Janet Frame: A chronology

 

Janet Frame 1924-2004

Photo: Karen Day

 

1924 Janet Paterson Frame is born in Dunedin, New Zealand

1943 – 1946 Studies at the University of Otago (English, French, Philosophy, Psychology)

1946 Publishes first adult story, ‘University Entrance’ in the New Zealand Listener

1952 The Lagoon and Other Stories published, wins Hubert Church Award for Prose

1957 Publishes first novel, Owls Do Cry

Signs with AM Heath literary agency, London, and Brandt & Brandt literary agency, New York

1958 Changes her name by deed poll to Nene Janet Paterson Clutha and reserves the name Janet Frame for her writing

1961 Faces in the Water (novel)

1962 The Edge of the Alphabet (novel)

1963 Scented Gardens for the Blind (novel)

The Reservoir: Stories and Sketches

Snowman, Snowman: Fables and Fantasies (stories)

1965  Robert Burns Fellow, University of Otago

The Adaptable Man (novel)

1966 A State of Siege (novel)

The Reservoir and Other Stories

1967  Residency at Yaddo Artists’ Community, Saratoga Springs, New York

The Pocket Mirror (poetry)

1968 The Rainbirds also known as Yellow Flowers in the Antipodean Room (novel)

1969 Residency at Yaddo

MacDowell Fellow, MacDowell Colony, New Hampshire

Mona Minim and the Smell of the Sun (children’s book)

1970 Residency at Yaddo

Intensive Care (novel)

1972 President of Honour, The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN New Zealand Inc)

Daughter Buffalo (novel)

1974  Katherine Mansfield Fellow, Menton, France

1977 Gives paper at Cross-cultural Conference, East-West Centre, Hawaii

Guest of Honour, International PEN Congress, Sydney

1978 A State of Siege film adaptation by Vincent Ward

Honorary Doctorate of Literature from University of Otago

1979  Living in the Maniototo (novel)

1981 Signs with Curtis Brown Literary Agency, London and Sydney

1982 To the Is-land (autobiography volume 1)

1983 CBE (Commander of the British Empire)

You Are Now Entering the Human Heart (stories)

1984 Gives readings at International Authors’ Festival, Toronto

Gives readings at Christchurch Arts Festival

Turnovsky Prize for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts

An Angel at My Table (autobiography volume 2)

1985 The Envoy from Mirror City (autobiography volume 3)

1986 Honorary Foreign Member of American Academy of Arts and Letters

1987 Inaugural Frank Sargeson Fellow

1988 The Carpathians (novel)

1989 The Carpathians wins the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book

Omnibus edition of To the Is-land, An Angel at My Table and The Envoy from Mirror City published as An Autobiography (also known at The Complete Autobiography and An Angel at My Table)

1990 Member of the Order of New Zealand (New Zealand's highest honour)

An Angel at My Table film adaptation by Jane Campion

1992 Honorary Doctorate of Literature from University of Waikato

1993 Massey University Medal

Premi Brancati Prize, Italy

1994 President of Honour, The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN New Zealand Inc)

Gives readings at International Festival of the Arts, Wellington as part of her public 70th Birthday Celebration

1996 Gabriela Mistral Medal, Chile

1999 Janet Frame establishes the Janet Frame Literary Trust

2003 Arts Foundation Icon Award

Inaugural Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement

2004 Janet Frame dies in Dunedin aged 79

2006 The Goose Bath (poems) published posthumously

2007 Janet Frame Literary Trust signs with The Wylie Agency New York and London

The Goose Bath wins the poetry category at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards

Towards Another Summer (novel, written 1963) published posthumously

2008 Storms Will Tell: Selected Poems published posthumously

2009 Prizes: Selected Short Stories also known as The Daylight and the Dust

2010 Dear Charles, Dear Janet: Frame & Brasch in Correspondence (fine edition)

2011 Janet Frame In Her Own Words (collected non-fiction writings)

2012 Gorse is Not People also known as Between My Father and the King (stories) published posthumously

2013 In the Memorial Room (novel, written 1974) published posthumously

The Mijo Tree (story, written 1957) published posthumously

2016 Jay to Bee: Janet Frame’s Letters to William (Bill) Theophilus Brown, 1969-71