Christina Koning
Encyclopedia
Christina Koning is a novelist and short story writer who has reviewed extensively for the UK national press. Koning was born in Kuala Belait
, Borneo
, in 1954, and spent her early childhood in Venezuela
and Jamaica
. She was educated at Girton College, Cambridge
, and the University of Edinburgh
– the setting for her first novel. Since the early 1990s, she has worked as a travel writer and journalist – most recently for The Times
. She has also taught Creative Writing at the University of Oxford and Birkbeck, University of London
. Koning has appeared as a critic on BBC Radio 4
’s Woman’s Hour and has also had stories broadcast on Radio 4; her stories have also appeared in New Writing.
Koning’s first novel, A Mild Suicide, was published by Lime Tree in 1992, and was short-listed for the David Higham Prize for Fiction; her second novel, Undiscovered Country (Penguin
) won the Encore Award
for fiction and was long-listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction
. Fabulous Time (Viking
) was awarded a Society of Authors
Travelling Scholarship. The Dark Tower (Arbuthnot Books), like much of her earlier work, touches on colonialism and its legacy. Her most recent novel, "Variable Stars" (Arbuthnot Books) is about the eighteenth century astronomer, Caroline Herschel
. Koning has two children, and lives in London.
Kuala Belait
This article refers to the town of Kuala Belait. For the mukim of the same name, please refer to Kuala Belait, Belait. For district, please see Belait district.Kuala Belait |Jawi]]: )is a town located in South-West of Brunei...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, in 1954, and spent her early childhood in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. She 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...
, and the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
– the setting for her first novel. Since the early 1990s, she has worked as a travel writer and journalist – most recently for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. She has also taught Creative Writing at the University of Oxford and Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It offers many Master's and Bachelor's degree programmes that can be studied either part-time or full-time, though nearly all teaching is...
. Koning has appeared as a critic on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
’s Woman’s Hour and has also had stories broadcast on Radio 4; her stories have also appeared in New Writing.
Koning’s first novel, A Mild Suicide, was published by Lime Tree in 1992, and was short-listed for the David Higham Prize for Fiction; her second novel, Undiscovered Country (Penguin
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
) won the Encore Award
Encore Award
The £10,000 Encore Award for the best second novel - now awarded biennially - was first awarded in 1990. It is administered by the Society of Authors and is sponsored by Lucy Astor. The award fills a niche in the catalogue of literary prizes by celebrating the achievement of outstanding second...
for fiction and was long-listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction
Orange Prize for Fiction
The Orange Prize for Fiction is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary prizes, annually awarded to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English, and published in the United Kingdom in the preceding year...
. Fabulous Time (Viking
Viking Press
Viking Press is an American publishing company owned by the Penguin Group, which has owned the company since 1975. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim...
) was awarded a Society of Authors
Society of Authors
The Society of Authors is a trade union for professional writers that was founded in 1884 to protect the rights of writers and fight to retain those rights .It has counted amongst its members and presidents numerous notable writers and poets including Tennyson The Society of Authors (UK) is a...
Travelling Scholarship. The Dark Tower (Arbuthnot Books), like much of her earlier work, touches on colonialism and its legacy. Her most recent novel, "Variable Stars" (Arbuthnot Books) is about the eighteenth century astronomer, Caroline Herschel
Caroline Herschel
Caroline Lucretia Herschel was a German-British astronomer, the sister of astronomer Sir Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel with whom she worked throughout both of their careers. Her most significant contribution to astronomy was the discovery of several comets and in particular the periodic comet...
. Koning has two children, and lives in London.
Novels
- A Mild Suicide (1992)
- Undiscovered Country (1998)
- Fabulous Time' (2001)
- The Dark Tower (2010)
- "Variable Stars" (2011)
External links
- Official website
- Arbuthnot Books
- Christina Koning on Twitter
- Christina Koning on Facebook
- Christina Koning on She Writes