Alan Cumyn (born 8 January 1960) is a Canadian

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

who lives in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Biography

Born in

, Alan Cumyn studied at

Royal Roads Military College Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) was a Canadian Military academy, military college from 1940 to 1995, located in Hatley Park, Colwood, British Columbia, near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The facility now serves as the campus of Royal Ro ...

in 1983, and Queen's University before earning an M.A. in Creative Writing and English Literature 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 ...

. Alan Cumyn's
entry in

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; ) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with financial support by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and Society of Com ...

He has lived across Canada and in China and Indonesia, and worked variously as a geologist's assistant, group home manager, tai chi instructor, English teacher, program officer in international development, human rights researcher and freelance writer. Cumyn's fiction focuses on personal and political relations, often in a cross-cultural context. He now lives in Ottawa with his wife and two daughters. In 2016 he won the

Writers' Trust of Canada The Writers' Trust of Canada () is a registered charity which provides financial support to Canadian writers. Founded by Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, Margaret Laurence, and David Young (Canadian playwright), David Young; the W ...

Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People The Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, colloquially called the Vicky, is given annually at the Writers' Trust Awards to a writer or illustrator whose body of work has been "inspirational to Canadian youth". It is a top honour for ...

for his body of work.

Works

*''Waiting for Li Ming'' - 1993 *''Between Families and the Sky'' - 1995 *''Man of Bone'' - 1998 - (Winner of the Ottawa Book Award) *''Burridge Unbound'' - 2000 - shortlisted for the 2000

Giller Prize The Giller Prize (known as the Scotiabank Giller Prize from 2005-2023) is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English (including translation) the previous year, after an annual juried co ...

*''Losing It'' - 2001 *''The Secret Life of Owen Skye'' - 2002 (Received a Mr. Christie's Book Award; nominated for a

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 ...

) *''The Sojourn'' - 2003 *''After Sylvia'' - 2004 (Nominated for the 2005 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award) *''The Famished Lover'' - 2006 (longlisted for the

) *''Dear Sylvia'' - 2008 (Winner 2009 Silver Birch Express Award; short-listed Canadian Library Association's Book of the Year for Children) *''Tilt'' - 2011 (selected by the Junior Library Guild as one of the best young adult novels of 2011) *''Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend'' - 2016 *''North to Benjamin'' - 2018 (Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title)

References

* W. H. New, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada''. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2002. * Author's Website: https://web.archive.org/web/20110903150747/http://www.alancumyn.com/acumyn.html (as of September 3, 2011)

External links

Online interview from CBC Words at Large

Alan Cumyn's web page

Writer's Union profile on Alan Cumyn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cumyn, Alan 1960 births Living people Canadian male novelists 20th-century Canadian novelists 21st-century Canadian novelists Canadian writers of young adult literature 20th-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian male writers Novelists from Ottawa