CAREY, PETER

born May 7, 1943, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia in full Peter Philip Carey Australian writer known for use of the surreal in his stories. Carey attended the prestigious Geelong Grammar School and studied for a year at Monash University, Clayton, Victoria. He worked as an advertising copywriter and at various other odd jobs in Australia and England until 1988, when he became a full-time writer. His collections of short stories, The Fat Man in History (1974; U.K. title, Exotic Pleasures) and War Crimes (1979), exhibit many grotesque and macabre elements. His novels Bliss (1981; filmed 1985), Illywhacker (1985), and Oscar and Lucinda (1988; filmed 1997) are more realistic, though Carey used black humour throughout all three. The later novels are based on the history of Australia, especially its founding and early days. His other works include Tax Inspector (1991), The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith (1994), and Jack Maggs (1997). Carey received the 1988 Booker Prize for Oscar and Lucinda.