Michael Redhill
Encyclopedia
Michael Redhill is an American
-born Canadian poet
, playwright
and novelist.
Born in Baltimore
, Maryland
, Redhill was raised in the metropolitan Toronto
, Ontario
area. He pursued one year of study at Indiana University
, and then returned to Canada, completing his education at York University
and the University of Toronto
. He was on the editorial board of Coach House Press from 1993 to 1996, and is currently the publisher and editor of the Canadian literary magazine Brick
.
His play, Building Jerusalem, depicts a meeting between Karl Pearson
, Augusta Stowe-Gullen
, Adelaide Hoodless
, and Silas Tertius Rand
on New Year's Eve
night just prior to the 20th century.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born Canadian poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and novelist.
Born in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Redhill was raised in the metropolitan 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....
area. He pursued one year of study at Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
, and then returned to Canada, completing his education at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
and the 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...
. He was on the editorial board of Coach House Press from 1993 to 1996, and is currently the publisher and editor of the Canadian literary magazine Brick
Brick (magazine)
Brick is a Canadian literary magazine published twice a year out of Toronto, Ontario.The magazine publishes book reviews, poetry, memoirs, fiction, essays and interviews with both Canadian and international writers. It was founded in London, Ontario By Stan Dragland and Jean McKay in 1977 and was...
.
His play, Building Jerusalem, depicts a meeting between Karl Pearson
Karl Pearson
Karl Pearson FRS was an influential English mathematician who has been credited for establishing the disciplineof mathematical statistics....
, Augusta Stowe-Gullen
Augusta Stowe-Gullen
Ann Augusta Stowe-Gullen , was a medical doctor, a lecturer and a suffragist. She was the daughter of Emily Howard Stowe.She is best known for being the first woman to graduate from a Canadian medical school. Her appeal to Dr...
, Adelaide Hoodless
Adelaide Hoodless
Adelaide Hoodless née Hunter was a Canadian educational reformer who founded the international women’s organization known as the Women's Institute....
, and Silas Tertius Rand
Silas Tertius Rand
Silas Tertius Rand was a Canadian Baptist clergyman, missionary, ethnologist, linguist and translator. His work centred on the Mi'kmaq people of Maritime Canada and he was the first to record the legend of Glooscap.-Life:...
on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
night just prior to the 20th century.
Poetry
- Music for Silence (self-published, 1985)
- Temporary Captives (privately published, 1989)
- Impromptu Feats of Balance (Don Mills, ON: Wolsak and Wynn, 1990)
- Lake Nora Arms (Toronto: Coach House, 1993; reissued by House of Anansi, 2001)
- Asphodel (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1997)
- Light-Crossing (Toronto: House of Anansi, 2001)
Fiction
- Martin Sloane (Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2001)
- Fidelity (Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2003)
- Consolation (Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2006)
Drama
- Heretics (privately published, 1993)
- Building Jerusalem (Toronto: Playwrights Union Canada, 2001)
- Goodness (Toronto: Coach House, 2005)
Anthologies
- Discord of Flags (privately published, 1992) (co-editor)
- Blues and True Conclusions (Toronto: House of Anansi, 1996)
- Lost Classics (Toronto: Knopf Canada, 2000) (edited with Esta SpaldingEsta SpaldingEsta Alice Spalding is a Canadian author, screenwriter and poet who won the Pat Lowther Award in 2000 for Lost August. Born in Boston, Massachusetts to Phillip Spalding and Linda Spalding, she grew up in Hawaii and currently resides in Guelph, Ontario....
, Michael OndaatjeMichael OndaatjePhilip Michael Ondaatje , OC, is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist and poet of Burgher origin. He is perhaps best known for his Booker Prize-winning novel, The English Patient, which was adapted into an Academy-Award-winning film.-Life and work:...
and Linda SpaldingLinda SpaldingLinda Spalding is a Canadian writer and editor. Born in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Jacob Alan Dickinson and Edith Senner, she lived in Mexico and Hawaii before moving to Toronto, Ontario in 1982....
) ISBN 0-676-97299-3
Building Jerusalem
- Winner of the Dora Award, Best New Play, 2000
- Winner of the Chalmers AwardChalmers AwardChalmers Award may refer to:* An early version of the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, presented from 1911 to 1914,* a Canadian series of arts awards funded by the Chalmers family of arts patrons, including the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Awards, the Jean A. Chalmers National...
, 2001 - Nominated for the Governor General's Award2001 Governor General's AwardsThe 2001 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were presented by Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, at a ceremony at Rideau Hall on November 14. Each winner received a cheque for $15,000.-Fiction:*Richard B...
for Drama, 2001
Martin Sloane
- Winner of 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....
, 2001 - Winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Canadian-Caribbean Region), 2002
- Nominated for the Giller Prize, 2001
- Nominated for the City of Toronto Book AwardCity of Toronto Book AwardThe Toronto Book Awards are Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the city of Toronto to the author of the year's best fiction or non-fiction book or books "that are evocative of Toronto"....
, 2002 - Nominated for the Trillium Book AwardTrillium Book AwardThe Trillium Award is given annually by the government of the Province of Ontario and is open to books in any genre: fiction, non-fiction, drama, children's books, and poetry. Anthologies, new editions, re-issues and translations are not eligible. Three jury members per language judge the...
, 2002 - Nominated for the Torgi/CNIB Award, 2002
Consolation
- Winner of the City of Toronto Book AwardCity of Toronto Book AwardThe Toronto Book Awards are Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the city of Toronto to the author of the year's best fiction or non-fiction book or books "that are evocative of Toronto"....
, 2007 - Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, 2007
Other awards
- The League of Canadian Poets National Poetry Contest, first prize, 1988
- Norma Epstein Award for poetry (University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe 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...
), 1990 - The E.J. Pratt Prize for poetry (University of Toronto), 1991
- The Carol Tambor Award, for Goodness, 2006
- Scotsman Fringe First Award, (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), 2006