Dennis Bock
Encyclopedia
Dennis Bock is a Canadian
novelist and short story
writer. His latest novel, The Communist's Daughter, published in 2006 by HarperCollins in Canada and Knopf in the US, and later in France, the Netherlands, Greece and Poland, is a retelling of the final years in the life of the Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune
.
After spending years working on his craft, serving as fiction editor for the literary journal Blood & Aphorisms and holding writing residences at Yaddo
, the Banff Centre, and Fundacion Valparaiso, in Spain, Bock published his first book, the critically acclaimed short story collection Olympia, in 1998, for which he won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award
, the Canadian Authors' Association Jubilee Award, and the Betty Trask Award in the UK. His first novel, The Ash Garden, about various kinds of fallout from the Hiroshima bomb, was published in 2001, and was shortlisted for the Books in Canada First Novel Award
and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
, the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Prize, and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Regional Best Book). It won the 2002 Canada-Japan Literary Award and has been published in translation in Spain, Argentina, Japan, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France and Greece.
His short stories have appeared in "The Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories," "The Journey Prize Anthology," and "Coming Attractions."
. He studied English literature
and philosophy
at the University of Western Ontario
, and took one year off during that time to live in Spain
. After completing his degree he returned to Madrid, Spain, where he lived for 4 years. It was there he finished writing "Olympia." Bock lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons. He teaches at the University of Toronto.
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 short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer. His latest novel, The Communist's Daughter, published in 2006 by HarperCollins in Canada and Knopf in the US, and later in France, the Netherlands, Greece and Poland, is a retelling of the final years in the life of the Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune
Norman Bethune
Henry Norman Bethune was a Canadian physician and medical innovator. Bethune is best known for his service in war time medical units during the Spanish Civil War and with the Communist Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
.
After spending years working on his craft, serving as fiction editor for the literary journal Blood & Aphorisms and holding writing residences at Yaddo
Yaddo
Yaddo is an artists' community located on a 400 acre estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its mission is "to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment."...
, the Banff Centre, and Fundacion Valparaiso, in Spain, Bock published his first book, the critically acclaimed short story collection Olympia, in 1998, for which he won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award
Danuta Gleed Literary Award
The Danuta Gleed Literary Award recognizes a first collection of short fiction by a Canadian author writing in English. The award is presented annually by the Writers' Union of Canada and was endowed by John Gleed in honour of his late wife....
, the Canadian Authors' Association Jubilee Award, and the Betty Trask Award in the UK. His first novel, The Ash Garden, about various kinds of fallout from the Hiroshima bomb, was published in 2001, and was shortlisted for the 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....
and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is an international literary award for a work of fiction, jointly sponsored by the city of Dublin, Ireland and the company IMPAC. At €100,000 it is one of the richest literary prizes in the world...
, the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Prize, and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Regional Best Book). It won the 2002 Canada-Japan Literary Award and has been published in translation in Spain, Argentina, Japan, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France and Greece.
His short stories have appeared in "The Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories," "The Journey Prize Anthology," and "Coming Attractions."
Personal life
Dennis Bock was born August 28, 1964 in Belleville, OntarioBelleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
. He studied English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, and took one year off during that time to live in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. After completing his degree he returned to Madrid, Spain, where he lived for 4 years. It was there he finished writing "Olympia." Bock lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons. He teaches at the University of Toronto.
Prizes and honours
- 1998 Danuta Gleed Award for Olympia
- 1998 UK's Betty Trask Award for best book by an author under 35 for "Olympia"
- 1998 Canadian Authors' Association Jubilee Award for "Olympia"
- 2001 Shortlisted, Books in Canada First Novel Award for The Ash Garden
- 2002 Shortlisted, International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for The Ash Garden
- 2002 Shortlisted, Kiriyama Pacific Rim Prize for "The Ash Garden"
- 2001 Shortlisted, Commonwealth Writers' Prize, Regional Best Book, for "The Ash Garden"