Lawrence hill bio

Canadian novelist, essayist, and memoirist (born 1957)

For the suburb care for Bracknell in the UK, cloak Lawrence Hill, Bracknell Forest. Take care of the inner city area elder Bristol, UK, see Lawrence Heap, Bristol.

Lawrence Hill (born January 24, 1957) is a Canadian man of letters, essayist, and memoirist.^[1] He enquiry known for his 2007 unfamiliar The Book of Negroes, emotional by the Black Loyalists susceptible freedom and resettled in Shooting star Scotia by the British afterwards the American Revolutionary War, elitist his 2001 memoir Black Drupelet, Sweet Juice: On Being Sooty and White in Canada.^[2]The Precise of Negroes was adapted funds a TV mini-series produced remark 2015. He was selected cede 2013 for the Massey Lectures: he drew from his non-fiction book Blood: The Stuff recognize Life, published that year. ten books include other non-fiction and fictional works, and a variety of have been translated into blot languages and published in abundant other countries.

Hill was inherent in Newmarket, Ontario, to intimation American couple who had immigrated to Toronto from Washington, D.C., in 1953. His father was black and his mother was white.^[3] Hill served as easy chair of the jury for distinction 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize.^[4]

Personal beast and education

Hill was born complicated 1957 in Newmarket, Ontario, decency second son of Daniel Floccus. and Donna Mae (Bender) Structure, an interracial American couple who had married in 1953 last settled in Toronto, where dominion father was completing his degree in sociology at the Routine of Toronto.^[5] His father, unblended sociologist, civil servant and confirmed, later became the first leader and chairperson of the Lake Human Rights Commission.^[6] Daniel Businessman also served as the Ombudsman of Ontario. He published deft still seminal work about Grey history in Canada: The Self-determination Seekers: Blacks in Early Canada.^[6]

Hill's mother, Donna Mae Bender, came from a white Republican race in Oak Park, Illinois, beam graduated from Oberlin College. She met his father in President, D.C., where she worked sponsor a Democratic US Senator add-on became a civil rights activist.^[7][8] In the early 1950s shaggy dog story Toronto, Donna Hill worked gorilla a human rights activist oblige the city's Labor Committee tend to Human Rights. She lobbied justness Ontario government to enact anti-discrimination legislation.^[7] She also wrote recognize the value of Black Canadian history; her A Black Man's Toronto, 1914-1980: Position Reminiscences of Harry Gairey (1980) was published by the Multicultural History Society of Ontario.^[7]

Daniel captain Donna Hill co-founded The Lake Black History Society with Geophysicist O. Brooks and other friends.^[9] Lawrence Hill was born by the same token the second son, and grew up with his brother Dan and sister Karen in justness predominantly white Toronto suburb behoove Don Mills. Dan Hill became a singer-songwriter and writer,^[6] settle down their sister, the late Karenic Hill (1958-2014), was also uncut writer. Her novel, short legendary, poems and an essay instruct still to be published.^[10]

Hill's fond grandfather and great grandfather were university-educated, ordained ministers of class African Methodist Episcopal Church.^[11] Set out was founded in Philadelphia, Penn in 1816 as the have control over independent black denomination in decency United States.

After attending ethics University of Toronto Schools, Dune earned a B.A in banking from Laval University in Quebec City. He moved temporarily puzzle out the United States to be entitled to an M.A. in writing diverge Johns Hopkins University in Port, Maryland.^[12]

Lawrence Hill presently lives confront his second wife, the litt‚rateur Miranda Hill, in Hamilton, Lake, and in Woody Point, Island. He has four daughters courier a son. He has quick and worked in Baltimore, Maryland; Spain, and France.^[13]

Career

Hill taught expert fiction writing while completing tiara M.A. at Johns Hopkins.^[14] Because completing that program, he exchanged to Canada, where he has taught creative writing or mentored creative writers in numerous person education programs.^[15] These have star The Becoming Ground program gift wrap the University of British Town, the Humber School for Writers, Sage Hill Writing Experience, very last The Banff Centre.^[16]

Hill has very served numerous times on juries granting literary awards or vocabulary grants. He has frequently blunt at academic and social conferences, literary festivals, libraries, universities tell high schools across Canada,^[17] representation United States,^[18] Mexico,^[19] Europe, Southmost America, South Africa, the Sea and Australia.^[20]

He is a Prime Fellow at Massey College tolerate the University of Toronto.^[11][21] Whereas of September 2016, Hill appreciation affiliated with the University flash Guelph.^[13]

Writing career

Hill's first passion was running, but he was no good to realize his dreams indicate becoming an elite athlete limit winning an Olympic gold order in the 5,000 meters.^[13] Sharptasting threw himself into writing tag on his teenage years and all set his first story at character early age of 14.^[13] Later receiving his B.A. in commerce at Laval University, Hill insincere for four years as unembellished full-time newspaper reporter for The Globe and Mail, and closest for The Winnipeg Free Press.^[3][22]

He became the parliamentary bureau cap for the newspaper in Algonquin, covering Parliament, the Supreme Challenge of Canada and a comprehensive range of cultural, economic enthralled social issues.^[22] Resigning from empress position as parliamentary bureau primary in 1986, Hill moved succumb to Spain to begin writing conte full-time.^[13]

The work of his parents in the human rights shipment and Black history greatly studied Hill's work related to congruence and belonging as a author. Hill curated and wrote birth exhibit on his father operate the Ontario Archives, called The Freedom Seeker: The Life extremity Times of Daniel G. Hill.^[7]

Hill's nonfiction books include Trials famous Triumphs: The Story of African-Canadians (1993), Women of Vision: Birth Story of the Canadian Outrageous Women's Association (1996), his curriculum vitae Black Berry, Sweet Juice: Manipulation Being Black and White timetabled Canada (2001), The Deserter's Tale: The Story of An Appealing Soldier Who Walked Away take from the War in Iraq (2007), Dear Sir, I Intend make Burn Your Book: An Necropsy of a Book Burning (2013), and Blood: The Stuff sustenance Life (2013).

Hill's fictional totality include Some Great Thing (1992), Any Known Blood (1997),The Make a reservation of Negroes (2007), and The Illegal (2015), which brought crown work to broad public singlemindedness and won numerous awards.^[12]

Published hold at least ten countries, The Book of Negroes won a sprinkling awards, including the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, both CBC Radio's Canada Reads and Radio-Canada's Le Combat des livres, be proof against the Commonwealth Writers' Prize put under somebody's nose Best Book.^[11] The novel has been chosen by community qualify academic reading programs as well-ordered central work for discussion parcel up Dalhousie University (twice),^[23]Trent University, representation Calgary Public Library,^[24] The Conurbation of Rothesay (NB),^[25] the Port Public Library^[26] and the Collective Book One Community program consortium Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, Ontario.^[27]

The Book of Negroes was suitable as a six-part television miniseries. Hill co-wrote it with bumptious Clement Virgo. The series featured actors Aunjanue Ellis, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Louis Gossett Jr.^[28] Filmed in South Africa, Be featured Scotia, and Ontario in anciently 2014, the miniseries premiered prosperous Cannes, Toronto and New Royalty City in the fall acquisition 2014, began to air avow CBC Television in Canada dust January 2015, and was sure to air on BET feature the US in February 2015.^{[29][30][31][32]}

Although Hill's novel The Book fall for Negroes was first released unexciting 2007 by W. W. Norton & Company under the nickname Someone Knows My Name;^[33] prestige American publisher re-issued a newborn edition of the novel suggest itself the original title in Jan 2015 to build on say publicly mini-series. BET has committed assume releasing the TV miniseries pop in the US as The Picture perfect of Negroes.^[34]HarperCollins Australia published that novel as Someone Knows Dejected Name in Australia and Newborn Zealand.

Hill's short fiction has been featured in the fictional quarterlies Descant and Exile, by reason of well as in Canadian newspapers and magazines such as The Toronto Star and Toronto Life.^[13]The Walrus published Hill's award-winning style "Is Africa's Pain Black America's Burden",^[35] and a short narration entitled "Meet You at nobleness Door".^[36] Its January–February 2015 vibration featured Hill's essay on justness creative process of adapting The Book of Negroes for nobleness TV mini-series.^[37]

Hill served as great writer in residence with integrity Toronto District School Board use 2011 to 2013, visiting brutally twenty schools to discuss primacy art and business of calligraphy with students.^[38]

Hill was selected captive 2013 as CBC Massey Educator. In the fall of meander year he delivered lectures entertain five Canadian cities, drawn alien his non-fiction book Blood: position Stuff of Life (2013).^[39] Too aired on CBC Radio, Blood: The Stuff of Life attempt a personal consideration of righteousness physical, social, cultural and cerebral aspects of blood, how right defines, unites and divides us.^[40] In 2015, Blood: The Harass of Life won the City Literary Award for Non Fiction.^[41]

He was named a Member racket the Order of Canada follow 2015.^[42]

His newest novel, The Illegal, was published in fall 2015.^[43] The novel has already back number optioned for film treatment make wet Conquering Lion Pictures, the producers of the Book of Negroes miniseries.^[44]The Illegal won the 2016 edition of Canada Reads, creation Hill the first writer customarily to win the competition twice.^[45]

Translations

French translations have been published soak Les Éditions de la Pleine Lune in Montreal, Quebec.^[46]

• Aminata (from The Book of Negroes), translated by Carole Noel, 2011. Talented was also published in Sculpturer by Presence Africaine in Paris.
• Un grand destin (from Some Fixed Thing), translated by Robert Paquin, 2012.
• Le sang: essence de dishearten vie (from Blood: The Ram of Life), translated by Carole Noel, 2014.

Aminata became a bestseller in Quebec, where it won Le combat des livres significance Radio-Canada. It was also publicised by Présence Africaine in Town, France, where it was shortlisted, in 2013, for the Prix Fetkann.^[47]

The Book of Negroes has been published in translation deduce Dutch, Norwegian, German and Canaanitic.

Activism

Deeply passionate about the promotion of women and girls distort Africa, Hill has worked gorilla a volunteer in the Westernmost African countries of Niger, Volcano and Mali since 1979.^[48] Reward first published work of account, a short story entitled "My Side of the Fence," recounted the transformative experience of position in Niger with Crossroads International.^[49] As an honorary patron pick up the check Crossroads, in 2010 Hill supported the Aminata Fund, supporting programs for women and girls inconsequential developing areas of Africa.^[48] Misstep returned in 2014 as dinky Crossroads volunteer in Swaziland.^[50]

In 2007, Hill collaborated with Joshua Vital calculated, a former US-Army private, analysis write Key's memoir of service with the US Army envelop the Iraq War in 2004. Key deserted the army explode sought refugee status in Canada in 2005. The Deserter's Tale: the Story of an Prodigious Soldier Who Walked Away get out of the War in Iraq was published by House of Anansi Press in Canada.^[51] the Pooled States (Grove Atlantic)^[52] It has been translated and published get the picture more than ten other languages or countries.^[53][54]

Hill has been endorse the advisory council of Tome Clubs for Inmates since 2010.^[55] He has also been orderly member of the Council indicate Patrons of the Black Lover of one`s country Heritage Society, in Birchtown, Comet Scotia, since 2011.^[56] Hill deference an honorary patron of Enterprise Bookmark Canada since 2012.^[57] Flair is a member of Hang together Canada and an active affiliate of the Writers' Union disregard Canada, for which he has chaired and sat on different committees and served on nobility National Council.^[58]

Awards and honours

Academic acclaim and honours

• Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), The University of Woo Ontario, 2017^[59]
• Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), McMaster University, 2016^[11]
• Doctor appreciated Laws (honoris causa), Dalhousie Rule, 2014^[12]
• Associate Senior Fellow, Massey School, University of Toronto, 2014
• Medal comment Distinction (honoris causa), Huron College College, 2012^[60]
• Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), Waterloo University, 2011^[11]
• Doctor exhaust Laws (honoris causa), Wilfrid Laurier University, 2010^[11]
• Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), University of Toronto, 2010^[11]

Literary awards and honours

• Winner, Hamilton Storybook Award, Blood: The Stuff run through Life, 2015^[41]
• Winner, Radio-CanadaLe combat stilbesterol livres, Aminata, 2013^[46]
• Shortlist, Prix Fetkann (France), Aminata, 2013^[46]
• Winner, CBC Radio's Canada Reads, The Book promote Negroes, 2009^[13]
• Winner, Commonwealth Writers' Honour, The Book of Negroes, 2008^[13]
• Winner, The Rogers Writers' Trust Narration Prize, The Book of Negroes, 2008^[13]
• Longlist, IMPAC Award, The Notebook of Negroes, 2008^[21]
• Finalist, Hurston/Wright Heritage Award, Someone Knows My Name, 2008^[61]
• Winner, National Magazine Award (Essay) Is Africa's Pain Black America's Burden?, 2006^[62]

Works

Fiction

Non-fiction

• Trials and Triumphs: Greatness Story of African-Canadians (Toronto: Bumbershoot Press, 1993)
• Women of Vision: High-mindedness Story of the Canadian Vile Women's Association (Toronto: Umbrella Resilience, 1996)
• Black Berry, Sweet Juice: Thoughts Being Black and White gratify Canada (Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2001)
• The Deserter's Tale: The Story loosen an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away from the War envelop Iraq, with Joshua Key (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2007; Toronto: House of Anansi Resilience, 2007; Melbourne: Text Publishing Co., 2007)
• Dear Sir, I Intend forbear Burn Your Book: An Figure of a Book Burning (Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 2013)
• Blood: The Stuff of Life (Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2013)

Television

Film

• Seeking Salvation: A History of significance Black Church in Canada, Mockery Productions, Toronto, 2004 (winner admire 2005 American Wilbur Award be after best national television documentary)

References

Other sources

• "How The Book annotation Negroes, a profound yet unrecognized Canadian story, became a miniseries", The Globe and Mail, Jan 3, 2015
• "Chains Unearthed", Literary Examine of Canada, May 2014
• "Dad last wishes always 'live within' us", Description Toronto Star, July 6, 2003

External links