J. M. Coetzee Receives Honorary Doctorate in Poznan

Celebrated writer John Maxwell Coetzee, more commonly known as J. M. Coetzee, spent several days in Poznan recently during the Malta Arts Festival. During his trip he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan.

The Dean of the Faculty of Neophilology Prof. Tomaszkiewicz spoke of Coetzees achievements as an author, his ability to explore into the human condition, and compared his writing to Joseph Conrad and Gabriel Marquez. The Australian author, originally from South Africa of Afrikaner descent, has received several awards for his works including two Booker prizes and Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003.

J.M. Coetzee was also in Poznan to see the premiere of Slow Man, an opera based on his book by the same name. Coetzee co-operated with Belgian composer Nicholas Lens, and the final product was directed by Polish experimental director Maja Kleczewska.