Hugh Garner
Encyclopedia
Hugh Garner was a Canadian
novelist.
Born in Batley
, Yorkshire
, England
, Garner came to Canada in 1919 with his parents, and was raised in Toronto
, Ontario
. During the Great Depression
, he rode the rails in both Canada and the United States
, and then joined the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War
. During World War II
he served in the Canadian navy. Following the war, Garner concentrated on his writing. He published his first novel, Storm Below, in 1949. Garner's most famous novel, Cabbagetown, depicted life in the Toronto neighbourhood of Cabbagetown
, then Canada's most famous slum
, during the Depression. It was published in abridged form in 1950, and in an expanded edition in 1968. The Intruders, a sequel depicting the gentrification
of the neighbourhood, was published in 1976.
Later in his career, Garner concentrated on mystery
novels, including Death in Don Mills (1975) and Murder Has Your Number (1978).
Garner's background (poor, urban, Protestant) is rare for a Canadian writer of his time. It is nevertheless, the foundation for his writing. His theme is working-class Ontario; the realistic
novel his preferred genre. Cabbagetown is the best-known example of his style. His focus on the victimization of the worker reflects his socialist roots.
In 1963, Garner won the Governor General's Award
for his collection of short stories entitled Hugh Garner's Best Stories. Garner struggled much of his life with alcoholism
, and died in 1979 of alcohol-related illness. A housing cooperative
in Cabbagetown is named in his memory.
Waste no Tears (1950; published under the pseudonym "Jarvis Warwick," reportedly after the seedy Warwick Hotel on Jarvis Street)
Cabbagetown (first published in abridged form in 1950; restored version published in 1968)
Xia Sun (1962)
The Sin Sniper (1970)
A Nice Place to Visit (1970)
Death in Don Mills (1975)
The Intruders (1976; something of a sequel to Cabbagetown)
Murder Has Your Number (1950)
Don't Deal Five Deuces (1992; novel completed by Paul Steuwe after Garner's death)
Hugh Garner's Best Stories (1963; winner of the 1963 Governor General's Award
)
Men and Women (1966)
Violation of the Virgins (1971)
One Mile of Ice
The Moose and the Sparrow (1966)
One Damned Thing After Another! (1973; memoir)
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.
Born in Batley
Batley
Batley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies southeast of Bradford, southwest of Leeds and north of Dewsbury, near the M62 motorway. It has a population of 49,448 . Other nearby towns include Morley to the northeast, Ossett to the southeast...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Garner came to Canada in 1919 with his parents, and was raised in Toronto
Toronto
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...
, 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....
. During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, he rode the rails in both Canada and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and then joined the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served in the Canadian navy. Following the war, Garner concentrated on his writing. He published his first novel, Storm Below, in 1949. Garner's most famous novel, Cabbagetown, depicted life in the Toronto neighbourhood of Cabbagetown
Cabbagetown, Toronto
Cabbagetown is a neighbourhood located on the east side of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It comprises "the largest continuous area of preserved Victorian housing in all of North America", according to the Cabbagetown Preservation Association....
, then Canada's most famous slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
, during the Depression. It was published in abridged form in 1950, and in an expanded edition in 1968. The Intruders, a sequel depicting the gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
of the neighbourhood, was published in 1976.
Later in his career, Garner concentrated on mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
novels, including Death in Don Mills (1975) and Murder Has Your Number (1978).
Garner's background (poor, urban, Protestant) is rare for a Canadian writer of his time. It is nevertheless, the foundation for his writing. His theme is working-class Ontario; the realistic
Literary realism
Literary realism most often refers to the trend, beginning with certain works of nineteenth-century French literature and extending to late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century authors in various countries, towards depictions of contemporary life and society "as they were." In the spirit of...
novel his preferred genre. Cabbagetown is the best-known example of his style. His focus on the victimization of the worker reflects his socialist roots.
In 1963, Garner won 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...
for his collection of short stories entitled Hugh Garner's Best Stories. Garner struggled much of his life with alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, and died in 1979 of alcohol-related illness. A housing cooperative
Housing cooperative
A housing cooperative is a legal entity—usually a corporation—that owns real estate, consisting of one or more residential buildings. Each shareholder in the legal entity is granted the right to occupy one housing unit, sometimes subject to an occupancy agreement, which is similar to a lease. ...
in Cabbagetown is named in his memory.
Novels
Storm Below (1949)Waste no Tears (1950; published under the pseudonym "Jarvis Warwick," reportedly after the seedy Warwick Hotel on Jarvis Street)
Cabbagetown (first published in abridged form in 1950; restored version published in 1968)
Xia Sun (1962)
The Sin Sniper (1970)
A Nice Place to Visit (1970)
Death in Don Mills (1975)
The Intruders (1976; something of a sequel to Cabbagetown)
Murder Has Your Number (1950)
Don't Deal Five Deuces (1992; novel completed by Paul Steuwe after Garner's death)
Short Fiction
The Yellow Sweater (1952)Hugh Garner's Best Stories (1963; winner of the 1963 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...
)
Men and Women (1966)
Violation of the Virgins (1971)
One Mile of Ice
The Moose and the Sparrow (1966)
Prose
Author, Author! (1964; essays)One Damned Thing After Another! (1973; memoir)