It is not so easy to achieve worthy success in the writing profession. This requires not only a tenacious memory, but also an appropriate character and temperament. Canadian writer Alice Munroe won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Starting conditions
Everyday practice shows that the love of reading in children is most often instilled in the family. Some writers entered the profession after reading exciting novels. Alice Munroe was born on July 10, 1931. The parents lived in a small town in Ontario. My father owned a farm where he grew crops and kept a herd of horses. Mother taught literature at a city school. The early childhood of the writer was spent in the bosom of nature, among domestic animals and birds.
From a young age, the girl helped her father in the farm business. I knew well how people who work in agriculture live. Alice knew how to look after livestock, ride a horse and grow vegetables. I learned to read early. The parental home had a good library, the books from which she read first. When it came time to go to school, Alice already knew all the pieces that are included in the curriculum. She studied well. The priority for the future writer was English language and literature.
After graduating from high school in 1949, Alice entered the English department at the University of Western Ontario. It is important to note that by this time the girl already had some writing skill. She kept a diary and regularly entered into it the impressions that were accumulated in everyday life. Timid studies in literary creativity pushed her to get a specialized education at the university. Within the walls of the educational institution, she received support from discerning teachers and took the risk of publishing her first texts.
In the writing field
It should be noted that the university trained qualified specialists in linguistics and literary criticism. Various competitions and seminars were regularly held here. Alice Munroe published her debut story "Dimensions of the Shadow" in the university newspaper. It happened in 1950. To pay for tuition, the student moonlighted as a waitress. During this difficult period for her, the aspiring writer met a young man, whom after a while she married. Despite being overwhelmed with household chores, Alice regularly took notes in her notebooks.
Stories and essays were published in various newspapers and magazines. Munro released her first thoroughly prepared collection of her works in 1968. The book entitled "Dance of Happy Shadows" liked the readers. Literally in a month. The publishing house has decided to print an additional edition. Critics have given a favorable response to the published works. Following heated discussions, a competent jury awarded the author the Governor-General's Prize. In Canada, this award is considered the most prestigious for writers.
Then, in 1971, the novel "Lives of Girls and Women" was published. The book did not bring the expected success and fees. The writer endured the unpleasant situation steadily and rationally. After a comprehensive analysis of the creative process, Alice Munroe decided to abandon large forms. She did not write any more novels. At the same time, she became more careful in choosing subjects for her works. In 1978, Munro presented a collection of short stories "Who Do You Imagine Yourself" for the judgment of readers and experts. For this book, the author was awarded the prestigious prize for the second time.
Successes and achievements
For several years, the famous writer has purposefully traveled to different countries. Alice Munroe visited Australia and saw live kangaroos. In China, she communicated with Buddhist monks. Drove cars in the Scandinavian countries. In 1980, the writer was invited to work at the University of British Columbia. Here she lectured as a resident writer. Taking a systematic approach to organizing her work, Munro released a collection of short stories every four years.
In 2008, the daughter of the writer released a book about her childhood and the life of her mother. And a year later, Alice Munroe received the honorary international Booker Prize. The prize was awarded for the collection Too Much Happiness. At the end of her writing career, Munroe received the highest honor in the world - she won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature. Until that moment, none of the Canadian literary men had received this award.
Personal life plots
The writer took the plots of many stories from her personal life or from events that took place in the surrounding reality. Alice first married when she was a university student. I had to quit school and devote myself to raising children and housekeeping. The writer gave birth to four daughters, one of whom died in infancy. The husband and wife tried to organize a joint business, and even opened a bookstore "Munro's Books". The project turned out to be unprofitable, and in 1972 the couple divorced.
Four years later, Alice remarried a famous geographer. After several moves, they chose the city of Ontario for permanent residence. Throughout the entire creative period, Munroe carefully monitored all the criticisms and wishes that were sent to her address. I always drew the rationale from the message and continued to work. At the moment, the writer has retired and is busy with her garden.
