Morley Torgov (born 3 December 1927) 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 othe ...

humorist A humorist (American) or humourist (British spelling) is an intellectual who uses humor, or wit, in writing or public speaking, but is not an artist who seeks only to elicit laughs. Humorists are distinct from comedians, who are show business ...

and

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solici ...

. He was a partner in the Toronto-based legal firm Olch, Torgov, Cohen LLP. Torgov was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He studied law in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

at Osgoode Hall, formally becoming a lawyer in 1954.

Laurentian University Laurentian University (french: Université Laurentienne), officially the Laurentian University of Sudbury, is a mid-sized Bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, incorporated on March 28, 1960. Lau ...

Sudbury Sudbury may refer to: Places Australia * Sudbury Reef, Queensland Canada * Greater Sudbury, Ontario (official name; the city continues to be known simply as Sudbury for most purposes) ** Sudbury (electoral district), one of the city's federal e ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

awarded him an honorary

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...

degree in 1990. His 1982 novel was adapted into the 1988 film '' The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick'', of the same name. His short story collection '' A Good Place To Come From'' was made into a TV series. Torgov is the father of actress and artist Sarah Torgov.(26 February 1979). "People", ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian persp ...

'' 92 (9): 36.

Honours

In 2015, he was named a member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the c ...

."Four Nova Scotians among Order of Canada honourees"
''

The Chronicle-Herald ''The Chronicle Herald'' is a broadsheet newspaper published in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada owned by SaltWire Network of Halifax. The paper's newsroom staff were locked out of work from January 2016 until August 2017. ''Herald'' management cont ...

'', 1 July 2015.

Awards and recognition

* 1975: winner, Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, ''A Good Place to Come From'' * 1977: finalist, Books in Canada First Novel Award, ''The Abramsky Variations'' * 1983: winner, Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, ''The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick''

Bibliography

* 1974: ''A Good Place to Come From'' ( Lester and Orpen Dennys) * 1977: ''The Abramsky Variations'' (Lester and Orpen Dennys) * 1982: ''The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick'' (Lester and Orpen Dennys) ,

paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, le ...

, Seal

* 1990: ''St Farb's Day'' (Lester and Orpen Dennys) * 1998: ''The War to End All Wars'' (Malcolm Lester) * 2002: ''Stickler and Me'' (Raincoast) * 2008: ''Murder in A-major'' (RendezVous Crime) * 2012: ''The Mastersinger from Minsk'' (Dundurn)

References

External links

Morley Torgov profile
''The Canadian Encyclopedia''; accessed 10 May 2017. * * * * 1927 births Living people Lawyers in Ontario Canadian male novelists Jewish Canadian writers People from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Stephen Leacock Award winners Members of the Order of Canada {{Canada-writer-stub