Maddie Mortimer

Madeleine Mortimer (born 1996) is an English novelist.

Maddie Mortimer
Born	1996 (age 27–28)
Occupation	Writer
Language	English
Nationality	British
Education	Latymer Upper School
Alma mater	University of Bristol
Genre	Literary fiction
Notable works	Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies (2022)
Notable awards	Desmond Elliott Prize (2022)

Early life

Mortimer is from West London and attended Latymer Upper School.^[1] She studied English Literature at the University of Bristol, and has worked in marketing and as a screenwriter.^[2] Her mother was the writer and filmmaker Katie Pearson.^[3]

Writing

Mortimer has described her first novel, Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies, as "an elegy to my mum and to our relationship".^[4] Mortimer's mother died of cancer in 2010 and the book focuses on a fictional woman called Lia who has a "shapeshifting cancer inside her body. Moving between Lia’s past and present, the book is a look at memory, mother-daughter relationships, and coming to terms with death".^[4] Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies won the 2022 Desmond Elliott Prize, which is awarded for a debut novel published in the UK or Ireland.^[4] It was also shortlisted for the 2022 Goldsmiths Prize^[5] and longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize.^[6]

Awards

Year	Work	Award	Category	Result	Ref
2022	Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies	Booker Prize	—	Longlisted	[7]
		Desmond Elliott Prize	—	Won	[8][4]
		Goldsmiths Prize	—	Shortlisted	[5][9]
		Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award	—	Shortlisted
2023		Betty Trask Prize and Awards	Betty Trask Award	Won

Selected publications

• Mortimer, Maddie (2022). Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies. London: Picador. ISBN 9781529069365.

References

1. "Booker Prize nominee, Latymerian Maddie Mortimer speaks to students". Latymer Upper School. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
2. Mortimer, Maddie (2022). Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies. London: Picador. ISBN 978-1529069365.
3. Mortimer, Maddie (8 July 2023). "'I became obsessed': Maddie Mortimer on the diaries her mother left behind". The Guardian.
4. Shaffi, Sarah (1 July 2022). "Maddie Mortimer wins the Desmond Elliott prize for Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
5. Ellis, Lizzie. "Collaborative novel wins the Goldsmiths Prize 2022". Goldsmiths, University of London. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
6. "Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies". The Booker Prizes. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
7. "Audrey Magee and Maddie Mortimer longlisted for 2022 Booker Prize". RCW Literary Agency. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
8. "Mortimer wins £10k Desmond Elliott Prize for 'completely unique' Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies". The Bookseller. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
9. "Maddie Mortimer shortlisted for The Goldsmiths Prize 2022". RCW Literary Agency. Retrieved 21 November 2022.