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Matthew Eck—One of 5 Under 35 |
The National Book Foundation's list of the 2008 best fiction writers under age 35 is out— and Matthew Eck, author of The Farther Shore is on it.
Matthew Eck, author of The Farther Shore (Milkweed 2007; paperback 2008) is one of the "5 under 35." To quote the National Book Foundation, he is "someone whose work is particularly promising and exciting and is among the best of a new generation of writers."
Eck will join the celebration in New York on November 17, kicking off National Book Awards week. He will just be returning to the U.S. after an author tour in Germany for the release of his book in that country. Eck is also participating this year in the National Endowment for the Arts program, "Operation Homecoming," focused on the stories of the men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Farther Shore, called "the first great war novel of our generation" by Salon.com, follows a small unit of soldiers separated from their command. Left to fend for themselves in a hostile city, their only option is to keep moving. The Farther Shore is the winner of the Milkweed National Fiction Prize and a selection of Milkweed's Editor's Circle.
Eck enlisted in the Army in 1992 and served in Somalia and Haiti. After leaving the service, he earned a BA in English Literature from Wichita State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Montana. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri.
National Book Foundation release
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