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J. M. Coetzee (John Maxwell Coetzee)[kO´tsE] Pronunciation Key, 1940–, South African novelist. Educated at the Univ. of Cape Town (M.A. 1963) and the Univ. of Texas (Ph.D. 1969), he has taught at Cape Town since 1971. Several of Coetzee's novels are noted for their eloquent protest against political and social conditions in South Africa, particularly the suffering caused by imperialism, apartheid, and postapartheid violence, as well as for their technical virtuosity. His fiction is often melancholy and detached in tone and spare in style, treating themes of human isolation and survival. His critically acclaimed novels include In the Heart of the Country (1977), Waiting for the Barbarians (1982), the Booker Prize–winning The Life and Times of Michael K (1983) and Disgrace (1999), and Foe (1986). Among Coetzee's other writings are the memoirs Boyhood (1997) and Youth (2002) and several essay collections. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 2003.
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