Mark Leiren-Young
Encyclopedia
Mark Leiren-Young is a Canadian
journalist, screenwriter, playwright
and occasional performer in the comedy duo Local Anxiety. He lives in Vancouver
, British Columbia
.
. Twenty years later, he turned these experiences into a comic memoir, Never Shoot A Stampede Queen, which won the 2009 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour.
His news and feature writing, humour pieces, reviews, and columns have appeared in a host of publications in Canada and the U.S., including Time
, Maclean's
and The Utne Reader. He's a contributor to The Georgia Straight
, where he has written since the mid-1980s. He has covered the Toronto International Film Festival
for the Georgia Straight for the past ten years. His celebrity interviews can be found at the Georgia Straight Online, and include such A-Listers as Emily Blunt
, Michael Cera
, and Terry Gilliam
.
Mark is a passionate environmentalist. As a columnist and podcaster for Vancouver's independent online news site The Tyee
, he often addresses issues facing British Columbia's old growth forests. His Tyee interviews provided the content for his 2009 book, "The Green Chain: Nothing Is Ever Clear Cut," which examines the logging industry. Described by The National Post as “Canada’s go to guy for dolphins, whales and trees,” Mark has also been dubbed "Canada’s greenest writer." Many of his projects feature a green theme, such as his award winning short film, The Green Film, and his feature-length movie, "The Green Chain," which has won awards internationally at film festivals. As one half of the comedy duo, "Local Anxiety" with Kevin Crofton, he released the 2009 CD "Greenpieces," and cuts from the satirical album are often featured on CBC Radio
.
Mark also has extensive television writing credits, with over 100 hours of produced work. His love of comic books inspires his work on a number of animated series, including ReBoot
and Beast Wars: Transformers. He also has many credits writing for drama series, and credits include PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal
and Blood Ties
.
Before writing for T.V., Mark was a widely produced playwright. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre and creative writing from the University of Victoria
, and his plays have been produced in Canada, the U.S., Europe and Australia. He has also been translated into French and Danish. He's best known for controversial work such as the teen drama "Basically Good Kids" and "Jim," about the life of Doors frontman Jim Morrison. His mainstage work includes "Articles of Faith" about the Anglican church's internal struggle over the issue of gay marriage, and the award-winning "Shylock," about the tensions surrounding theatre's most famous Jewish character. Shylock has been produced around the world and was published by Anvil Press in 1996.
. The movie won the El Prat de Llobregat Award at the 15th Annual Festival Internacional de Cinema de Medi Ambient (FICMA 2008) in Barcelona.
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...
journalist, screenwriter, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and occasional performer in the comedy duo Local Anxiety. He lives 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,...
, 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...
.
Writing
Mark Leiren-Young's first full-time journalism job was at "The Williams Lake Tribune," a small newspaper in Williams Lake, British ColumbiaWilliams Lake, British Columbia
Williams Lake, is a city in the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the central part of a region known as the Cariboo, it is the largest urban centre between Kamloops and Prince George, with a population of 11,150 in city limits....
. Twenty years later, he turned these experiences into a comic memoir, Never Shoot A Stampede Queen, which won the 2009 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour.
His news and feature writing, humour pieces, reviews, and columns have appeared in a host of publications in Canada and the U.S., including Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Maclean's
Maclean's
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...
and The Utne Reader. He's a contributor to The Georgia Straight
The Georgia Straight
The Georgia Straight is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by the Vancouver Free Press Publishing Corp...
, where he has written since the mid-1980s. He has covered the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
for the Georgia Straight for the past ten years. His celebrity interviews can be found at the Georgia Straight Online, and include such A-Listers as Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt is an English actress best known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada , The Young Victoria , and The Adjustment Bureau . She has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, two London Film Critics' Circle Awards, and one BAFTA Award...
, Michael Cera
Michael Cera
Michael Austin Cera is a Canadian actor best known for his roles in Arrested Development, Youth in Revolt, Superbad, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Juno. Cera received the 2008 Canadian Comedy Award for best male performance for his work in Superbad.-Early...
, and Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
.
Mark is a passionate environmentalist. As a columnist and podcaster for Vancouver's independent online news site The Tyee
The Tyee
The Tyee is an independent Canadian online web magazine, which focuses on coverage of news and media issues in British Columbia.The Tyee was launched in November 2003 by David Beers, a journalist who had previously been associated with the Vancouver Sun...
, he often addresses issues facing British Columbia's old growth forests. His Tyee interviews provided the content for his 2009 book, "The Green Chain: Nothing Is Ever Clear Cut," which examines the logging industry. Described by The National Post as “Canada’s go to guy for dolphins, whales and trees,” Mark has also been dubbed "Canada’s greenest writer." Many of his projects feature a green theme, such as his award winning short film, The Green Film, and his feature-length movie, "The Green Chain," which has won awards internationally at film festivals. As one half of the comedy duo, "Local Anxiety" with Kevin Crofton, he released the 2009 CD "Greenpieces," and cuts from the satirical album are often featured on CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
.
Mark also has extensive television writing credits, with over 100 hours of produced work. His love of comic books inspires his work on a number of animated series, including ReBoot
ReBoot
ReBoot is a Canadian CGI-animated action-adventure cartoon series that originally aired from 1994 to 2001. It was produced by Vancouver-based production company Mainframe Entertainment, Alliance Communications, BLT Productions and created by Gavin Blair, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell and John Grace,...
and Beast Wars: Transformers. He also has many credits writing for drama series, and credits include PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal is a Canadian science fiction drama television series which was filmed in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and aired 88 episodes over four seasons from 1996 to 2000...
and Blood Ties
Blood Ties
-Film:* Blood Ties , a 1964 film directed by Mikhail Yershov and starring Vija Artmane and Evgeniy Matveyev* Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann, a 1994 documentary film-Television:...
.
Before writing for T.V., Mark was a widely produced playwright. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre and creative writing from 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 his plays have been produced in Canada, the U.S., Europe and Australia. He has also been translated into French and Danish. He's best known for controversial work such as the teen drama "Basically Good Kids" and "Jim," about the life of Doors frontman Jim Morrison. His mainstage work includes "Articles of Faith" about the Anglican church's internal struggle over the issue of gay marriage, and the award-winning "Shylock," about the tensions surrounding theatre's most famous Jewish character. Shylock has been produced around the world and was published by Anvil Press in 1996.
Books
Film
Leiren-Young's first feature film, The Green Chain, which he wrote, directed and produced, explores the issues facing dying logging communities in British ColumbiaBritish 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...
. The movie won the El Prat de Llobregat Award at the 15th Annual Festival Internacional de Cinema de Medi Ambient (FICMA 2008) in Barcelona.
- The Green Chain - Writer/Director/Producer
Television
- Blood Ties (Lifetime series) -- Story editor and writer (2007)
- The Collector - scriptwriter, "The V.J." (2006)
- The Great Canadian Music Dream (CBC miniseries) - scriptwriter, (2003)
- Psi Factor - scriptwriter, "Wendigo" (2000)
- Life and Times: The Brian Orser Story - scriptwriter, (2000)
- Reboot - scriptwriter "Web World Wars," "Trust No One" (1996)
- Jonovision (CBC) - scriptwriter, 1996
Theatre
His plays have been produced throughout Canada, the U.S., Europe and Australia. His works include:- Articles of Faith - 2001
- If You Really Love Me... - 2000
- Shylock - 1996
- Basically Good Kids - 1993
- Blueprints From Space - 1993
- Escape from Fantasy Gardens - 1989
- Watchin` - 1986
Music
- http://www.localanxiety.com/Greenpieces - Local Anxiety - 2009
- Nut in Canada - Local Anxiety - 2007
- Us - We're Canadian - Local Anxiety - 2003