Diary of a Bad Year (2007)

Diary of a Bad Year is a book by South African-born Nobel laureate J. M. Coetzee. It was released by Text Publishing in Australia on 3 September 2007, in the United Kingdom by Harvill Secker (an imprint of Random House) on 6 September, and in the United States on 27 December.

Plot summary

The protagonist, called Señor C. by the other characters, is an ageing South African writer living in Sydney, Australia. The novel consists of his essays and musings alongside diary entries by both Señor C. and Anya, a neighbour whom he has hired as a typist. The essays, which take up the larger part of each page, are on wide-ranging topics, including the politics of George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Guantánamo Bay, and terrorism. The diary entries appear beneath the essays and describe the relationship that develops between the two characters, a relationship that ultimately leads to subtle evolutions in both their worldviews.

Awards and nominations

New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, 2008: shortlisted

The Age Book of the Year Award, Fiction Prize, 2008: shortlisted

Victorian Premier's Literary Award, The Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction, 2008: shortlisted

Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, Best Fiction Book, 2008: shortlisted

Australia-Asia Literary Award, 2008: longlisted

Extracts

Extract from The New York Review of Books

Extract from The Guardian

Reviews

Riemer, Andrew (24 August 2007). "Diary of a Bad Year". The Sydney Morning Herald.

Mukherjee, Neel (1 September 2007). "Diary of a Bad Year". The Times. London.

Gee, Maggie (2 September 2007). "Diary of a Bad Year". The Sunday Times. London.

Cartwright, Justin (2 September 2007). "Diary of a Bad Year, by J M Coetzee". The Independent.

Sen, Aveek (4 October 2007). "Señor C - At the gateway to oblivion". The Telegraph.