🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About J.M. Coetzee
J.M. Coetzee is considered by many to be one of the most celebrated living authors in the world. A South African novelist who migrated to and acquired Australian citizenship, Coetzee’s many awards and accolades justify the hype that surrounds his name. +Biography J.M. Coetzee was born in 1940 in Cape Town, South Africa to a primary school teacher of a mother and an attorney of a father. Coetzee remembers speaking a lot of English at home. It was his parents’ language of choice and it was the language that was most commonly spoken in their household. So it wasn’t a surprise when he became fluent in the language. Most of J.M. Coetzee’s early studies were pursued in Cape Town.
All Book Series by J.M. Coetzee
Speaking in Tongues
Latest in the series · book 11 of 11 · published 2025 Co-authored · Mariana Dimópulos
Where There's Smoke: Outstanding Short Stories by Australian Men
Book 8 of 12 · published 2015
Writers: Their Lives and Works
Latest in the series · book 12 of 12 · published 2018
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is J.M. Coetzee?
J.M. Coetzee is considered by many to be one of the most celebrated living authors in the world. A South African novelist who migrated to and acquired Australian citizenship, Coetzee’s many awards and accolades justify the hype that surrounds his name. +Biography J.M. Coetzee was born in 1940 in Cape Town, South Africa to a primary school teacher of a mother and an attorney of a father.
Which J.M. Coetzee series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Scenes from Provincial Life series, the earliest of J.M. Coetzee's multi-book series: it opens with Boyhood (1997) and runs to 4 books across 1997–2011, ending with Scenes from Provincial Life (2011). J.M. Coetzee's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has J.M. Coetzee written?
J.M. Coetzee has 44 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1976 and 2025. 7 of them belong to 2 named series — the largest being the Scenes from Provincial Life series with 4 books — and 37 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should J.M. Coetzee's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. J.M. Coetzee's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Scenes from Provincial Life (1997–2011, 4 books) and Jesus Trilogy (2013–2019, 3 books).
How are J.M. Coetzee's books organised into series?
This guide splits J.M. Coetzee's 44 books into 2 named series and 37 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Scenes from Provincial Life (4 books, 1997–2011); Jesus Trilogy (3 books, 2013–2019).