Zoe Whittall
Encyclopedia
Zoe Whittall is a Canadian poet and novelist. She has published three novels and three poetry collections. Her latest novel, The Middle Ground, is a short novel for adults with low literacy skills.
of Quebec
and spent her childhood on a farm on the outskirts of South Durham, Quebec
She graduated from Dawson College in Montreal in 1995, attended Concordia College from 1995 to 1997, and completed a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph in 2009.
She's worked for the small publishing houses Between the Lines Books
and Sumach Press, and also as an arts reporter. She lives in Toronto
.
Her first novel, Bottle Rocket Hearts, was named a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year and one of the top ten essential Canadian novels of the decade by CBC's Canada Reads.
She won the Writers' Trust of Canada
Dayne Ogilvie Award for best gay emerging writer in 2008.
Holding Still for as Long as Possible, Zoe's second novel, was published in 2009 in Canada
, and 2010 in the United States
. It's been optioned for film, and was shortlisted for the 2010 ReLit award. It was also an honour book for the American Library Association
's Stonewall Book Award
.
Her poetry books include The Best Ten Minutes of Your Life, The Emily Valentine Poems and Precordial Thump. She edited the short fiction anthology Geeks, Misfits & Outlaws (McGilligan Books) in 2003.
Personal life and work
Zoe was born in 1976 in the Eastern TownshipsEastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and spent her childhood on a farm on the outskirts of South Durham, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
She graduated from Dawson College in Montreal in 1995, attended Concordia College from 1995 to 1997, and completed a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph in 2009.
She's worked for the small publishing houses Between the Lines Books
Between The Lines Books
Between the Lines is an independent publisher in Canada.BTL publishes Canadian-authored non-fiction, most of which offers a critical perspective on culture, economics, and society...
and Sumach Press, and also as an arts reporter. She lives in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Her first novel, Bottle Rocket Hearts, was named a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year and one of the top ten essential Canadian novels of the decade by CBC's Canada Reads.
She won the Writers' Trust of Canada
Writers' Trust of Canada
The Writers' Trust of Canada is a non-profit organization which provides financial support to Canadian writers.Founded by Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, David Young and Margaret Laurence, the Writers' Trust of Canada was registered as a non-profit organization in 1976...
Dayne Ogilvie Award for best gay emerging writer in 2008.
Holding Still for as Long as Possible, Zoe's second novel, was published in 2009 in Canada
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...
, and 2010 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It's been optioned for film, and was shortlisted for the 2010 ReLit award. It was also an honour book for the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
's Stonewall Book Award
Stonewall Book Award
Sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table of the American Library Association , the Stonewall Book Award is for LGBT books...
.
Her poetry books include The Best Ten Minutes of Your Life, The Emily Valentine Poems and Precordial Thump. She edited the short fiction anthology Geeks, Misfits & Outlaws (McGilligan Books) in 2003.
Novels
- Bottle Rocket Hearts 2007 (Cormorant BooksCormorant BooksCormorant Books Inc is a Canadian book publishing company.Cormorant Books specializes in fiction by new and emerging Canadian writers, reissues of out-of-print classics of Canadian literature, and English translations of works by Quebec writers.- History :...
) - Holding Still For as Long as Possible 2009 (House of Anansi)
- The Middle Ground 2010 (Orca Book Publishers)
Poetry
- The Best Ten Minutes of Your Life 2001 (McG)
- The Emily Valentine Poems 2006 (Snare)
- Precordial Thump 2008 (Exile EditionsExile EditionsExile Editions is an independent literary publisher based in Toronto. It was founded in 1976 by poet, novelist and artist Barry Callaghan and is currently headed by Michael Callaghan...
)