Charles Montgomery
Encyclopedia
Charles Montgomery is an award-winning Canadian
writer and photojournalist.
Born in North Vancouver, British Columbia
, he spent his formative years on a farm on Vancouver Island
, and was educated at the University of Victoria
and Langara College
. Montgomery began his career at the Lillooet Bridge River News the The Vancouver Sun
. He lived in Hong Kong from 1996 to 1998, where he wrote stories for the Hong Kong Shipping Gazette and HK Magazine
.
Montgomery's writing about environment, adventure, cultural convergence and myth has appeared in magazines and newspapers in Canada, the United States
and Hong Kong
, including Outside Magazine, Explore Magazine, Canadian Geographic
, enRoute, The National Post, The Globe and Mail
, The Walrus
, and The South China Morning Post. His magazine writing has won four Western Canada Magazine Awards, a 2004 silver National Magazine award and the 2003 American Society of Travel Writer’s Lowell Thomas
Silver Award for best North American travel story.
His first book, published in Canada as The Last Heathen
(2004), is a narrative description of Montgomery's search for the legacy of Victorian missionaries in the South Pacific archipelago of Melanesia
. It includes encounters with cargo cult
s, pagan ancestor-worshippers and militants in Vanuatu
and the Solomon Islands
. The book won the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction
in 2005. Prize jurors called it “an irresistible adventure in discovery, a journey into rough terrain and a revelation of the power of ancestral stories across cultural divides." The book has also won the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize
and was short-listed for two Writers’ Trust awards.
Montgomery is a member of the FCC, a collective of Vancouver-based literary journalists who use stories about the world to shed light on contemporary issues. He has been influenced by the music of Manu Chao
and the writings of Malcolm Lowry
, Laurens van der Post
, Bruce Chatwin
, Cervantes
, and Paul William Roberts
.
He is based in Vancouver
and Mexico City
.
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...
writer and photojournalist.
Born in North Vancouver, 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...
, he spent his formative years on a farm on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, and was educated at the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
and Langara College
Langara College
Langara College is a public degree-granting college in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which serves approximately 20,000 students annually through its university, career, and continuing studies programs...
. Montgomery began his career at the Lillooet Bridge River News the The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun is a daily newspaper first published in the Canadian province of British Columbia on February 12, 1912. The paper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. It is published six days a week, Monday to Saturday...
. He lived in Hong Kong from 1996 to 1998, where he wrote stories for the Hong Kong Shipping Gazette and HK Magazine
HK Magazine
HK Magazine is a free-distributed English language city-living magazine. It is a Hong Kong-based English-language weekly published by Asia City Publishing Limited. Premiering in 1991, it targets young metropolitans. It offers discussions on social issues as well as entertainment listings. New...
.
Montgomery's writing about environment, adventure, cultural convergence and myth has appeared in magazines and newspapers in Canada, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, including Outside Magazine, Explore Magazine, Canadian Geographic
Canadian Geographic
Canadian Geographic is the bimonthly magazine of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society . It was first published in May 1930 under the name Canadian Geographical Journal. The society's objective was to produce a popular magazine dealing primarily with Canadian geography...
, enRoute, The National Post, The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, The Walrus
The Walrus
The Walrus is a Canadian general interest magazine which publishes long form journalism on Canadian and international affairs, along with fiction and poetry by Canadian writers. It launched in September 2003, as an attempt to create a Canadian equivalent to American magazines such as Harper's, The...
, and The South China Morning Post. His magazine writing has won four Western Canada Magazine Awards, a 2004 silver National Magazine award and the 2003 American Society of Travel Writer’s Lowell Thomas
Lowell Thomas
Lowell Jackson Thomas was an American writer, broadcaster, and traveler, best known as the man who made Lawrence of Arabia famous...
Silver Award for best North American travel story.
His first book, published in Canada as The Last Heathen
The Last Heathen
The Last Heathen: Encounters with Ghosts and Ancestors in Melanesia is a book by Charles Montgomery, published in Canada by Douglas and McIntyre in 2004...
(2004), is a narrative description of Montgomery's search for the legacy of Victorian missionaries in the South Pacific archipelago of Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
. It includes encounters with cargo cult
Cargo cult
A cargo cult is a religious practice that has appeared in many traditional pre-industrial tribal societies in the wake of interaction with technologically advanced cultures. The cults focus on obtaining the material wealth of the advanced culture through magic and religious rituals and practices...
s, pagan ancestor-worshippers and militants in Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. The book won the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction
Charles Taylor Prize
The Charles Taylor Prize is a Canadian literary award, presented by the Charles Taylor Foundation to the best Canadian work of literary non-fiction. It is named for Charles Taylor, a noted Canadian historian and writer....
in 2005. Prize jurors called it “an irresistible adventure in discovery, a journey into rough terrain and a revelation of the power of ancestral stories across cultural divides." The book has also won the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize
Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize
The Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize, established in 1985, is awarded annually as the BC Book Prize for the best non-fiction book by a resident of British Columbia, Canada.-1985:David Ricardo Williams – Duff: A Life in the Law...
and was short-listed for two Writers’ Trust awards.
Montgomery is a member of the FCC, a collective of Vancouver-based literary journalists who use stories about the world to shed light on contemporary issues. He has been influenced by the music of Manu Chao
Manu Chao
Manu Chao , is a French singer of Spanish roots . He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages...
and the writings of Malcolm Lowry
Malcolm Lowry
Clarence Malcolm Lowry was an English poet and novelist who was best known for his novel Under the Volcano, which was voted No. 11 in the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list.-Biography:...
, Laurens van der Post
Laurens van der Post
Sir Laurens Jan van der Post, CBE was a 20th century Afrikaner author of many books, farmer, war hero, political adviser to British heads of government, close friend of Prince Charles, godfather of Prince William, educator, journalist, humanitarian, philosopher, explorer, and...
, Bruce Chatwin
Bruce Chatwin
Charles Bruce Chatwin was an English novelist and travel writer. He won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel On the Black Hill...
, Cervantes
Cervantes
-People:*Alfonso J. Cervantes , mayor of St. Louis, Missouri*Francisco Cervantes de Salazar, 16th-century man of letters*Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban composer*Jorge Cervantes, a world-renowned expert on indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse cannabis cultivation...
, and Paul William Roberts
Paul William Roberts
Paul William Roberts is a Canadian writer who lives in Toronto, Ontario.Born in Wales and educated at Exeter College, Oxford, where he gained a second in English Language and Literature, Roberts moved permanently to Canada in 1980...
.
He is based in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.