Adele Wiseman (May 21, 1928 – June 1, 1992) was a Canadian author. Born in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

, she received a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in English literature and psychology from the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...

in 1949. Her parents were

Russian Jews The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest po ...

who emigrated from

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

to Canada, in part, to escape the

pogroms A pogrom is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe late 19th- and early 20th-century attacks on Jews i ...

that accompanied the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

. In 1956, Wiseman published her first novel, ''The Sacrifice,'' which won the

Governor General's Award The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the governor general of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...

, Canada's most prestigious literary prize. Her novel, ''Crackpot,'' was published in 1974. Both novels deal with Jewish immigrant heritage, the struggle to survive

the Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and the challenges the next generation faced in acculturating to Canadian society. Wiseman also published plays, children's stories, essays, and other non-fiction. Her book, ''Old Woman at Play,'' examines and meditates on the creative process while paying tribute to Wiseman's mother and the dolls she made. Wiseman was lifelong friends with

Margaret Laurence Jean Margaret Laurence (née Wemyss; July 18, 1926 – January 5, 1987) was a Canadian novelist and short story writer, and is one of the major figures in Canadian literature. She was also a founder of the Writers' Trust of Canada, a non-pr ...

who was another Canadian author from Manitoba. She was an active and accessible Writer-in-Residence at the

University of Windsor The University of Windsor (UWindsor, U of W, or UWin) is a public university, public research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has approximately 17,500 students. The university was incorporated by ...

in her final years. At a campus rally against the First Gulf War, she read passionately a new poem denouncing war.

Awards

Governor General's Award for English-language fiction The Governor General's Award for English-language fiction is a Canadian literary award that annually recognizes one Canadian writer for a fiction book written in English."Governor-General Literature Awards Are Announced". ''

Red Deer Advocate The ''Red Deer Advocate'' is a twice-weekly newspaper in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. It publishes Wednesday and Saturday and is owned by Black Press. History The newspaper was first established in 1901 as the ''Red Deer Echo'', changing its n ...

'', May 8, 1957. * Beta Sigma Phi Sorority Award (1957) * Brotherhood Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews (1957) * Canadian Foundation fellowship (1957) * Guggenheim fellowship (1958) * Canada Council Arts Scholarship (1959) * Leipzig Book Fair Bronze Medal (1964) * Canadian Booksellers Association Book Award (1974) * J. I. Segal Foundation Award (1974 and 1988) * Three Guineas Charitable Foundation Agency Award (1984–1985)

Selected works

* ''The Sacrifice'' (1956) * ''Old Markets, New World'' (1964) * ''Crackpot'' (1974) * ''Old Woman at Play'' (1978) * ''Memoirs of a Book Molesting Childhood and Other Essays'' (1987) * ''Kenji and the Cricket'' (1988) * ''Puccini and the Prowlers'' (1992)

References

External links

Adele Wiseman archives
are held at the

Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections Clara may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Clara'' (2018 film), a Canadian sci-fi drama * ''Clara'' (2019 film), a Ukrainian animated fantasy film * ''Clara'' (TV series), a German TV series * Clara the Cow, mascot of the Greek TV show '' P ...

York University Libraries York University Libraries (YUL) is the library system of York University in Toronto, Ontario. The four main libraries and one archives contain more than 2,500,000 volumes. History The first York library opened in 1961 at Glendon College and ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Adele Wisemen
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiseman, Adele 1928 births 1992 deaths 20th-century Canadian novelists Jewish Canadian writers University of Manitoba alumni Writers from Winnipeg Governor General's Award–winning fiction writers Canadian people of Russian-Jewish descent Canadian women novelists 20th-century Canadian women writers

Awards

Selected works

Further reading

References

External links