Angie Abdou (born 11 May 1969) is a Canadian writer (fiction and nonfiction).
Early life and education
Abdou was born in
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians ...
, where she spent her early childhood. Justin Abdou is her only sibling. She received a B.A. (Honours) from the
University of Regina
The University of Regina is a public university, public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the Unive ...
(Saskatchewan) in 1991, an M.A. (English) from the University of Western Ontario in 1992, and a PhD (English in the Field of Creative Writing and Canadian Literature) from The
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, Canada with her children Oliver and Katherine and is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Athabasca University (Canada's only open university).
Career
Abdou's first collection of fiction, ''Anything Boys Can Do'', was published in 2006 by Thistledown Press. B.C. BookWorld praised the collection as "an extraordinary literary debut." The book deals with contemporary heterosexual relationships and addresses topics such as infidelity and miscommunication between the sexes. In ''The Victoria Times Colonist'', Brownen Welch claims that "Abdou confirms for us that the female frame is capable of holding within itself a multiplicity of complications and contradictions." Welch praises Abdou for finding a nonjudgemental language with which to discuss female sexuality.
Abdou's first novel, ''The Bone Cage'', was published in 2007 by
NeWest Press
NeWest Press is a Canadian publishing company. Established in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1977,George Melnyk, ''The Literary History of Alberta Volume Two: From the End of the War to the End of the Century''. University of Alberta Press, 1999. . p. 173 ...
. The novel follows the lives of two Olympic athletes near the end of their careers and explores the connection between body and identity. It describes elite athletics with much detail. A review in ''
VUE Weekly
''Vue Weekly'' was an alternative weekly newspaper published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with issues released every Thursday. It covered topics on artists and events that are often ignored, marginalized, or misrepresented by the mainstream med ...
'' (Edmonton, Alberta) states: "Angie Abdou's debut novel, ''The Bone Cage'', finds its to question what happens to athletes who put everything else on hold for a chance at the lurks in the shadows of elite athletics is what makes Abdou's follow up to ''Anything Boys Can Do'', a book of short stories, so compelling". ''The Bone Cage''s themes, though, are also relevant outside the world of athletics. In ''
Canadian Literature
Canadian literature is the literature of a multicultural country, written in languages including Canadian English, Canadian French, Indigenous languages, and many others such as Canadian Gaelic. Influences on Canadian writers are broad both g ...
'' a reviewer writes: "''The Bone Cage'' extends past sport, exploring the tentative relationship between people and their bodies. Are we simply prisoners of our own "bone cage," predestined by our body, or can we overcome the limits of our body? Do we even want to overcome our body, or is it simply inseparable from ourselves? The Bone Cage's questioning of an inherent self-body dichotomy reaches out universally, involving not only sport, but also illness and death. Ultimately, because Abdou does not offer concrete answers for these questions, she shows that though the specific relationship between body and self is individualized, our struggle to reconcile them is universal." ''The Bone Cage'' was a finalist for CBC's 2011
Canada Reads
''Canada Reads'' is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC. The program has aired in two distinct editions, the English-language ''Canada Reads'' on CBC Radio One, and the Frenc ...
and was defended by ex-NHL player
Georges Laraque
Georges Edy Laraque (; born December 7, 1976) is a Canadian sports commentator, politician, and former ice hockey player. Laraque retired from hockey in 2010 after the Montreal Canadiens bought out his contract. He is a commentator for TVA Sport ...
. Shortly after the 2011 Canada Reads debates, ''The Bone Cage'' was selected as The MacEwan Book of the Year for the 2011–2012 academic year. Past recipients of this honour include Margaret Atwood,
Yann Martel
Yann Martel, (born 25 June 1963) is a Canadian author who wrote the Man Booker Prize–winning novel '' Life of Pi'', an international bestseller published in more than 50 territories. It has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and spen ...
,
Annabel Lyon
Annabel Lyon (born 1971) is a Canadian novelist and short-story writer. She has published two collections of short fiction, two young adult novels, and two adult historical novels, ''The Golden Mean'' and its sequel, ''The Sweet Girl''.
Life and ...
David Adams Richards
David Adams Richards (born 17 October 1950) is a Canadian writer and member of the Canadian Senate.Banff Mountain Book Festival Book of the Year Award in the Literature category. ''The Canterbury Trail'' also won a 2012 IPPY (Independent Publishing Award, Gold Medal for Canada West).
Abdou's third novel is ''Between''. Published by Arsenal Pulp Press in August 2014, it explores the lives of two women: Ligaya (a nanny from the Philippines) and Vero (an overextended working mother in North America). The Library Journal selected as a Top Indie pick for Spring 2015. It was named a best of 2014 book by ''Vancouver Sun'', ''PRISM Magazine'', and 49th Shelf.
Abdou's fifth book of fiction (''In Case I Go'', Arsenal Pulp Press) was published in the fall of 2017. Andrew Pyper, author of ''The Only Child'' and ''The Demononlogist'', says: "The past reaches up from the soil of ''In Case I Go'' to grab hold of its characters and readers alike, refusing to let go. Angie Abdou has written a grown-up work of fantasy, transporting as it is grounded and real." It was a finalist for the Banff Mountain Book award in the fiction and poetry category. ''Chatelaine'' magazine named it one of 2017's most riveting mysteries.
''Home Ice: Reflections of a Reluctant Hockey Mom'' is Angie's first nonfiction book. It hit the Canadian bestseller list the week of its release.
In a starred review, Booklist claims: "The author brings a novelist's eye to the story, telling it in first-person present tense; with its sharp characterizations and dialogue in place of autobiographical exposition, the book is a first-rate memoir and a fine example of narrative nonfiction. It's also a must-read for parents with youngsters who play organized sports." In The Nordic Sports Forum, Swedish scholar Tobias Stark calls ''Home Ice'' "one of the most memorable hockey books ever written."
Abdou teaches courses in creative writing at College of the Rockies, Sage Hill Teen Writing Experience, Write in the Kootenays and The Fernie Writers' Conference. She is also an active member of the Sport Literature Association.
Awards
* In 2010, ''
Canadian Literature
Canadian literature is the literature of a multicultural country, written in languages including Canadian English, Canadian French, Indigenous languages, and many others such as Canadian Gaelic. Influences on Canadian writers are broad both g ...
'' listed ''The Bone Cage'' in its Top Ten Sport-in-Can-Lit highlights. CBC's Book Club voted it the number 1 sport book in July 2010.
* ''The Bone Cage'' was a finalist in CBC's Canada Reads, 2011.
* ''The Canterbury Trail'' was a finalist for the Banff Mountain Book Award in 2011 and won an IPPY for Independent Publishing.
* ''Between'' was selected by The Library Journal as a Top Indie pick for Spring 2015.
* ''Between'' was also named a best of 2014 book by ''Vancouver Sun'', ''PRISM Magazine'', and 49th Shelf.
* ''In Case I Go'' was a finalist for the Banff Mountain Book Award in the Fiction & Poetry Category, 2018.
Bibliography
* ''Anything Boys Can Do'' (short stories), 2006, Thistledown Press
* ''The Bone Cage'' (novel), 2007, NeWest Press
* ''The Canterbury Trail'' (novel), 2011, Brindle and Glass Press
* ''Between'' (novel), 2014, Arsenal Pulp Press
* ''In Case I Go'' (novel), 2017, Arsenal Pulp Press
* ''Writing the Body in Motion'' (Academic Essays on Sport Lit), 2018, Athabasca University Press
* ''Home Ice: Reflections of a Reluctant Hockey Mom'' (memoir), 2018, ECW Press
* ''This One Wild Life: A Mother-Daughter Wilderness Memoir'' (memoir), 2021, ECW Press