Candia McWilliam
Encyclopedia
Candia McWilliam is a Scottish
author. Her father was the architectural writer
and academic Colin McWilliam
.
Born in Edinburgh
, McWilliam was educated at Girton College, Cambridge
, where she obtained first class honours
. Her first novel, A Case of Knives, published in 1988, was the winner of a Betty Trask Prize. Her second novel, A Little Stranger, was published in 1989. Both books won Scottish Arts Council
Book Awards. Debatable Land
, published in 1994, won the Guardian Fiction Prize
, and in 1998 its Italian translation won the Premio Grinzane Cavour for the best foreign novel of the year.
Candia McWilliam was one of the judges of the 2006 Man Booker Prize
.
In 2004 Candia McWilliam admitted to an audience at the Edinburgh International Book Festival
that she had struggled with alcoholism
. In early 2006, McWilliam began to suffer from the effects of blepharospasm
and became severely visually impaired as a result. This illness caused her eyelids to be permanently shut, although her eyes were still perfect. In 2007 she spoke about the experience of blindness at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and in 2008 she wrote an article about her situation for the Scottish Review of Books
. In 2009 she underwent an operation which harvested tendons from her leg in order to suspend her eyelids open, thus curing her blindness.
In an article in The Sunday Times
, McWilliam described her two years of blindness and the pioneering surgery that restored her sight. She went blind, she added, after years of writer's block
— her last novel appeared in 1994 — but she refound her voice while she was blind and dictated to a kind young friend what turned out to be a memoir
, What to Look for in Winter, which was published in 2010. She is now at work on a novel.
Her first marriage to Quentin Wallop, Earl of Portsmouth
, produced a daughter and a son, Viscount Lymington, but ended in divorce. Her second marriage resulted in another son.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
author. Her father was the architectural writer
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and academic Colin McWilliam
Colin McWilliam
Colin McWilliam was a Scottish architecture academic and author.-Career:Born in London, he graduated from the University of Cambridge and became Director of the Scottish National Buildings Record, then the Assistant Secretary of the National Trust for Scotland. He also directed architectural...
.
Born in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, McWilliam was educated at Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. It was England's first residential women's college, established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon. The full college status was only received in 1948 and marked the official admittance of women to the...
, where she obtained first class honours
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
. Her first novel, A Case of Knives, published in 1988, was the winner of a Betty Trask Prize. Her second novel, A Little Stranger, was published in 1989. Both books won Scottish Arts Council
Scottish Arts Council
The Scottish Arts Council is a Scottish public body that distributes funding from the Scottish Government, and is the leading national organisation for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland...
Book Awards. Debatable Land
Debatable Land
Debatable Land is a Guardian Fiction Prize winning novel by Scottish author Candia McWilliam. The novel seeks to raise questions about the direction in which Britain is moving in the 21st century...
, published in 1994, won the Guardian Fiction Prize
Guardian First Book Award
Guardian First Book Award, issued before 1999 as Guardian Fiction Prize or Guardian Fiction Award, is awarded to new writing in fiction and non-fiction.-History:...
, and in 1998 its Italian translation won the Premio Grinzane Cavour for the best foreign novel of the year.
Candia McWilliam was one of the judges of the 2006 Man Booker Prize
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
.
In 2004 Candia McWilliam admitted to an audience at the Edinburgh International Book Festival
Edinburgh International Book Festival
The Edinburgh International Book Festival, is a book festival that takes place in the last three weeks of August every year in Charlotte Square, in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital...
that she had struggled with alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. In early 2006, McWilliam began to suffer from the effects of blepharospasm
Blepharospasm
A blepharospasm , is any abnormal contraction or twitch of the eyelid....
and became severely visually impaired as a result. This illness caused her eyelids to be permanently shut, although her eyes were still perfect. In 2007 she spoke about the experience of blindness at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and in 2008 she wrote an article about her situation for the Scottish Review of Books
Scottish Review of Books
The Scottish Review of Books is a quarterly literary magazine published in Scotland. . It was established in October 2004 with the support of the Scottish Arts Council. In 2009 it became a limited company with a board of directors, Scottish Review of Books Limited. It is now managed from the...
. In 2009 she underwent an operation which harvested tendons from her leg in order to suspend her eyelids open, thus curing her blindness.
In an article in The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, McWilliam described her two years of blindness and the pioneering surgery that restored her sight. She went blind, she added, after years of writer's block
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
— her last novel appeared in 1994 — but she refound her voice while she was blind and dictated to a kind young friend what turned out to be a memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, What to Look for in Winter, which was published in 2010. She is now at work on a novel.
Her first marriage to Quentin Wallop, Earl of Portsmouth
Earl of Portsmouth
Earl of Portsmouth is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1743 for John Wallop, 1st Viscount Lymington, who had previously represented Hampshire in the House of Commons. He had already been created Baron Wallop, of Farleigh Wallop in Hampshire in the County of Southampton,...
, produced a daughter and a son, Viscount Lymington, but ended in divorce. Her second marriage resulted in another son.
External links
- Premio Grinzane Cavour