A. L. Kennedy

A. L. Kennedy
Born	22 October 1965 (1965-10-22) Dundee, Scotland
Nationality	Scottish
www.a-l-kennedy.co.uk

Alison Louise Kennedy (born 22 October 1965 in Dundee) is a Scottish writer of novels, short stories and non-fiction. She is known for a characteristically dark tone, a blending of realism and fantasy, and for her serious approach to her work. She contributes columns and reviews to UK and European newspapers including the fictional diary of her pet parrot named Charlie.

Background

Kennedy currently lives in Glasgow and is an Associate Professor in Creative Writing with University of Warwick, having previously taught creative writing at the University of St Andrews.

Kennedy performs as a stand-up comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe, comedy clubs and literary festivals. She is principally associated with The Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh. In 2007, she won a Lannan Literary Award, was awarded an honorary DLitt degree from the University of Glasgow, and her novel of that year Day was named Costa Book of the Year in the Costa Book Awards. In 2007 she won the Austrian State Prize for European Literature. In 2009, she donated the short story Vanish to Oxfam's 'Ox-Tales' project, four collections of UK stories written by 38 authors. Her story was published in the 'Air' collection.

In January 2011, she was confirmed as a candidate for the Rector of the University of Glasgow by students at the university. She subsequently lost the election against the incumbent, Charles Kennedy MP on 22 February 2011.

Works

Novels

• Looking for the Possible Dance (1993) ISBN 978-0749397586
• So I Am Glad (1995) ISBN 978-0099457213
• Everything You Need (1999) ISBN 978-0099730613
• Paradise (2004) ISBN 978-0099433491
• Day (5 April 2007) ISBN 978-0099494058
• The Blue Book (4 August 2011) ISBN 978-0224091404

Short Stories

• Night Geometry and the Garscadden Trains (1990) ISBN 978-0099450061
• Now That You're Back (1994) ISBN 978-0099457114
• Tea and Biscuits (1996) ISBN 978-1857997576
• Original Bliss (1997) ISBN 978-0099730712
• Indelible Acts (2002) ISBN 978-0099433484
• Frank from The Book of Other People (2008)
• What Becomes (6 August 2009) ISBN 978-0224077873

"Failing to Fall" (1994)

Non-fiction

• Life & Death of Colonel Blimp (1997) ISBN 0-85170-568-5
• On Bullfighting (1999) ISBN 0-224-06099-6
• Luwak Care and Breeding (2010) ISBN 0-123

Screenwriting

• Stella Does Tricks (1997)
• Dice (2001), with John Burnside

Selected radio

• Confessions of a Medium (2010), broadcast as the Saturday Play on Radio 4, 13 March 2010
• "Happy Families", broadcast on BBC Radio 3, 1 September 2011

External links

• Author's official site
• "Comedy is my self-defence", The Guardian, August 7, 2006
• "You can call me AL", The Observer, 25 March 2007
• "Everybody knows I’m miserable now", The Times, 6 August 2006
• "Having a crack at comedy", The Scotsman, 23 July 2006
• A review of Day at Open Letters Monthly
• A. L. Kennedy at Contemporary Writers
• "Guardian blog - for attention of Luwak remover Smith"
• Audio: AL Kennedy in discussion on the BBC World Service discussion show The Forum
• AL Kennedy reading at writLOUD in London