Joanna Ruth Nichols is a Canadian

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

Author

An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

, primarily of children's literature

Children's literature

Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...

 and historical fiction

Historical fiction

Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...

. She wrote her first published novel, A Walk Out of the World, at age 18.

Education

Nichols received her B.A. in religious studies from the University of British Columbia

University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...

, and her M.A. in 1972 and Ph.D. in 1977, both from McMaster University

McMaster University

McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...

. She lectured for several years at Carleton University

Carleton University

Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...

 in Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

.

Works

• A Walk Out of the World (1969)
• Ceremony of Innocence (1969)
• The Marrow of the World (1972)
• Song of the Pearl (1976)
• The Left-Handed Spirit (1978)
• The Burning of the Rose (1990)
• What Dangers Deep (1992)

Awards

Nichols received the Government of India Prize in 1962 for a 100-page biography of Catherine de' Medici

Catherine de' Medici

Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....

. The Marrow of the World received a Canada Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award

Canada Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award

The Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award was established 1947. A medal presented annually to the author of the best children's book published in Canada. The author must be a citizen or resident of Canada...

in 1973.

External links

• Ruth Nichols's entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia