Ben Rice
Encyclopedia
Ben Rice is a prize-winning British
author.
Rice was born in Tiverton, Devon, educated at Blundell's School
and read English literature at Newcastle University and then Wadham College, Oxford
, before studying Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia
.
His novel Pobby and Dingan (later filmed as Opal Dream
) was awarded the Somerset Maugham Award
in 2001 (as well as being shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
), and in 2003 Granta
named him as one of their twenty "Best of Young British Novelists". Pobby and Dingan is a short story about a small girl, her two imaginary friends, and her older brother who gradually learns that just because one can't see something, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Disguised as a children's story, this emotional tale is appreciated by readers of all ages.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
author.
Rice was born in Tiverton, Devon, educated at Blundell's School
Blundell's School
Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school located in the town of Tiverton in the county of Devon, England. The school was founded in 1604 by the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the time, and relocated to its present location on the...
and read English literature at Newcastle University and then Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...
, before studying Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
.
His novel Pobby and Dingan (later filmed as Opal Dream
Opal Dream
Opal Dream is a 2006 Australian drama film, based on the Ben Rice novella Pobby and Dingan, directed by Peter Cattaneo and starring an ensemble cast including Vince Colosimo, Jacqueline McKenzie, Christian Byers and Sapphire Boyce. It was filmed on location around South Australia, in Adelaide,...
) was awarded the Somerset Maugham Award
Somerset Maugham Award
The Somerset Maugham Award is a British literary prize given each May by the Society of Authors. It is awarded to whom they judge to be the best writer or writers under the age of thirty-five of a book published in the past year. The prize was instituted in 1947 by William Somerset Maugham and thus...
in 2001 (as well as being shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
The John Llewellyn Rhys Prize is a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of literature by an author from the Commonwealth aged 35 or under, written in English and published in the United Kingdom...
), and in 2003 Granta
Granta
Granta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centers on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real." In 2007, The Observer stated, "In its blend of...
named him as one of their twenty "Best of Young British Novelists". Pobby and Dingan is a short story about a small girl, her two imaginary friends, and her older brother who gradually learns that just because one can't see something, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Disguised as a children's story, this emotional tale is appreciated by readers of all ages.