Patrick deWitt (born 1975) is a Canadian novelist and screenwriter. Born on

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

, deWitt lives in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, and has acquired American citizenship. As of 2023, he has written five novels: ''Ablutions'' (2009), ''

The Sisters Brothers ''The Sisters Brothers'' is a 2011 Western fiction, Western novel by Canadian-born author Patrick deWitt. The darkly comic story takes place in Oregon and California in 1851. The narrator, Eli Sisters, and his brother Charlie are assassins taske ...

'' (2011), '' Undermajordomo Minor'' (2015), '' French Exit'' (2018) and '' The Librarianist'' (2023).

Biography

DeWitt was born on

Sidney, British Columbia Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia. It is one of the thirteen Greater Victoria municipalities. It has a population of approximately 11,583. Sidney ...

. The second of three brothers, he spent his childhood moving back and forth across the west coast of North America. He credits his father, a carpenter, with giving him his "lifelong interest in literature." DeWitt dropped out of high school to become a writer. He moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, working at a bar. He left Los Angeles to move back in with his parents in the

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

area, on

Bainbridge Island Bainbridge Island is a city and island in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is located in Puget Sound. The population was 24,825 at the 2020 census, making Bainbridge Island the second largest city in Kitsap County. The island is se ...

. When he sold his first book, ''Ablutions'' (2009), deWitt quit his job as a

construction worker A construction worker is a person employed in the physical construction of the built environment and its infrastructure. Definitions By some definitions, construction workers may be engaged in manual labour as unskilled or semi-skilled workers ...

to become a writer, and moved to

. Although born a Canadian citizen, deWitt was raised primarily in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

and later became a U.S. citizen. He married Leslie Napoles, an American, with whom he has a son. He is separated from his wife, but they are amicable and share the care of their son.

Career

His first book, ''Ablutions: Notes for a Novel'' (2009), was named a ''New York Times'' Editors' Choice book. His second, ''

'' (2011), is a

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

picaresque novel The picaresque novel ( Spanish: ''picaresca'', from ''pícaro'', for ' rogue' or 'rascal') is a genre of prose fiction. It depicts the adventures of a roguish but appealing hero, usually of low social class, who lives by his wits in a corrup ...

that follows two assassin brothers who are sent to kill a prospector during the

California gold rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...

. It shortlisted for the 2011

Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a prestigious literary award conferred each year for the best single work of sustained fiction written in the English language, wh ...

, the 2011

Scotiabank 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 c ...

, the

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize The Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, formerly known as the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, is a Canadian literary award presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada after an annual juried competition of works submitted by publishers ...

, and the 2011

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.Esi Edugyan Esi Edugyan (born 1978) is a Canadian novelist.Donna Bailey Nurse"Writing the blues". ''Quill & Quire'', July 2011. She has twice won the Giller Prize, for her novels '' Half-Blood Blues'' (2011) and '' Washington Black'' (2018). Biography Esi Ed ...

, to make all four award lists in 2011. On November 1, 2011, he was announced as the winner of the Rogers Prize, and on November 15, 2011, he was announced as the winner of Canada's 2011

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.Stephen Leacock Award The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, also known as the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour or just the Leacock Medal, is an annual Canadian literary award presented for the best book of humour written in English by a Canadian writer, publis ...

. Alongside Edugyan, ''The Sisters Brothers'' was also a shortlisted nominee for the 2012

Walter Scott Prize The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction is a British literary award founded in 2010.Walter S ...

for historical fiction. ''The Sisters Brothers'' was adapted as a film of the same name by

Jacques Audiard Jacques Audiard (; born 30 April 1952) is a French film director, producer, and screenwriter. One of the most awarded French filmmakers in history, his international accolades include an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, and three ...

and

Thomas Bidegain Thomas Bidegain is a French screenwriter, producer and film director. He is noted for his collaborations with the director Jacques Audiard. He received the César Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2010 for '' A Prophet'' and Best Adaptation ...

, and released in 2018. His third novel, '' Undermajordomo Minor'', was published in 2015. The novel was longlisted for the 2015

. His fourth novel, '' French Exit'', was published in August 2018 by Ecco Press, an imprint of HarperCollins. It follows the dysfunctional relationship between a wealthy widow and her aimless adult son as they flee New York for Paris after burning through her late husband's fortune. The book was named as a shortlisted finalist for the 2018 Giller Prize. He wrote the screenplay for the 2020 film of the same name. In 2019, deWitt had a small role in ''

First Cow ''First Cow'' is a 2019 American drama film directed by Kelly Reichardt, from a screenplay by Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond based on Raymond's 2004 novel ''The Half-Life''. It stars John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, Ewen Bremner, Scott Shepherd ...

'', a film directed by his friend

Kelly Reichardt Kelly Reichardt (; born March 3, 1964) is an American film director and screenwriter. She is known for her minimalism, minimalist films closely associated with slow cinema, many of which deal with working class, working-class characters in small ...

. DeWitt's most recent novel, '' The Librarianist'', was published on July 4, 2023, by Ecco Press. It follows a retired librarian named Bob Comet and is billed as a "wide-ranging and ambitious document of the introvert's condition." It was the winner of the 2024

Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, also known as the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour or just the Leacock Medal, is an annual Canadian literary award presented for the best book of humour written in English by a Canadian writer, publis ...

.Cassandra Drudi
"Patrick deWitt wins 2024 Leacock Medal"
''

Quill & Quire ''Quill & Quire'' is a Canadian magazine about the book and publishing industry. The magazine was launched in 1935 and has an average circulation of 5,000 copies per issue, with a publisher-claimed readership of 25,000. ''Quill & Quire'' reviews ...

'', June 24, 2024.

Bibliography

Novels

*''Ablutions: Notes for a Novel'' (2009) *''

'' (2011) *'' Undermajordomo Minor'' (2015) *'' French Exit'' (2018) *'' The Librarianist'' (2023)

Nonfiction

*''Help Yourself Help Yourself'' (2007)

Screenplays

*''

Terri Terri is an alternative spelling of Terry. It is a feminine given name and is also a diminutive for Teresa. Notable people with the name include: *Terri Allard (born 1962), American country/folk singer/songwriter *Terri S. Armstrong, American sc ...

'' (2011) *'' French Exit'' (2020)

References

External links

"Patrick deWitt interview: 'Certain writers look down their noses at plot. I was one of them – until I tried it'"
(2015 interview in ''The Guardian'')
"'The Internet Was Fucking Me Up:' Patrick DeWitt On Books, Bubbles, & Bullshit"
(2015 interview on ''Buzzfeed'') {{DEFAULTSORT:Dewitt, Patrick 1975 births Living people 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century Canadian novelists 21st-century Canadian male writers American male novelists Canadian male novelists Canadian expatriate writers in the United States People from the Capital Regional District Naturalized citizens of the United States Writers from Portland, Oregon Governor General's Award–winning fiction writers Stephen Leacock Award winners Novelists from British Columbia