April Fool's Day (novel)
Encyclopedia
April Fool's Day is a 1993 novel
by Australian author Bryce Courtenay
. The book is a tribute to the author's son, Damon Courtenay, a haemophiliac who contracted HIV/AIDS through an infected blood transfusion. The title refers to the date of Damon's death, 1 April 1991 (April Fools' Day
).
Damon was a classic haemophilliac all his life. He attempted to write this book himself but did not have much success. On his death bed, he asked his father to write it for him. Damon talked a lot about love
, he believed it was important that everybody knew how to love. Evidence of this is his attitude towards people who treated people with AIDS unfairly. Not much was known about AIDS back then and sufferers were frowned upon. To quote his devoted partner Celeste, "Love is an energy, it cannot be created nor destroyed. It simply is. Giving meaning to life and direction to goodness".
Damon had two brothers, Brett and Adam. His parents were Bryce and Benita Courtenay. In 2000, nine years after Damon's death his parents divorced. Seven years later, in March 2007, Benita died from cancer.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Australian author Bryce Courtenay
Bryce Courtenay
Arthur Bryce Courtenay AM is a South-African-born naturalized Australian novelist and one of Australia's most commercially successful authors.-Background and early years:...
. The book is a tribute to the author's son, Damon Courtenay, a haemophiliac who contracted HIV/AIDS through an infected blood transfusion. The title refers to the date of Damon's death, 1 April 1991 (April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
).
Damon was a classic haemophilliac all his life. He attempted to write this book himself but did not have much success. On his death bed, he asked his father to write it for him. Damon talked a lot about love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
, he believed it was important that everybody knew how to love. Evidence of this is his attitude towards people who treated people with AIDS unfairly. Not much was known about AIDS back then and sufferers were frowned upon. To quote his devoted partner Celeste, "Love is an energy, it cannot be created nor destroyed. It simply is. Giving meaning to life and direction to goodness".
Damon had two brothers, Brett and Adam. His parents were Bryce and Benita Courtenay. In 2000, nine years after Damon's death his parents divorced. Seven years later, in March 2007, Benita died from cancer.