Eva Stachniak (born 1952) is a Polish-Canadian novelist.

Biography

Stachniak came to Canada in 1981 to study at

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

, and remained in the country after the imposition of

martial law in Poland Martial law in Poland () existed between 13 December 1981 and 22 July 1983. The Polish United Workers' Party, government of the Polish People's Republic drastically restricted everyday life by introducing martial law and a military junta in an a ...

prevented her from returning home. She worked for

Radio Canada International Radio Canada International (RCI) is the international broadcasting service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Prior to 1970, RCI was known as the CBC International Service ("CBC IS"). The broadcasting service was also previously ref ...

from 1984 to 1986, and then moved to

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 ...

to teach at

Sheridan College Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology, is a public polytechnic institute partnered with private Canadian College of Technology and Trades operating campuses ...

. Her

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

''Necessary Lies'', published in 2000, won the Books in Canada First Novel Award. Her second novel, ''Garden of Venus'', followed in 2005. The book was also published under the title ''Dancing with Kings'' in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Her third novel, ''The Winter Palace'', was published in 2012."Eva Stachniak: In search of Catherine's greatness"
''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'', January 20, 2012. A historical novel about

Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

, ''The Winter Palace'' became Stachniak's first Canadian and international bestseller. She followed with a sequel novel, ''Empress of the Night'', in 2014. She has also published short stories in literary magazines and anthologies.

Works

*''Necessary Lies'' (2000, ) *''Garden of Venus'' (2005, ) *''The Winter Palace'' (2012, ) *''Empress of the Night'' (2014, ) *''The Chosen Maiden'' (2017, ) *''The School of Mirrors'' (2022)"66 works of Canadian fiction to watch for in spring 2022"
CBC Books, January 11, 2022.

References

External links

Eva Stachniak
1952 births Living people 21st-century Canadian novelists Canadian women novelists Canadian historical novelists Canadian women short story writers Polish emigrants to Canada Polish women novelists Polish women short story writers Novelists from Toronto Polish historical novelists Writers from Wrocław McGill University alumni 21st-century Canadian short story writers 21st-century Canadian women writers Women historical novelists 21st-century Polish novelists Amazon.ca First Novel Award winners {{Poland-writer-stub