years and went to school there. Also, some of his short stories are set in Australia. So, he has strong connections to both places!
His Books and Writing
Michel Faber started writing seriously when he was 14 years old. But he didn't try to publish his stories right away. Many of his early stories and ideas for books were kept hidden for years.
In the 1990s, his wife, Eva, encouraged him to share his writing. He started entering short story competitions and often won! This led to him working with Canongate Books, a publisher in Edinburgh, Scotland. They have published his books in the UK ever since.
Fiction Books
Michel Faber's first published book was a collection of short stories called Some Rain Must Fall in 1998. Some of these stories had already won awards.
His first novel to be published was Under the Skin in 2000. He wrote this book while living in the Scottish Highlands, and it was inspired by the area. This book is hard to put into just one category. It has parts of science fiction, horror, and thriller stories. Critics really liked it, and it was translated into many languages. It helped him become well-known in Europe.
In 2002, his very long novel, The Crimson Petal and the White, was published. It is about life in Victorian London. This book became a bestseller in many countries, including the US and Italy. It is his most popular work.
Michel Faber also wrote another collection of short stories called The Fahrenheit Twins in 2005.
Even though The Crimson Petal and the White was very popular, Michel Faber decided not to write a direct sequel. However, he did write some short stories that featured characters from the novel. These stories explored what happened before or after the main book. They were published as The Apple in 2006.
His sixth novel, The Book of Strange New Things, came out in 2014. This book is about a British missionary who travels to an alien world. After this book, Michel Faber said he would stop writing novels for adults. He felt he had written all the stories he was meant to write. This book was later made into a TV pilot called Oasis.
In 2020, he published a novel for children called D: A Tale of Two Worlds.
His non-fiction book, LISTEN: On Music, Sound and Us, was published in 2023. It explores music, different groups of people, and how humans connect through sound.
Journalism and Articles
From 2001 to 2004, Michel Faber wrote book reviews for a newspaper called Scotland on Sunday. He also wrote a regular column for The Sunday Herald where he looked at the meanings in different photographs. Since 2003, he has written reviews for The Guardian newspaper. He often reviews books from other countries, short story collections, and books about music.
In 2004, Michel Faber traveled to Ukraine with a group called Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). He went to see how they were helping people with a health crisis there. He wrote an article about his trip for The Sunday Times newspaper.
Books on Screen and Radio
Many of Michel Faber's books have been made into movies or TV shows.
- The Crimson Petal and the White was made into a four-part TV show by the BBC in 2011.
- The Courage Consort was adapted for radio twice, once by the BBC in the UK and once by ABC Australia.
- Under the Skin was made into a film. It was directed by Jonathan Glazer and starred Scarlett Johansson. The movie first showed in 2013.
- The Book of Strange New Things was made into a radio series for BBC Radio 4 in 2014. It was also made into a TV pilot for Amazon Prime called Oasis.
See also
In Spanish: Michel Faber para niños
