Don Coles
Encyclopedia
Donald L. Coles, also known as Don Coles, is a Canadian poet and a novelist. Coles won the 1993 Governor General's Award
for English poetry
for his collection Forests of the Medieval World and the Trillium Book Award
in 2000 for his collection Kurgan.
Don Coles was born on April 12, 1927, in Woodstock, Ontario
. He attended the University of Toronto
and received a B.A in modern History in 1949, and an M.A in English Literature in 1952. He then attended the University of Cambridge
where he eventually earned a second M.A in Canadian Literature. Coles' writing began to take off after he received a British Council grant, which allowed him a year in Italy. Coles spent the following ten to twelve years traveling around Europe and lived in London, Stockholm, Florence, Munich, Copenhagen, Hamburg, and Zurich. Coles had struggled with writing and while in Europe he wrote two unpublished novels. “I was bad at characterization, I was bad at dialogue, I was bad at plot…” he told The National Post. After he returned home in 1965 he joined the faculty of York University
, where he worked for 30 years. He taught humanities
, and was the Director of the Creative Writing program. Furthermore, he was the senior editor at the Banff Centre for the Arts from 1984 to 1994. Don Coles was influenced by many British writers during the time he was living in Europe. These early influences were Thomas Hardy, Philip Larkin, Donald Hall, John Berryman and Margaret Atwood
, with whom he worked at York University
. Coles first began writing poetry
around 1966 and soon published his first collection in Canada in 1975 with Macmillan
, Sometimes All Over. Coles' first novel, Doctor Bloom’s Story was not published until 2004. His other collections, seven of which were published in Canada and one published in England, include Anniversaries (1979); The Prinzhorn Collection (1982); Landslides: selected poems, 1975-1985 (1986); K. in Love (1987); Little Bird (1991); Forests of the Medieval World (1993); Someone Has Stayed in Stockholm (1994, published in England); and For the Living and the Dead
(1996, a translation from the Swedish). Don Coles is retired and currently resides in Toronto.
-The Globe and Mail
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
for English poetry
English poetry
The history of English poetry stretches from the middle of the 7th century to the present day. Over this period, English poets have written some of the most enduring poems in Western culture, and the language and its poetry have spread around the globe. Consequently, the term English poetry is...
for his collection Forests of the Medieval World and the Trillium Book Award
Trillium Book Award
The Trillium Award is given annually by the government of the Province of Ontario and is open to books in any genre: fiction, non-fiction, drama, children's books, and poetry. Anthologies, new editions, re-issues and translations are not eligible. Three jury members per language judge the...
in 2000 for his collection Kurgan.
Don Coles was born on April 12, 1927, in Woodstock, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. He attended the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and received a B.A in modern History in 1949, and an M.A in English Literature in 1952. He then attended the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
where he eventually earned a second M.A in Canadian Literature. Coles' writing began to take off after he received a British Council grant, which allowed him a year in Italy. Coles spent the following ten to twelve years traveling around Europe and lived in London, Stockholm, Florence, Munich, Copenhagen, Hamburg, and Zurich. Coles had struggled with writing and while in Europe he wrote two unpublished novels. “I was bad at characterization, I was bad at dialogue, I was bad at plot…” he told The National Post. After he returned home in 1965 he joined the faculty of York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, where he worked for 30 years. He taught humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, and was the Director of the Creative Writing program. Furthermore, he was the senior editor at the Banff Centre for the Arts from 1984 to 1994. Don Coles was influenced by many British writers during the time he was living in Europe. These early influences were Thomas Hardy, Philip Larkin, Donald Hall, John Berryman and Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Eleanor Atwood, is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history; she is a winner of the Arthur C...
, with whom he worked at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
. Coles first began writing poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
around 1966 and soon published his first collection in Canada in 1975 with Macmillan
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
, Sometimes All Over. Coles' first novel, Doctor Bloom’s Story was not published until 2004. His other collections, seven of which were published in Canada and one published in England, include Anniversaries (1979); The Prinzhorn Collection (1982); Landslides: selected poems, 1975-1985 (1986); K. in Love (1987); Little Bird (1991); Forests of the Medieval World (1993); Someone Has Stayed in Stockholm (1994, published in England); and For the Living and the Dead
For the Living and the Dead
For the Living and the Dead is a 1989 collection of poetry by the Swedish writer Tomas Tranströmer. It received the Nordic Council Literature Prize....
(1996, a translation from the Swedish). Don Coles is retired and currently resides in Toronto.
Critical Reception
Don Coles is an accomplished and respected novelist who has been praised for his sophisticated and witty writing. His writing style is casual and he stays clear of flashiness, yet his writing is much more complex than perceived. Coles pulls the reader through his writing in a gradual flow, diving through time. He is best known for Doctor Bloom’s Story; "A straight-ahead, spryly imagined, tightly written tale of suspense. …This is fabulous stuff. Doctor Bloom's Story has countless… moments that, in their combination of gaiety and sadness, fix themselves in your imagination… Doctor Bloom is surely one of the most memorable and triumphantly conceived characters in recent Canadian fiction."-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...
Publications
- Sometimes All Over, Macmillan of Canada, 1975 : Poetry-collection
- Anniversaries, Macmillan of Canada, 1979: Poetry-collection
- The Prinzhorn Collection, Macmillan of Canada, 1982: Poetry-collection
- Landslides, McClelland & Stewart,1986: Poetry-new and selected
- K. in Love, Signal Editions, 1987: Poetry-linked
- Little Bird, Signal Editions, 1991: Poetry
- Forests Of the Medieval World, The Porcupine’s Quill, Inc., 1993: Poetry-collection
- Someone Has Stayed In Stockholm, Arc Publications, UK, 1994: Poetry- new and selected
- For the Living and the DeadFor the Living and the DeadFor the Living and the Dead is a 1989 collection of poetry by the Swedish writer Tomas Tranströmer. It received the Nordic Council Literature Prize....
, Buschekbooks, Ottawa, 1996 - Kurgan, Porcupine’s Quill, Erin, Ontario, Canada, 2000
- Doctor Bloom's story, Toronto: A.A. Knopf Canada, 2004. 1st ed. : Novel
- How We All Swiftly, Signal Editions, 2005 : The first six books
- A dropped glove in Regent Street, Signal Editions, 2007
- The essential Don Coles, Porcupine’s Quill, 2009