Audrey Thomas
Encyclopedia
Audrey Grace Thomas, OC
(née Callahan, born 17 Nov 1935) is a Canadian
novelist and short story
writer who lives on Galiano Island, British Columbia
.
, New York
she immigrated to Canada in 1959, where she attended and later taught at the University of British Columbia
. From 1964 to 1966 she lived in Ghana
, an experience which has had a deep impact on her work. In 1987 she won the Marian Engel Award
for her body of work.
She has three times received the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize
, for Intertidal Life (1984), Wild Blue Yonder (1990), and Coming Down from Wa (1995). In 2008, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(née Callahan, born 17 Nov 1935) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
novelist and short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer who lives on Galiano Island, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Biography
Born in BinghamtonBinghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
she immigrated to Canada in 1959, where she attended and later taught at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
. From 1964 to 1966 she lived in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, an experience which has had a deep impact on her work. In 1987 she won the Marian Engel Award
Marian Engel Award
The Marian Engel Award was a Canadian literary award, presented each year from 1986 to 2007 by the Writers' Trust of Canada in memory of the writer Marian Engel...
for her body of work.
She has three times received the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize
Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize
The Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, established in 1985 as one of the BC Book Prizes, is awarded annually to the best work of fiction by a resident of British Columbia, Canada....
, for Intertidal Life (1984), Wild Blue Yonder (1990), and Coming Down from Wa (1995). In 2008, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Novels
- Mrs. Blood - 1970
- Munchmeyer and Prospero on the Island - 1971
- Songs My Mother Taught Me - 1973
- Blown Figures - 1974
- Latakia - 1979
- Intertidal Life - 1984 (nominated for a Governor General's Award1984 Governor General's AwardsEach winner of the 1984 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Fiction:Winner:*Josef Skvorecky, The Engineer of Human SoulsOther Finalists:...
) - Graven Images - 1993
- Coming Down from Wa - 1995 (nominated for a Governor General's Award1996 Governor General's AwardsThe 1996 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were presented on November 14, 1996.-English Language:FictionWinner:*Guy Vanderhaeghe, The Englishman's BoyOther Finalists:*Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace...
) - Isobel Gunn - 1999
- Tattycoram
Short stories
- Ten Green Bottles - 1967
- ladies and escorts - 1977
- Real Mothers - 1981
- Two in the Bush and Other Stories - 1981
- Goodbye Harold, Good Luck - 1986
- The Wild Blue Yonder - 1990
- The Path of Totality - 2001
External links
- Audrey Thomas's entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia