Austrian author Helen Garner was overcome with emotion when announced as the winner of the prestigious Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction in London last week. Watching the ceremony on a live stream at home, she heard her name being called and immediately felt elated - only to be brought down by the freezing screen. When the news sank in, Garner exclaimed that "we were going 'Oh God!' Running around. We didn't know what to do."
The 82-year-old author has been on cloud nine since then, still grappling with her win hours later. Garner was stunned, admitting she hadn't thought she had a chance of winning the £50,000 prize for her remarkable collection of diaries, How to End a Story. She's thrilled that her street cred has increased exponentially and is now being taken seriously by readers worldwide.
Garner's novel, Monkey Grip, published in 1977, was met with initial skepticism from Australian critics who deemed it autobiographical in nature. Garner took offense to the criticism, arguing that writing a diary wasn't inherently sloppy or unworthy of attention. Nearly five decades later, her diaries are being hailed as intellectually and psychologically serious exercises.
Garner's diaries have garnered widespread acclaim for their raw honesty and unflinching exploration of her personal life. The collection spans over two decades and chronicles her tumultuous relationships, struggles with identity, and the complexities of aging. Garner's writing is characterized by its ferocity, particularly when it comes to her feelings towards men - especially those who wronged her.
Despite initial reservations about publishing her diaries, Garner eventually decided to release them after realizing they were worth sharing. She took great care in editing out "the boring stuff" but refused to rewrite any of the entries. The response from readers has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing their trust in Garner's judgment.
Garner continues to write in her diary every day, finding freedom in its confessional nature. She believes that as long as she has words to express herself, she will keep writing - even if it's just about the mundane details of her life. Her subjects have evolved since her last published volume, with her grandchildren now grown and no longer making frequent cameos.
However, Garner is also facing new challenges with aging. She's starting to forget things, make spelling mistakes, and struggle with cognitive decline. Despite these difficulties, she remains fascinated by the human experience and sees aging as an interesting phenomenon worth observing. When asked if she'll continue writing until the day she dies, Garner smiled and replied, "I can't imagine finding life boring."
The 82-year-old author has been on cloud nine since then, still grappling with her win hours later. Garner was stunned, admitting she hadn't thought she had a chance of winning the £50,000 prize for her remarkable collection of diaries, How to End a Story. She's thrilled that her street cred has increased exponentially and is now being taken seriously by readers worldwide.
Garner's novel, Monkey Grip, published in 1977, was met with initial skepticism from Australian critics who deemed it autobiographical in nature. Garner took offense to the criticism, arguing that writing a diary wasn't inherently sloppy or unworthy of attention. Nearly five decades later, her diaries are being hailed as intellectually and psychologically serious exercises.
Garner's diaries have garnered widespread acclaim for their raw honesty and unflinching exploration of her personal life. The collection spans over two decades and chronicles her tumultuous relationships, struggles with identity, and the complexities of aging. Garner's writing is characterized by its ferocity, particularly when it comes to her feelings towards men - especially those who wronged her.
Despite initial reservations about publishing her diaries, Garner eventually decided to release them after realizing they were worth sharing. She took great care in editing out "the boring stuff" but refused to rewrite any of the entries. The response from readers has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing their trust in Garner's judgment.
Garner continues to write in her diary every day, finding freedom in its confessional nature. She believes that as long as she has words to express herself, she will keep writing - even if it's just about the mundane details of her life. Her subjects have evolved since her last published volume, with her grandchildren now grown and no longer making frequent cameos.
However, Garner is also facing new challenges with aging. She's starting to forget things, make spelling mistakes, and struggle with cognitive decline. Despite these difficulties, she remains fascinated by the human experience and sees aging as an interesting phenomenon worth observing. When asked if she'll continue writing until the day she dies, Garner smiled and replied, "I can't imagine finding life boring."
I'm so stoked for Helen Garner! She's been through a lot in her life and it's amazing that she's still pushing boundaries with her writing. Her diaries are like a raw, unfiltered look at what it means to be human, you know? It's not always easy reading, but that's what makes it so powerful. I love how she's still keeping those diaries up to date – it's like she's defying time itself! 
Aging is a wild ride, and it's great that she's embracing the ups and downs. I've no doubt her writing will keep inspiring people for years to come. Long live Helen Garner! 
- I mean who wouldn't want to see a 82-year-old author still killing it with her writing? It's amazing how she took the criticism from back in the day and turned it into fuel for her fire. And I love how she's not afraid to share her raw, honest thoughts on life - sometimes that takes guts! 
She's definitely an inspiration to us all, proving you're never too old to pursue your passion and share your story with the world 
- what's the real takeaway from Helen Garner's win? i think it's that success is super subjective & can sneak up on you when u least expect it. all those years ago, people said her diary was 'autobiographical' - basically, they thought she wasn't writing well enough to be taken seriously. but now, we see that raw honesty & vulnerability are exactly what made her writing so powerful in the first place 
. we can still learn, grow, & find meaning even when things get tough. so let's all try to stay curious, keep writing (even if it's just in our heads 
), & appreciate the beauty of aging - it's a wild ride, folks! 
. i'm literally living for her honesty and vulnerability in her writing - it's like you're reading her innermost thoughts 
. forgetting things and making mistakes is just part of the journey, right? and that she's still finding freedom in writing every day is just beautiful 
. i'm definitely taking notes from this amazing woman - if life gets boring, just write about it! 
.
. I think some critics might say that her diaries are more autobiographical than intellectually rigorous, and while she has a point to make, I don't know if it's necessarily worth £50,000 
.
. Her writing has always been passionate and unflinching, and it's amazing that she continues to write every day, even when life gets tough 
.
.
. What I find really interesting is how her writing has evolved over time - from exploring relationships and identity to observing aging and cognitive decline. It's like we're getting a glimpse into her life and mind in real-time!
. I'm loving that she continues to write every day, even about mundane stuff, because that's where the real freedom lies 
. As for aging, I think it's fab that she's embracing it as a fascinating phenomenon to observe 
its like, we should've appreciated her honesty and raw writing skills from the start.
. Can't we just watch the ceremony on actual video for once? 
I mean, I get it, Helen Garner is super excited about winning that prize and all, but the freezing screen thing is a bit ridiculous 
. And can we talk about how hard it must be to edit out "the boring stuff" from her diaries? Like, 2 decades worth of writing? That's a lot of tediousness 
.
.
. and i love that she still finds freedom in writing every day - that's the kind of dedication i can get behind 
her writing is just getting better with age, right? the way she's being taken seriously by readers now after all those years is amazing. i'm loving how she's still got that fire in her and isn't afraid to speak her mind 
, like, how to End a Story is a MASTERPIECE 
. and let's be real, those critics who doubted her back in the day are just mad they missed out on a literary gem 
. Reminds me of when I won a prize in our school's essay competition back in '92... must've been 15 years old or so. Anyway, it's amazing to see how far Garner has come since then. Her writing is still so raw and honest - kinda like that time my older sister wrote a scathing review of a movie we both hated on the internet 
. But seriously, it's great to see authors being taken seriously for their work, especially at her age. I mean, people are always saying how much they admire authors like Toni Morrison or Virginia Woolf... but Garner is proof that you can still produce world-class writing at any point in your life