Meg Rosoff

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Meg Rosoff

Meg Rosoff (born October 16, 1956 in Boston , Massachusetts ) is an American-British writer who lives in London.

life and work

Rosoff studied for three years at Harvard , after which she attended art school in London for a year . She later went to New York and worked in the advertising industry. In 1989, Rosoff moved back to London, where she now lives with her husband and daughter. Her acclaimed debut novel So I Live Now (2005) tells of a mysterious civil war that destroyed life in England and forced five children on an odyssey. For her second book, What would be if (2007), which was translated into German , she was awarded the German Youth Literature Prize in 2008 . To date, Rosoff has written eleven books: a travel guide, three picture books and seven books for young people . So far six of her books have been published in German translation, all of which were translated by Brigitte Jakobeit . Her novel There Is No Dog (2011, German: Oh. Mein. Gott , 2012), published in 2011, sparked controversy in the UK and internationally. Rosoff was invited to the UK Bath Festival of Children's Literature because of the supposedly "blasphemous" character of Oh. My. God. unloaded again. The organizers of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature initially invited Rosoff with the novel Oh. My. God. in and then off again - on the grounds that the novel was "unsuitable" for the festival audience. Regardless of these controversies, Rosoff has been one of the most important authors of young books in the world since her literary debut. This is proven not only by the numerous prizes with which it has been awarded, but also by the impressively positive response that it has received for years in German and international feuilletons. In addition to German, Rosoff's novels have also been translated into Dutch, French, Hebrew, Spanish, Swedish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Croatian, Hungarian and Norwegian.

Literary style

“Officially, these are books for young people. Three of the four extraordinary novels are available in the dry, lyrical tone of the translation by Brigitte Jakobeit by the Harry Potter publishing house Carlsen . But Rosoff is worlds apart from JK Rowling or Stephenie Meyer . Adults who romp around in this segment to be on the safe side, because age-appropriate fiction is too high for them, will learn from her what literature can do if it does not impress with plot and suspense, but with linguistic artistry and dazzling characters. "

- Hannes Hintermeier : Horse girls come everywhere in the FAZ from October 16, 2009

“The novels by Meg Rosoff surprise with the courageous gestures with which they secure their topic as well as with their very own style. A laconic language, but without coldness. There is a certain harshness, but wit, the kind that gets by without gags, the children's book critic Franz Lettner [...] wrote a review of Meg Rosoff's 'dark gray humor'. It is a language that holds its tone, from the first line to the last page. "

- Susanne Mayer : Laudation for the LUCHS of the year 2009 in the period from March 4th, 2010

Reviews

Back then, the Sea (2009)

“Choosing the best book of the year is a great undertaking. Big in the sense of daring to find the book among thousands upon thousands of new publications that is convincing in everything, can that succeed? Great also in the sense of exhilarating, because when such a book is discovered, one follows the sentences with amazement into a world to which only books provide access, into the quiet realm of the imagination. The youth novel Back then, the Sea is one such book. The author Meg Rosoff has succeeded in writing a novel, a work of art of beguiling beauty, which the translator Brigitte Jakobeit has translated into German with appropriate laconicity. [...] Why did the jury's decision go to Meg Rosoff? Perhaps it was this perfect interplay of courageous conception and drama, style and moving approach to what being young means - namely to develop an awareness of oneself from the most painful experiences. A text whose tone in the flawless translation is without the slightest dissonance. A book that one cannot finish without regret. Lately there has been a lot of puzzles as to why sales figures are exploding in children's and young adult books . By over 20 percent! The suspicion is soon spread that readers who do not yet feel the Tellkamp Tower maturity could take refuge in infantilization. A typical German misunderstanding. A work like Meg Rosoff's is aimed at readers aged 14 and over and, like many great texts in world literature, is a wonderful challenge for everyone above this age group. Some readers may have noticed that. "

- Susanne Mayer : Jury statement for Der LUCHS of the year 2009 in the period of November 13, 2009

“At this moment the old narrator mentions his name for the first time. As if he had finally recognized and understood himself, which is also the core of this great book: that the most painful times in life are at the same time the most beautiful and truest, because they make it possible to understand one's own longing and life in hand to take. "

- Wilhelm Trapp : Days of Our Lives in the time of 9 October 2009

Of Being Free (2010)

“Stories about growing up are a dime a dozen, but those that also meet the demands of adult readers are rare. Meg Rosoff aims at the hearts of young people, hits them - her previous, multiple award-winning books have shown this - also the hearts of older readers. "

- Hannes Hintermeier : That's how I lived in the FAZ on August 31, 2010

Oh. My. God. (2012)

“Why is this world such a hopeless, chaotic place? Very simple: Because the Almighty is called Bob and is 19. At least that's what Meg Rosoff claims - in what is probably the best youth novel of the season. "

- Annette Pehnt : Drain bath water, prevent the flood in Die Welt on September 13, 2012

"Meg Rosoff's new novel is weird, disrespectful and divine pleasure."

- Katrin Hörnlein : Heavenly - What if God were a good-for-nothing late adolescent? in the time of November 15, 2012, p. 51

This is how I live now (2005)

“A hard book, without a doubt, but by no means dark, rather alternating between a dramatic plot and youthful humor. The American author, who lives in London, makes an astonishing debut of great intensity, a report told breathlessly by Daisy with idiosyncratic punctuation, a great book that won the Guardian Fiction Award and has long been on the bestseller list for adults in England. "

- Hilde Elisabeth Menzel : Love in cold times in the time of November 17, 2006

“And yet - there is something very promising: temperament, flair and the authenticity of a new narrative voice, which is also rendered virtuously by the translation. Above all, there is an attitude of mind that is not limited to being young and gonging back and forth between low fixed points, i.e. tops, make-up and 'totally cute guys', like reading elsewhere, but inner world conveyed. That's quite a lot for a debut. "

- Karla Schneider : Imagine it's war in the FAZ on March 4, 2006

What if (2007)

"After her award-winning debut So I Live Now , which was published three years ago, Rosoff emphatically demonstrates the breadth of her literary repertoire with what if it were . Her lucid narration, which laconically dissects the state of emergency of panic and paranoia, is disturbed by the boy's permanent unrest. The cryptic, often cynical humor, irony and capricious arbitrariness prepare the course for the malicious game of fate. In short interludes it announces itself and asserts its omnipotence. Wherever Justin takes refuge, whatever he tries to camouflage himself, it ends literally fatally. Meg Rosoff presents a wonderfully idiosyncratic terrain beyond the gossip and problem book. Her literary puzzle with Justin and the reader uses surreal, magical-neurotic moments to manipulate an - almost - imaginable story. For example, whether Justin's only friend Peter exists remains uncertain. The unusual structure of the novel also means that no perspective is maintained. A challenge for the reader, composed for intensive reading off the beaten track. "

- Simone Giesen : That is the wisdom of the one-year-old in the FAZ of September 13, 2008

“With What if (in the original Just in Case ) she confirms impressively that her narrative view of life in early adolescence is outstanding. With black humor, but full of benevolence towards her characters, she tells of the drama of growing up and the search for identity. "

- Franz Lettner : Gruff, angry and tender in the period of June 25, 2007

bibliography

Film adaptations

Awards

Festival participation

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ www.guardian.co.uk
  2. ↑ www.guardian.co.uk
  3. ↑ Hannes Hintermeier: Horse girls come everywhere. In: faz.net. October 16, 2009, accessed December 8, 2014 .
  4. ↑ Susanne Mayer: LUCHS: Laudation for the LUCHS of the year 2009. In: zeit.de. March 4, 2010, accessed December 8, 2014 .
  5. ↑  Susanne Mayer: Luchs: The LUCHS of the year 2009. In: zeit.de. November 13, 2009, accessed December 8, 2014 .
  6. ↑  Wilhelm Trapp: Luchs No. 267: Days full of longing. In: zeit.de. October 9, 2009, accessed December 8, 2014 .
  7. ↑ FJB: That's how I lived then. In: faz.net. August 31, 2010, accessed December 8, 2014 .
  8. ^ Annette Pehnt: Drain bath water, prevent the flood. In: welt.de. September 13, 2012, accessed December 8, 2014 .
  9. ↑  Hilde Elisabeth Menzel: LUCHS 225: Love in cold times. In: zeit.de. November 17, 2006, accessed December 8, 2014 .
  10. ↑ Imagine it's war. In: faz.net. March 4, 2006, accessed December 8, 2014 .
  11. ↑ That is the wisdom of the annuals. In: faz.net. September 13, 2008, accessed December 8, 2014 .
  12. ^  Franz Lettner: Youth Literature: Gruff, evil and tender. In: zeit.de. June 25, 2007, accessed December 8, 2014 .
personal data
SURNAME Rosoff, Meg
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American-British writer
DATE OF BIRTH October 16, 1956
PLACE OF BIRTH Boston , Massachusetts