12 Facts About Liz Calder

Elisabeth Nicole Calder is an English publisher and book editor.

Liz Calder was born Elisabeth Nicole Baber in London on 20 January 1938, the daughter of Florence Mary Baber and Ivor George Baber.

Liz Calder spent her early years in London, and in 1949 she emigrated with her family to New Zealand.

Liz Calder graduated with a BA in English literature from the University of Canterbury in 1958 and returned to the United Kingdom.

Liz Calder began her publishing career in 1971 at Victor Gollancz Ltd, where she published Salman Rushdie's first novel Grimus, John Irving's The World According to Garp and Angela Carter's The Passion of New Eve.

Liz Calder was Julian Barnes' editor for his first four novels, including Flaubert's Parrot.

Liz Calder was a founder of the Groucho Club and the Orange Prize for Fiction.

Liz Calder was chair of the Royal Court Theatre, and since 2003 has been President of the Parati International Literary Festival in Brazil.

Liz Calder was awarded the Brazilian National Order of the Southern Cross and the Order of Cultural Merit in 2004.

Liz Calder received the award from Prince Charles, Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace in December 2018.

Also in 2018, Liz Calder was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and received the RSL Benson Medal in recognition of her "meritorious works in poetry, fiction, history and belles lettres".

In 2019, Liz Calder was conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Canterbury.