Leo McKay Jr. (born June 19, 1964) is a Canadian novelist and short story writer from

Stellarton Stellarton is a town located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is adjacent and to the south of the larger town of New Glasgow. In pioneer times the area was called Coal Mines Station, and from 1833 until 1889, it was known as Albion Min ...

, Nova Scotia. He also is a periodic contributor to ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

''.Bad heart, good tale Leo McKay Jr.. The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ont.: Sep 22, 2007. pg. D.17

Early life

McKay was born and raised in the town of

Stellarton, Nova Scotia Stellarton is a town located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is adjacent and to the south of the larger town of New Glasgow. In pioneer times the area was called Coal Mines Station, and from 1833 until 1889, it was known as Albion Min ...

, where he graduated from Stellarton High School in 1982. He grew up in the small working class Stellarton neighborhood called the Red Row, a neighborhood of hundred-year-old mining company duplexes and a tight-knit community of working-class people. His parents grew up in the same neighborhood. His mother, Georgina Bellick, was the daughter of Polish and Ukrainian immigrants. His father, Leo McKay Sr., who lived in the Red Row until his death in 2011, was a riveter at the railcar factory in nearby Trenton before becoming a career labour leader, social activist, New Democrat politician, and eventually a member of Stellarton Town Council. He studied English at St. Francis Xavier University, French at

Laval Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Luxem ...

, Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia and Education at Dalhousie. He lived in Asia for four years.

Career

McKay teaches English at Cobequid Educational Centre in Truro, Nova Scotia.Cobequid Educational Centre Faculty
''cec.ccrsb.ca'', Retrieved May 20, 2008. McKay became one of the first recognized literary writers to embrace social media. During the 2010 CBC Canada Reads competition, McKay used Facebook, Twitter and especially YouTube, to promote his 2003 novel ''Twenty-Six'' as one of the Best Canadian Novels of the previous decade. He used hand-shot, self-produced videos called "Twenty-six Reasons Why You Should Vote for ''Twenty-Six'' For Canada Reads 2010". The novel made the 40 book long list, and that success spurred McKay to further use of social media as a promotional tool. In the spring of 2012, McKay used an online funding site, Indiegogo.com, to fund the independent publication of a new novel, ''Roll Up the Rim''. That campaign raised $10,000 in 30 days, and was chosen by Indiegogo.com as an example of how to run a successful online funding campaign.

Recognition

McKay's debut short story collection, ''Like This'', was short-listed for the Giller Prize in 1995 and received the Dartmouth Book Award for fiction in 1996.Dartmouth Book Awards Winners
, ''halifax.ca'', Retrieved May 20, 2008. His first novel, '' Twenty-Six'', was published in 2003. It became a national bestseller,Twenty-Six
''bukowskiagency.com'', Retrieved May 20, 2008 and won the 2004 Dartmouth Book Award.

Published works

* ''Like This'' (1996) * '' Twenty-Six'' (2003) * ''Roll up the Rim'' (2013)

References

External links

Author's page on agent's website

Author's blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKay, Leo Jr. 1964 births Living people Canadian male novelists Canadian people of Scottish descent Canadian male short story writers People from Pictou County People from Truro, Nova Scotia Writers from Nova Scotia 20th-century Canadian short story writers 21st-century Canadian short story writers 21st-century Canadian novelists 20th-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian male writers