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Peter Carey. Photo by Crisco 1492.

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Peter Carey

Peter Carey is a well-known Australian who was born on 7^th May 1943 in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia.  His parents were responsible for the running of a General Motors dealership known as Carey Motors.

He pursued his education in Bacchus Marsh State School before joining boarding the Geelong Grammar School. Peter Carey later joined the new Monash University in Melbourne where he pursued a science degree majoring in both zoology and chemistry.

He however did not complete his studies due to a lack of interest and a car accident he was involved in. In the university he met his first wife named Leigh Weetman who pursued philosophy and geography and who also dropped out. After dropping out of school, he worked in advertising where he began getting contact with older writers.

Peter Carey lived in London for a short while in the late 1960s before returning to Australia, when he married a theater director, Alison Summers. He is an award-winning novelist who has won the Miles Franklin Award three times as well as one of the five writers to ever win the Booker Prize twice.

Below are the top ten interesting facts about Peter Carey

1. Peter Carey Dropped out of School

Peter Carey began attending his school in Bacchus Marsh State School for five years between 1948 and 1953. He later joined a boarding school at Geelong Grammar School for other six years between 1954 and 1960.

In the following year, he joined the new Monash University where he pursued a science degree and majored in zoology and chemistry. He however did not complete his education as a result of a car accident and a lack of interest in his studies.

His first wife whom he had met at the university also dropped out.

2. Peter Carey First Worked in Advertising

Peter Carey plaque. Photo by Snapandrattle33.

Peter Carey first worked in advertising in 1962, immediately after he had dropped out of school. In his advertising career, he was employed by several Melbourne agencies which included campaigning for Lindeman’s Wine and Volkswagen between 1962 and 1967.

During his career in advertising, he came into contact with several older writers who introduced him to American and recent European fiction. During that period, he had the opportunity to study several materials from different people including Franz Kafka, William Faulkner, James Joyce, and Samuel Beckett.

3. None of his First Materials were Published

Australian novelist Peter Philip Carey’s signature in a signed copy of his book. Photo by Jay Dobkin .

Peter Carey began writing his material in 1964 immediately after marrying Weetman, but he received a rejection note the same year. He began with the five novels namely, Start Here, Ends Here, The Futility Machine, Wog, Adventures on Board the Marie (sic) Celeste, and Contacts.

However, none of the books were published. The Futility Machine was later accepted by Sun Books but they never published it.

Adventures on Board the Marie Celeste was also accepted by Outback Press but Peter Carey withdrew the book himself.

4. Peter Carey Remarried a Theater Director

Peter Carey began his own advertising company named Sydney-based McSpedden Carey Advertising Consultants in 1980. In the same year after a long separation from his first wife, Leigh Weetman asked for a divorce so that she could remarry and Peter agreed.

He later moved to New South Wales where he wrote “Illywhacker” which was published in 1985. In the same year, he also married a theater director, Alison Summers.

The following year he wrote the Illusion song which was performed at the Adelaide Festival of the Arts and was nominated for ARIA Awards.

5. Peter Carey Divorced with Summers After Four Years of Separation

Photo by engin akyurt on

Peter Carey later left for New York and sold the shares of his company to McSpedden and move with his son and wife.

In New York, he took a job teaching creative writing at New York University. He however later claimed that New York was not his best Choice but it was his wife’s idea.  The couple divorced in 2005 after four years of separation.

6. He was Accused of Snubbing Queen Elizabeth 2

Peter Carey was accused of snubbing Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1998. This was after he declined an invitation by the queen after he had won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Jack Maggs.

Peter Carey however claimed that he had been scheduled for another trip and had been to England recently. Later on, the meeting eventually took place with the queen.

7. Peter Carey was awarded Three Honorary Degrees

Peter Carey was elected to the Royal Society of Literature in 1989. He was also elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 2001.

In 2016, he was elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters which later awarded him its Harold D Vursell Memorial Award in 2012.

8. He Published Several Stories in Magazines and Newspapers

Peter Carey published most of his stories in magazines and newspapers which included Nation Review and Meanjin. He continued with his writing after returning to Australia. Most of the materials originated from his first book, The Fat Man in History.

9. Peter Carey Won the Booker Prize

Peter Carey. Photo by Crisco 1492.

Peter Carey is among the only five people to ever win the Booker Prize twice. He won his first Booker Prize for Oscar and Lucinda in 1988 and the second with The True History of the Kelly Gang in 2008.

Other people who won the Booker Price twice include Margaret Atwood, Hilary Mantel, J.M. Coetzee, and J.G. Farraell.

10. He won the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards

Peter Carey won the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards which is an Australian literary award. It is one of the most generous awards in Australia which was inaugurated in 1999 and later disestablished in 2012. Peter Carey received the award in 2001 after his work in “True History of the Kelly Gang”.

Peter Carey is a well-known novelist who began humbly working as an advertiser. He however made several contacts with some of the older writers where he acquired significant skills. He also received several awards including the Booker Prize.