Charles Foran
Encyclopedia
Charles Foran is a Canadian
novelist and non-fiction writer living in Peterborough
, Ontario
.
to a Franco-Ontarian
mother and a father from an Ottawa Irish family. He attended Catholic elementary school and Brebeuf College School
, a Jesuit high school in North York
. At St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto
, Foran studied English literature and history. After two years in Dublin, where he completed a Master’s in Irish Literature at University College, Dublin, he and his wife lived for a period outside New York City
. In 1988 they relocated to Beijing
, China
, where Foran taught at a university and witnessed the 1989 democracy movement.
Coming Attractions, an annual book highlighting new writers, published several of his early stories in 1987. In 1992 his short-story Boy Under Water was included in Best Canadian Stories.
Sketches in Winter, published by HarperCollins Canada in 1992, chronicled the aftermath of the June 4 massacre in Beijing from the perspective of a group of Beijing intellectuals.
In 1994 Foran published his first novel, Kitchen Music, set in Ireland, Canada and Vietnam. It was short-listed for the W.H. Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award
. Then living in Montreal
, Foran served as contributing editor to Saturday Night
, writing regularly on Quebec, and as books columnist for the Montreal Gazette.
The Last House of Ulster appeared in 1995, the year Foran relocated with his family to Peterborough. It told the story of the Irish Troubles from the point of view of a North Belfast family. Shortlisted for the Governor General's Award
, the book won the QSPELL for best work of non-fiction by a Quebec writer. He was awarded the QSPELL again in 1997 for his second novel, Butterfly Lovers, a story set in Montreal and Beijing. He and his family spent 1997-1998 in Hong Kong. A French translation of Butterfly Lovers appeared in 1999 under the title Amants.
The Story of My Life (so far), a book about childhood, was published by HarperCollins in 1998. The novel House on Fire followed in 2001. It takes place in a country modeled on Tibet, and in Hong Kong. In 2000 Foran also contributed a chapter on Canada to The Rough Guide to World Music. He returned to China with his family in 2001, living there for two more years. As well as making documentaries for the CBC Radio
program Ideas
on subjects ranging from Asian martial arts cinema to Indian writing, he served on the organizing committee for the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival. In 2005 Foran published the novel Carolan’s Farewell, set in 18th century Ireland. That same year HarperCollins issued a 10th anniversary edition of The Last House of Ulster, with a new preface by the author.
In spring 2008 a collection of his travel and literary essays, Join the Revolution, Comrade, was published by Biblioasis. Half the pieces in the book originally appeared in The Walrus
. As well as being a contributing editor to The Walrus, Foran is also a contributing reviewer for The Globe and Mail
.
His sports, travel and literary journalism has been published in magazines and newspapers in Canada, the US, and the UK, including TIME
, GQ, The Utne Reader, Toronto Life
, and Canadian Geographic
. His 2000 piece The Trials of Marty McSorley was awarded gold at the Canadian National Magazine Awards.
In 2006 Foran signed with Alfred A. Knopf Canada to write a biography of Mordecai Richler
. The book, while not authorized, was written with the cooperation of the Richler family. Mordecai: The Life & Times was released in October, 2010, and was named to many best-of-year lists. Mordecai Richler: The Last of the Wild Jews, a documentary film co-written by Foran and director Francine Pelletier, first aired on BRAVO TV in December 2010.
In early 2011 Mordecai: The Life & Times was short-listed for both the BC Foundation Non-Fiction Prize, and the Charles Taylor Prize
. It was awarded the Taylor Prize in Toronto in February 2011, and won the 2011 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction in October.
In March, 2011 Foran's short interpretive biography Maurice Richard was published by Penguin, as part of their Extraordinary Canadians series.
His literary papers are housed in the archives at Bata Library, Trent University
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
novelist and non-fiction writer living in Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Biography
Foran was born in August 1960 in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to a Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
mother and a father from an Ottawa Irish family. He attended Catholic elementary school and Brebeuf College School
Brebeuf College School
Brebeuf College School is a Roman Catholic all-boys' high school in Toronto founded by the Jesuits in 1963 and associated with the Presentation Brothers since 1984...
, a Jesuit high school in North York
North York, Ontario
North York is a dissolved municipality within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the central part of the northern section of Toronto. As of the 2006 Census, it has a population of 635,370. The official 2001 census count was 608,288...
. At St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, Foran studied English literature and history. After two years in Dublin, where he completed a Master’s in Irish Literature at University College, Dublin, he and his wife lived for a period outside New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1988 they relocated to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, where Foran taught at a university and witnessed the 1989 democracy movement.
Coming Attractions, an annual book highlighting new writers, published several of his early stories in 1987. In 1992 his short-story Boy Under Water was included in Best Canadian Stories.
Sketches in Winter, published by HarperCollins Canada in 1992, chronicled the aftermath of the June 4 massacre in Beijing from the perspective of a group of Beijing intellectuals.
In 1994 Foran published his first novel, Kitchen Music, set in Ireland, Canada and Vietnam. It was short-listed for the W.H. Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award
Books in Canada First Novel Award
The Amazon.ca First Novel Award, formerly the Books in Canada First Novel Award, is a literary award given annually to the best first novel in English published the previous year by a citizen or resident of Canada. It has been awarded since 1976....
. Then living in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Foran served as contributing editor to Saturday Night
Saturday Night (magazine)
Saturday Night was a Canadian general interest magazine. It was founded in Toronto, Ontario in 1887.The publication was first established as a weekly broadsheet newspaper about public affairs and the arts, which was later expanded into a general interest magazine. The editor, Edmund E. Sheppard,...
, writing regularly on Quebec, and as books columnist for the Montreal Gazette.
The Last House of Ulster appeared in 1995, the year Foran relocated with his family to Peterborough. It told the story of the Irish Troubles from the point of view of a North Belfast family. Shortlisted for the Governor General's Award
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
, the book won the QSPELL for best work of non-fiction by a Quebec writer. He was awarded the QSPELL again in 1997 for his second novel, Butterfly Lovers, a story set in Montreal and Beijing. He and his family spent 1997-1998 in Hong Kong. A French translation of Butterfly Lovers appeared in 1999 under the title Amants.
The Story of My Life (so far), a book about childhood, was published by HarperCollins in 1998. The novel House on Fire followed in 2001. It takes place in a country modeled on Tibet, and in Hong Kong. In 2000 Foran also contributed a chapter on Canada to The Rough Guide to World Music. He returned to China with his family in 2001, living there for two more years. As well as making documentaries for the CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to 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 are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
program Ideas
Ideas (radio show)
Ideas is a long running scholarly radio documentary show on CBC Radio One. Co-created by Phyllis Webb and William A. Young, the show premiered in 1965 under the title The Best Ideas You'll Hear Tonight...
on subjects ranging from Asian martial arts cinema to Indian writing, he served on the organizing committee for the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival. In 2005 Foran published the novel Carolan’s Farewell, set in 18th century Ireland. That same year HarperCollins issued a 10th anniversary edition of The Last House of Ulster, with a new preface by the author.
In spring 2008 a collection of his travel and literary essays, Join the Revolution, Comrade, was published by Biblioasis. Half the pieces in the book originally appeared in The Walrus
The Walrus
The Walrus is a Canadian general interest magazine which publishes long form journalism on Canadian and international affairs, along with fiction and poetry by Canadian writers. It launched in September 2003, as an attempt to create a Canadian equivalent to American magazines such as Harper's, The...
. As well as being a contributing editor to The Walrus, Foran is also a contributing reviewer for The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
.
His sports, travel and literary journalism has been published in magazines and newspapers in Canada, the US, and the UK, including TIME
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
, GQ, The Utne Reader, Toronto Life
Toronto Life
Toronto Life is a monthly Canadian magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto Life also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including Home Decor, Stylebook, Eating & Drinking, Real Estate and Weddings. Established in 1966,...
, and Canadian Geographic
Canadian Geographic
Canadian Geographic is the bimonthly magazine of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society . It was first published in May 1930 under the name Canadian Geographical Journal. The society's objective was to produce a popular magazine dealing primarily with Canadian geography...
. His 2000 piece The Trials of Marty McSorley was awarded gold at the Canadian National Magazine Awards.
In 2006 Foran signed with Alfred A. Knopf Canada to write a biography of Mordecai Richler
Mordecai Richler
Mordecai Richler, CC was a Canadian Jewish author, screenwriter and essayist. A leading critic called him "the great shining star of his Canadian literary generation" and a pivotal figure in the country's history. His best known works are The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Barney's Version,...
. The book, while not authorized, was written with the cooperation of the Richler family. Mordecai: The Life & Times was released in October, 2010, and was named to many best-of-year lists. Mordecai Richler: The Last of the Wild Jews, a documentary film co-written by Foran and director Francine Pelletier, first aired on BRAVO TV in December 2010.
In early 2011 Mordecai: The Life & Times was short-listed for both the BC Foundation Non-Fiction Prize, and the Charles Taylor Prize
Charles Taylor Prize
The Charles Taylor Prize is a Canadian literary award, presented by the Charles Taylor Foundation to the best Canadian work of literary non-fiction. It is named for Charles Taylor, a noted Canadian historian and writer....
. It was awarded the Taylor Prize in Toronto in February 2011, and won the 2011 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction in October.
In March, 2011 Foran's short interpretive biography Maurice Richard was published by Penguin, as part of their Extraordinary Canadians series.
His literary papers are housed in the archives at Bata Library, Trent University
Trent University
Trent University is a liberal arts and science-oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The enabling legislation is the Trent University Act, 1962-63. The University was founded through the efforts of a citizens' committee interested in creating a...
.