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Book 89: Youth – J M Coetzee

A little bit about the author (from Wikipedia):

Coetzee is known as reclusive and avoids publicity to such an extent that he did not collect either of his two Booker Prizes in person.[44][45] South African writer Rian Malan has said that:

Coetzee is a man of almost monkish self-discipline and dedication. He does not drink, smoke or eat meat. He cycles vast distances to keep fit and spends at least an hour at his writing-desk each morning, seven days a week. A colleague who has worked with him for more than a decade claims to have seen him laugh just once. An acquaintance has attended several dinner parties where Coetzee has uttered not a single word.[46]

As a result of his reclusive nature, signed copies of Coetzee's fiction are highly sought after.[19] Recognising this, he was a key figure in the establishment of Oak Tree Press's First Chapter Series, a series of limited edition signed works by literary greats to raise money for the child victims and orphans of the African HIV/AIDS crisis.[47]