Donna Morrissey
Encyclopedia
Donna Morrissey is a Canadian
author.
At age 16 Morrissey left her birthplace, The Beaches, a small outport on the west coast of Newfoundland. She lived in various places of Canada before returning to St. John's
where she studied at Memorial University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Social Work
, and a diploma in adult education. Morrissey now lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia
.
Morrissey has written three prize-winning novel
s — Kit's Law, the national best seller Downhill Chance, and Sylvanus Now — as well as one prize-winning screenplay
.
Morrissey defended Frank Parker Day
's novel Rockbound
in Canada Reads 2005
. Rockbound eventually won the competition. In the 2007 edition of Canada Reads, an "all-star" competition pitting the five winning advocates from previous years against each other, Morrissey returned to champion Anosh Irani
's novel The Song of Kahunsha
.
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...
author.
At age 16 Morrissey left her birthplace, The Beaches, a small outport on the west coast of Newfoundland. She lived in various places of Canada before returning to St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
where she studied at Memorial University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Social Work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
, and a diploma in adult education. Morrissey now lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
Morrissey has written three prize-winning novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s — Kit's Law, the national best seller Downhill Chance, and Sylvanus Now — as well as one prize-winning screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
.
Morrissey defended Frank Parker Day
Frank Parker Day
Frank Parker Day was a Canadian athlete, academic and author....
's novel Rockbound
Rockbound
Rockbound is a novel published in 1928 by Canadian writer Frank Parker Day.-Overview:The "Rockbound" mentioned in the title is an island off the coast of Nova Scotia. Surrounded by rich but dangerous fishing grounds, Rockbound is isolated by storms, fog and winter weather...
in Canada Reads 2005
Canada Reads
Canada Reads is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC.-Overview:During Canada Reads, five personalities champion five different books, each champion extolling the merits of one of the titles. The debate is broadcast over a series...
. Rockbound eventually won the competition. In the 2007 edition of Canada Reads, an "all-star" competition pitting the five winning advocates from previous years against each other, Morrissey returned to champion Anosh Irani
Anosh Irani
Anosh Irani is an Indian-Canadian novelist and playwright. An Irani , he was born and raised in Mumbai, although he has indicated that he personally prefers the city's traditional English name, Bombay...
's novel The Song of Kahunsha
The Song of Kahunsha
The Song of Kahunsha is a novel by the Indian-Canadian novelist and playwright Anosh Irani, published in 2006 by Doubleday Canada and in 2007 in the US by Milkweed Editions....
.
Awards and recognition
- For Sylvanus Now:
- Winner of the Thomas Head Raddall AwardThomas Head Raddall AwardThe Thomas Head Raddall Award is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada and the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia, to the best work of adult fiction published in the previous year by a writer from the Atlantic provinces...
- Atlantic Booksellers Choice Award
- Short-listed for the Commonwealth Writers' PrizeCommonwealth Writers' PrizeCommonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
- Winner of the Thomas Head Raddall Award
- For Downhill Chance:
- Winner of the Thomas Head Raddall Award
- For Kit's Law:
- Winner of the Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Award
- Winner of the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize
- Winner of the American Library Association Alex AwardAlex AwardsThe Alex Awards are also a separate award given for excellence in entertainment packaging.The Alex Awards is an annual event designed to commend and honor the ten books published for adults during the previous year, which have been also judged to have "special appeal" for young readers, primarily...
- Shortlisted for the Books in Canada First Novel AwardBooks in Canada First Novel AwardThe 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....
- Shortlisted for the Atlantic Provinces Booksellers' Choice Award
- Shortlisted for the Thomas Head Raddall Award
- For Clothesline Patch:
- Winner, Best Production, 2002 Gemini Awards