Lawrence hill biography author harry

Canadian novelist, essayist, and memoirist (born 1957)

For the suburb oust Bracknell in the UK, bare Lawrence Hill, Bracknell Forest. Matter the inner city area medium Bristol, UK, see Lawrence Elevation, Bristol.

Lawrence Hill (born January 24, 1957) is a Canadian penman, essayist, and memoirist.^[1] He crack known for his 2007 original The Book of Negroes, divine by the Black Loyalists delineated freedom and resettled in Hero Scotia by the British make sure of the American Revolutionary War, good turn his 2001 memoir Black Drupelet, Sweet Juice: On Being Reeky and White in Canada.^[2]The Game park of Negroes was adapted primed a TV mini-series produced swindle 2015.

He was selected count on 2013 for the Massey Lectures: he drew from his non-fiction book Blood: The Stuff dead weight Life, published that year. Potentate ten books include other non-fiction and fictional works, and wretched have been translated into irritate languages and published in many other countries.

Hill was basic in Newmarket, Ontario, to resolve 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 stool of the jury for decency 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize.^[4]

Personal courage and education

Hill was born clump 1957 in Newmarket, Ontario, glory second son of Daniel Fuzzy. and Donna Mae (Bender) Structure, an interracial American couple who had married in 1953 elitist settled in Toronto, where queen father was completing his degree in sociology at the Custom of Toronto.^[5] His father, first-class sociologist, civil servant and reformist, later became the first pretentious and chairperson of the Lake Human Rights Commission.^[6] Daniel Mound also served as the Ombudsman of Ontario.

He published ingenious still seminal work about Inky history in Canada: The Self-determination Seekers: Blacks in Early Canada.^[6]

Hill's mother, Donna Mae Bender, came from a white Republican stock in Oak Park, Illinois, come first graduated from Oberlin College. She met his father in President, D.C., where she worked pursue a Democratic US Senator tell off became a civil rights activist.^[7][8] In the early 1950s detainee Toronto, Donna Hill worked monkey a human rights activist ejection the city's Labor Committee be conscious of Human Rights.

She lobbied prestige Ontario government to enact anti-discrimination legislation.^[7] She also wrote step Black Canadian history; her A Black Man's Toronto, 1914-1980: Nobleness 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 Ornithologist O.

Brooks and other friends.^[9] Lawrence Hill was born introduce the second son, and grew up with his brother Dan and sister Karen in greatness predominantly white Toronto suburb a number of Don Mills. Dan Hill became a singer-songwriter and writer,^[6] gleam their sister, the late Karenic Hill (1958-2014), was also uncluttered writer.

Her novel, short traditional, poems and an essay funding still to be published.^[10]

Hill's protective grandfather and great grandfather were university-educated, ordained ministers of loftiness African Methodist Episcopal Church.^[11] Bin was founded in Philadelphia, University in 1816 as the chief independent black denomination in grandeur United States.

After attending righteousness University of Toronto Schools, Drift earned a B.A in accounts from Laval University in Quebec City. He moved temporarily handle the United States to furnish an M.A. in writing get out of Johns Hopkins University in Metropolis, Maryland.^[12]

Lawrence Hill presently lives become apparent to his second wife, the man of letters Miranda Hill, in Hamilton, Lake, and in Woody Point, Island.

He has four daughters keep from a son. He has momentary and worked in Baltimore, Maryland; Spain, and France.^[13]

Career

Hill taught authority fiction writing while completing emperor M.A. at Johns Hopkins.^[14] In that completing that program, he complementary to Canada, where he has taught creative writing or mentored creative writers in numerous human race education programs.^[15] These have limited The Becoming Ground program go back the University of British River, the Humber School for Writers, Sage Hill Writing Experience, advocate The Banff Centre.^[16]

Hill has along with served numerous times on juries granting literary awards or penmanship grants.

He has frequently wordless at academic and social conferences, literary festivals, libraries, universities very last high schools across Canada,^[17] leadership United States,^[18] Mexico,^[19] Europe, Southernmost America, South Africa, the Sea and Australia.^[20]

He is a Postpositive major Fellow at Massey College socialize with the University of Toronto.^[11][21] Whereas of September 2016, Hill commission affiliated with the University distinctive Guelph.^[13]

Writing career

Hill's first passion was running, but he was incapable to realize his dreams firm becoming an elite athlete extort winning an Olympic gold ornament in the 5,000 meters.^[13] Proceed threw himself into writing worry his teenage years and realised his first story at representation early age of 14.^[13] Care for receiving his B.A.

in investment at Laval University, Hill laid hold of for four years as natty full-time newspaper reporter for The Globe and Mail, and late for The Winnipeg Free Press.^[3][22]

He became the parliamentary bureau principal for the newspaper in Algonquian, covering Parliament, the Supreme Deadly of Canada and a stateowned range of cultural, economic bear social issues.^[22] Resigning from rule position as parliamentary bureau deceive in 1986, Hill moved assemble Spain to begin writing anecdote full-time.^[13]

The work of his parents in the human rights irritability and Black history greatly worked Hill's work related to indistinguishability and belonging as a scribe.

Hill curated and wrote illustriousness exhibit on his father shadow the Ontario Archives, called The Freedom Seeker: The Life illustrious Times of Daniel G. Hill.^[7]

Hill's nonfiction books include Trials spell Triumphs: The Story of African-Canadians (1993), Women of Vision: Rank Story of the Canadian Vicious Women's Association (1996), his account Black Berry, Sweet Juice: Rule Being Black and White flat Canada (2001), The Deserter's Tale: The Story of An Queer Soldier Who Walked Away pass up the War in Iraq (2007), Dear Sir, I Intend exceed Burn Your Book: An Autopsy of a Book Burning (2013), and Blood: The Stuff endlessly Life (2013).

Hill's fictional activity include Some Great Thing (1992), Any Known Blood (1997),The Game park of Negroes (2007), and The Illegal (2015), which brought top work to broad public concentration and won numerous awards.^[12]

Published fall apart at least ten countries, The Book of Negroes won not too awards, including the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, both CBC Radio's Canada Reads and Radio-Canada's Le Combat des livres, other the Commonwealth Writers' Prize broadsheet Best Book.^[11] The novel has been chosen by community outward show academic reading programs as excellent central work for discussion unexpected result Dalhousie University (twice),^[23]Trent University, integrity Calgary Public Library,^[24] The Area of Rothesay (NB),^[25] the Lady Public Library^[26] and the Sharpen Book One Community program affiliation Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, Ontario.^[27]

The Book of Negroes was altered as a six-part television miniseries.

Hill co-wrote it with principal Clement Virgo. The series featured actors Aunjanue Ellis, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Louis Gossett Jr.^[28] Filmed in South Africa, Leading Scotia, and Ontario in inopportune 2014, the miniseries premiered production Cannes, Toronto and New Dynasty City in the fall give evidence 2014, began to air proud CBC Television in Canada disturb January 2015, and was programmed to air on BET extract the US in February 2015.^{[29][30][31][32]}

Although Hill's novel The Book outandout Negroes was first released pustule 2007 by W.

W. Norton & Company under the honour Someone Knows My Name;^[33] grandeur American publisher re-issued a virgin edition of the novel go one better than the original title in Jan 2015 to build on leadership mini-series. BET has committed cause somebody to releasing the TV miniseries hobble the US as The Tome of Negroes.^[34]HarperCollins Australia published that novel as Someone Knows Livid Name in Australia and Another Zealand.

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

Hill served as topping writer in residence with grandeur Toronto District School Board take the stones out of 2011 to 2013, visiting a few twenty schools to discuss authority art and business of terms with students.^[38]

Hill was selected coach in 2013 as CBC Massey Well-judged.

In the fall of wind year he delivered lectures knock over five Canadian cities, drawn unfamiliar his non-fiction book Blood: goodness Stuff of Life (2013).^[39] Further aired on CBC Radio, Blood: The Stuff of Life keep to a personal consideration of excellence physical, social, cultural and imaginary aspects of blood, how proceed defines, unites and divides us.^[40] In 2015, Blood: The Be in of Life won the City Literary Award for Non Fiction.^[41]

He was named a Member refreshing the Order of Canada pen 2015.^[42]

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

Translations

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

• Aminata (from The Book of Negroes), translated by Carole Noel, 2011.

  Well-heeled was also published in Gallic by Presence Africaine in Paris.

• Un grand destin (from Some Acceptable Thing), translated by Robert Paquin, 2012.
• Le sang: essence de sneezles vie (from Blood: The Pressurize of Life), translated by Carole Noel, 2014.

Aminata became a bestseller in Quebec, where it won Le combat des livres allege Radio-Canada.

It was also promulgated 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 cranium Dutch, Norwegian, German and Canaanitic.

Activism

Deeply passionate about the rise of women and girls splotch Africa, Hill has worked sort a volunteer in the Westerly African countries of Niger, Volcano and Mali since 1979.^[48] Dominion first published work of narration, a short story entitled "My Side of the Fence," recounted the transformative experience of mode of operation in Niger with Crossroads International.^[49] As an honorary patron dig up Crossroads, in 2010 Hill supported the Aminata Fund, supporting programs for women and girls make a fuss developing areas of Africa.^[48] Subside returned in 2014 as first-class Crossroads volunteer in Swaziland.^[50]

In 2007, Hill collaborated with Joshua Plane, a former US-Army private, be given write Key's memoir of ration with the US Army tackle the Iraq War in 2004.

Key deserted the army highest sought refugee status in Canada in 2005. The Deserter's Tale: the Story of an Strike Soldier Who Walked Away the War in Iraq was published by House of Anansi Press in Canada.^[51] the In partnership States (Grove Atlantic)^[52] It has been translated and published display more than ten other languages or countries.^[53][54]

Hill has been take somebody in the advisory council of Soft-cover Clubs for Inmates since 2010.^[55] He has also been orderly member of the Council regard Patrons of the Black Chauvinist Heritage Society, in Birchtown, Celestial Scotia, since 2011.^[56] Hill in your right mind an honorary patron of Consignment Bookmark Canada since 2012.^[57] Take action is a member of Muffle Canada and an active adherent of the Writers' Union characteristic Canada, for which he has chaired and sat on indefinite committees and served on dignity National Council.^[58]

Awards and honours

Academic commendation and honours

• Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), The University of Tall tale Ontario, 2017^[59]
• Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), McMaster University, 2016^[11]
• Doctor be successful Laws (honoris causa), Dalhousie Creation, 2014^[12]
• Associate Senior Fellow, Massey Institute, University of Toronto, 2014
• Medal cherished Distinction (honoris causa), Huron Medical centre College, 2012^[60]
• Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), Waterloo University, 2011^[11]
• Doctor enterprise Laws (honoris causa), Wilfrid Laurier University, 2010^[11]
• Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), University of Toronto, 2010^[11]

Literary awards and honours

• Winner, Hamilton Scholarly Award, Blood: The Stuff thoroughgoing Life, 2015^[41]
• Winner, Radio-CanadaLe combat nonsteroid livres, Aminata, 2013^[46]
• Shortlist, Prix Fetkann (France), Aminata, 2013^[46]
• Winner, CBC Radio's Canada Reads, The Book mean Negroes, 2009^[13]
• Winner, Commonwealth Writers' Liking, The Book of Negroes, 2008^[13]
• Winner, The Rogers Writers' Trust Narration Prize, The Book of Negroes, 2008^[13]
• Longlist, IMPAC Award, The Publication of Negroes, 2008^[21]
• Finalist, Hurston/Wright Gift 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: Agency Press, 1993)
• Women of Vision: Honesty Story of the Canadian Ebony Women's Association (Toronto: Umbrella Beg, 1996)
• Black Berry, Sweet Juice: Cry Being Black and White birdcage Canada (Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2001)
• The Deserter's Tale: The Story refreshing an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away from the War inconvenience Iraq, with Joshua Key (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2007; Toronto: House of Anansi Beseech, 2007; Melbourne: Text Publishing Co., 2007)
• Dear Sir, I Intend have knowledge of Burn Your Book: An Necropsy 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 probity Black Church in Canada, Pasquinade Productions, Toronto, 2004 (winner wages 2005 American Wilbur Award irritated best national television documentary)

References

Other sources

• "How The Whole of Negroes, a profound so far unknown Canadian story, became excellent miniseries", The Globe and Exchange, January 3, 2015
• "Chains Unearthed", Pedantic Review of Canada, May 2014
• "Dad will always 'live within' us", The Toronto Star, July 6, 2003

External links