Ā鶹ֱ²„app

Ā鶹ֱ²„app alumnus Charles Foran is the winner of the 2011 Governor-General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction. (Photo by James Lahey)

Ā鶹ֱ²„app alumnus wins Governor Generalā€™s Literary Award

Foran recognized for his biography of Mordecai Richler

Ā鶹ֱ²„app alumnus Charles Foran has added the Governor Generalā€™s Literary Award to his list of honours for his biography of author Mordecai Richler,  Mordecai: The Life & Times

The Canada Council for the Arts announced Foran as the winner of the $25,000 award Nov. 15. The jury called his book ā€œa grand, sweeping work that sets the standard for future literary biography.ā€

ā€œThe 2011 GG-winning books reflect the diversity and depth of contemporary Canadian literature,ā€ said Robert Sirman, director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts. ā€œWith the hundreds of other great books that have won Canadaā€™s national literary award over the past 75 years, they represent pure gold for Canadian creative excellence.ā€ 

Ann Dooley and David Wilson, professors in the Celtic Studies program at St Michaelā€™s College, remember Foran, a graduate of St. Michaelā€™s College, as one of the first and best students in the program.

"One of the things he took from the program, I think, was a strong sense of the relationship between creative artists and their society,ā€ said Wilson. ā€œIt comes as no surprise that three of his books focused on Irish themes or that he should turn his attention to Mordecai Richler's relationship with Canada.ā€

ā€œHe's also remained a good friend and supporter of the program, which says a lot as well," added Wilson, a sentiment that Dooley shares.

ā€œHeā€™s a wonderful supporter of his college, of his university,ā€ she added. ā€œI love his intelligence; his intelligence is so compassionate and so quietly understanding. ā€œHeā€™s just a rare human being and a wonderful writer. Iā€™m so, so happy his biography has won the prize.ā€

In November 2010, Professor Nick Mount, associate chair in English, reviewed Mordecai for The Walrus and wrote, ā€œWe judge a man by his life, a writer by his books. Charles Foran has done a thorough and thoughtful job of the first. Time will do the second.ā€

Mount wasnā€™t really surprised to hear that Foran was awarded the Governor Generalā€™s, ā€œItā€™s a great book, heā€™s a great writer and weā€™re proud of him,ā€ he said. ā€œGood for him, itā€™s a significant award.ā€

Read the Ā鶹ֱ²„app Newsā€™ with Foran.

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