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Wayne Johnston (author)
Encyclopedia
Wayne Johnston is a Canadian
novelist. His fiction deals primarily with the province of Newfoundland and Labrador
, often in a historical setting.
in 1978 with a degree in English literature
. He then worked for three years as a newspaper reporter with the St. John's Daily News. In 1981, he moved to Ottawa
, and pursued writing full-time. His novel The Divine Ryans won the 1991 Thomas Head Raddall Award
.
Johnston's breakthrough novel, 1998's The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, was acclaimed for its historical portrayal of legendary Newfoundland politician Joey Smallwood
. This novel was chosen for the 2003 edition of CBC Radio
's Canada Reads
competition, where it was championed by educator Justin Trudeau
.
For the spring of 2002 Johnston was the Writer-in-Residence at Hollins University
in Roanoke, Virginia
.
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. His fiction deals primarily with the province of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, often in a historical setting.
Biography
Johnston graduated from Memorial University of NewfoundlandMemorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
in 1978 with a degree in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
. He then worked for three years as a newspaper reporter with the St. John's Daily News. In 1981, he moved to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, and pursued writing full-time. His novel The Divine Ryans won the 1991 Thomas Head Raddall Award
Thomas Head Raddall Award
The Thomas Head Raddall Award is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada and the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia, to the best work of adult fiction published in the previous year by a writer from the Atlantic provinces...
.
Johnston's breakthrough novel, 1998's The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, was acclaimed for its historical portrayal of legendary Newfoundland politician Joey Smallwood
Joey Smallwood
Joseph Roberts "Joey" Smallwood, PC, CC was the main force that brought Newfoundland into the Canadian confederation, and became the first Premier of Newfoundland . As premier, he vigorously promoted economic development, championed the welfare state, and emphasized modernization of education and...
. This novel was chosen for the 2003 edition of 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...
's Canada Reads
Canada Reads
Canada Reads is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC.-Overview:During Canada Reads, five personalities champion five different books, each champion extolling the merits of one of the titles. The debate is broadcast over a series...
competition, where it was championed by educator Justin Trudeau
Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau, MP is a Canadian politician. He has represented the Montreal electoral division of Papineau in the Canadian House of Commons since 2008 as a member of the Liberal Party and currently serves as the party's critic for youth, post-secondary education, and amateur...
.
For the spring of 2002 Johnston was the Writer-in-Residence at Hollins University
Hollins University
Hollins University is a four-year institution of higher education, a private university located on a campus on the border of Roanoke County, Virginia and Botetourt County, Virginia...
in Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
.
Novels
- The Story of Bobby O'Malley (1985)
- The Time of Their Lives (1987)
- The Divine RyansThe Divine RyansThe Divine Ryans is a 1999 film directed by Stephen Reynolds, written by Wayne Johnston, starring Robert Joy and Pete Postlethwaite. The film is based around the Ryan family who run a funeral parlour in St John's, Newfoundland. The movie was filmed in St...
(1990) - Human Amusements (1994)
- The Colony of Unrequited DreamsThe Colony of Unrequited DreamsThe Colony of Unrequited Dreams is a novel by Wayne Johnston, published on September 30, 1998 by Knopf Canada. Johnston's breakthrough work, the novel was a Canadian bestseller, and was shortlisted for the 1998 Giller Prize and the 1998 Governor General's Award for English fiction.In 2003, Justin...
(1998, shortlisted for the Giller Prize) - The Navigator of New York (2002, shortlisted for the Giller Prize)
- The Custodian of Paradise (2006, longlisted for the Giller Prize)
- A World Elsewhere (2011, longlisted for the Giller Prize)