Martin Amis
Martin Amis (Martin Louis Amis) was born on August 25th, 1949. Martin passed away May 19th, 2023 at 73 years old. Martin Amis was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. Amis attended Exeter College, Oxford where he received an English degree.
Martin Amis was an English short story writer, novelist, and essayist. His raw material is what he views as the absurdity of the postmodern condition with its grotesque caricatures. Martin has sometimes been portrayed as the undisputed master of “the new unpleasantness” as a result.
His best known novels make up his “London Trilogy” (
Money,
London Fields, and
The Information). Even though the books share quite little in terms of narrative and plot, they each examine the lives of middle aged men, exploring the post-apocalyptic and debauched undercurrents of life in late 20th century Britain.
His dad said that Martin was not all that bookish as a child and read pretty much nothing but science fiction until he was about 15 or 16. It wasn’t until his stepmom, Elizabeth Jane Howard, introduced him to Jane Austen, whom he would often name as his earliest literary influence.
After graduating from Oxford, he wrote reviews of science fiction novels under the pen name of Henry Tilney (which is a nod to Austen) in this column for
The Observer. He found an entry-level job at
The Times Literary Supplement by the summer of 1972.
When he was 27, he became the literary editor of the New Statesman, where he cited John Gross (editor and writer) as his role model, and met Christopher Hitchens, who was a feature writer for
The Observer at the time, and remained Martin’s closest friend until Hitchens died in 2011.
Kingsley, according to Martin, was critical of certain aspects of his work. He knew the exact point his dad quit reading one novel and sent it twirling into the air. It’s when the Martin Amis character comes in.
Time named him one of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945. He was given the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for
Experience and twice was listed for the Booker Prize (1991 for
Time’s Arrowand in 2003 for
Yellow Dog).
In
Experience, one of the most innovative and gifted writers of our time discloses his private life that is every bit as fascinating and unique as all of his bestselling novels.
Martin, the son of Kingsley Amis (the great comic novelist), explores his relationship with his dad and writes all about the various crises of Kingsley’s life. He also examines the legacy and life of Lucy Partington (his cousin), who was abducted and then murdered by one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers.
The book also deconstructs the changing literary scene, which includes Amis’ portraits of Allan Bloom, Saul Bellow, Philip Larkin, Salman Rushdie, and Robert Graves, as well as others.
Not since
Speak by Nabokov has such an implausible life been recorded by quite the inimitable talent. Witty, profound, and ruthlessly honest, this is a literary event.
Martin Amis: Awards & Accolades
Martin Amis won the British Book Awards, Outstanding Achievement, in 2010.
Martin Amis books have been nominated for multiple awards, Time's Arrow was nominated for the Booker Prize, Best Fiction Book, in 1991. The Zone of Interest was nominated for the Walter Scott Prize, Best Historical Fiction Novel, in 2015.
Related Authors
The most common authors followed by users who also follow Martin Amis are:
- Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale Series.
- Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower Series.
- James Patterson, author of the Alex Cross Series.
- Harper Lee, author of the To Kill a Mockingbird Series.
- Jussi Adler-Olsen, author of the Department Q Series.
Martin Amis: F.A.Q
When was Martin Amis Born?
Martin Amis was born on August 25th, 1949.
When did Martin Amis die?
Martin Amis died on May 19th, 2023 at 73 years old.
Where was Martin Amis Born?
Martin Amis was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.
What awards has Martin Amis won?
Martin Amis has won the following awards: Outstanding Achievement at the British Book Awards (2010).
What was the first book Martin Amis wrote?
The first book written by Martin Amis was The Rachel Papers, published in 1973.
What was the most recent book Martin Amis wrote?
His most recently released work was Inside Story on September 24th, 2020.
How many books has Martin Amis written?
Martin Amis has written 30 books excluding contributions to anthologies. 15 Standalone Novels, 5 books in the Short Story Collections, 10 books in the Non-Fiction Books.