''Sarah Binks'' is a

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

published in 1947 by

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...

professor Paul Hiebert. The novel is a faux biography of the titular Sarah Binks, the "Sweet Songstress of

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

." It satirizes literary pretensions—both of the critic and of the poet—by presenting a poet and critic (the author) whose productions are awash with misreadings and sentimental clap-trap. The book was followed by a sequel, ''Willows Revisited'', in 1967.

Reception and legacy

Peter Gzowski Peter John Gzowski (July 13, 1934 – January 24, 2002), known colloquially as "Mr. Canada", or "Captain Canada",Mary Gazze Canadian Press via The ''Toronto Star'', August 23, 2010. Retrieved 2016-06-27. was a Canadian broadcaster, write ...

made Hiebert a frequent guest on his

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

program '' Morningside'' and Hiebert thereby became well known across

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Now considered a Canadian classic, ''Sarah Binks'' has never been out of print since its original publication in 1947. Its

New Canadian Library The New Canadian Library is a publishing imprint of the Canadian company McClelland and Stewart. The series aims to present classic works of Canadian literature in paperback. Each work published in the series includes a short essay by another not ...

edition featured an afterword by Charles Gordon. In 1967, Hiebert produced a sequel, ''Willows Revisited'', which, although well-received, did not receive the same level of acclaim as the original novel. The title refers to Willows, the fictional Saskatchewan birthplace of Binks. Although Hiebert's gentle brand of humour is recognizable to some in Canada, it is not uncommon for some to believe Sarah Binks to have been a real person and to excoriate her translations of

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; ; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was an outstanding poet, writer, and literary criticism, literary critic of 19th-century German Romanticism. He is best known outside Germany for his ...

. Though some reviewers have suggested models for Sarah, including Canadian poet E. Pauline Johnson, Hiebert said that his character was not based on any single person. A small town poet in ''

The Cruelest Month ''The Cruelest Month'', by Louise Penny, is the third novel in the ''Three Pines Mysteries'' series, which features Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, published in 2007 and 2008. In December 2022, the novel was adapted to streaming television at A ...

'' by

Louise Penny Louise Penny (born July 1, 1958) is a Canadian author of mystery novels set in the Canadian province of Quebec centred on the work of francophone Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. Penny's first career was as a radio broa ...

is compared to Binks.

Awards and recognition

*''Sarah Binks'' won the

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 ...

in 1948. *''Sarah Binks'' was selected for the 2003 edition of

's ''

Canada Reads ''Canada Reads'' is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC. The program has aired in two distinct editions, the English-language ''Canada Reads'' on CBC Radio One, and the Fre ...

'' competition, where it was championed by

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

Will Ferguson William Stener Ferguson (born October 12, 1964) is a Canadian travel writer and novelist who won the Scotiabank Giller Prize for his novel '' 419'' (2012). Biography Ferguson was born fourth of six children in the former fur trading post of ...

. *The fictitious poet Sarah Binks was awarded the equally fictitious Wheat Pool Medal, described as Saskatchewan's highest poetic honour

References

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External links

Sarah Binks' Translations of HeineExcerpt from Sarah Binks
Penguin Random House Canada 1947 Canadian novels Canadian humour Binks, Sarah New Canadian Library Novels set in Saskatchewan Oxford University Press books