Happy Birthday Nabokov!

Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov is considered of the world's greatest writers. Born on April 22nd, 1899 in Saint Petersburg to a noble and wealthy family, he spoke Russian, English, and French from an early age. Nabokov graduated from the University of Cambridge and met his wife Vera while living in Berlin. In 1940 they fled from war-torn Europe to the United States with their only son, Dmitri. Nabokov taught at Wellesley College and Cornell University for many years, and his students included Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Thomas Pynchon. He was fascinated by lepidoptery (the study of moths and butterflies) throughout his life and spent time working at the American Museum of Natural History and Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology. In the early 1960s, he and his wife returned to Europe, where they stayed until his death in 1977.

Nabokov's family history is complex, dramatic, and tragic. He wrote about his early years in Speak, Memory, a memoir of his youth and life up until moving to America with his wife and son. Don't be dissuaded - this not a dry autobiography. Each chapter (most of which were first published as individual essays in the New Yorker) covers a different subject with recollections that combine to create a rich exploration of memories in elegant prose.


Nabokov's most famous novel, of course, is Lolita, often found on various "best novels" lists. Nabokov wrote the novel in English over a period of five years, and later translated it into Russian himself. Controversial from the beginning, the book was initially banned in the UK and France. It's written from the the view of unreliable narrator Humbert Humbert, who becomes obsessed with his landlady's 12-year-old daughter Dolores, whom he nicknames Lolita. The novel has comedy, tragedy, and wordplay, and can be considered Nabakov's love song to the English language.

Letters to Vera, edited and translated by Olga Voronina and Brian Boyd, is composed of Nabokov's written messages to his wife Vera over the course of their relationship, which lasted half a century. Vera was not only Nabokov's wife, but his devoted partner in editing, translating, and solidifying his literary legacy. Reading these letters gives a glimpse into the more intimate and personal life of Nabokov - if only Vera hadn't destroyed all the letters she wrote in return!

April Literary Birthdays - Part 2

So many birthdays!

Beverly Cleary (born April 12, 1916) is an American author of more than 30 books for young adults and children. "She specialized in library work with children. She was the children's librarian in Yakima, Washington. Clearly has sold 91 million copies of her books worldwide. Some of her best-known characters are Henry Huggins, Ribsy, Beatrice ("Beezus") Quimby, her sister Ramona Quimby, and Ralph S. Mouse. Mrs. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw."

Charlotte Brontë (21 April 1816 – 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, whose novels have become classics of English literature. "She first published her works under the pen name Currer Bell. Charlotte Brontë worked as a teacher and governess before collaborating on a book of poetry with her two sisters, Emily and Anne, who were writers as well. In 1847, Brontë published the semi-autobiographical novel Jane Eyre, which was a hit and would become a literary classic. Her other novels included Shirley and Villette."

William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, and actor. "His work comprises 36 plays, 154 sonnets, and two narrative poems. Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford, England. His exact date of birth is uncertain, but it is thought to have been April 23. From the late 1500s to early 1600s, Shakespeare became known for his comedies and tragedies, including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. By about 1610, Shakespeare was mainly retired from the stage. Among his last plays were the comedies The Winter's Tale and The Tempest."

Russian novelist, poet, scholar, translator, and butterfly collector Vladimir Nabokov (22 April 1899 – 2 July 1977). "While Nabokov's first nine novels were in Russian, he later rose to international prominence as a writer of English prose. He also made serious contributions as a lepidopterist and chess composer. Nabokov's Lolita was a landmark in both storytelling and controversy and was later made into a film by Stanley Kubrick. Nabokov's major critical works are an irreverent book about Nikolay Gogol and a four-volume translation of, and commentary on, Eugene Onegin."

Halldor Laxness (23 April 1902 – 8 February 1998) was an Icelandic novelist and 1955 Nobel Prize winner. "He is considered the most creative Icelandic writer of the 20th century. Major influences included August Strindberg, Sigmund Freud, Sinclair Lewis, Upton Sinclair, Bertolt Brecht and Ernest Hemingway. His spiritual experiences are reflected in several books of an autobiographical nature. Beginning in the late 1950s, Laxness increasingly turned from social issues to philosophical questions and the problems of the individual. The novels from this period, including The Fish Can Sing and Paradise Reclaimed, are more lyrical and introspective. In Christianity at Glacier and Domestic Chronicle he even engaged in modernist experimentation as he had in his early works."

Sue Taylor Grafton (born April 24, 1940) is a contemporary American author of detective novels best known as the author of the 'alphabet series' featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California. Sue Grafton started writing as a teenager. Grafton published her first novel, “Keziah Dane”. Her next book, The Lolly Madonna War, was turned into a feature film. After working as a television writer for several years, Grafton debuted her first Kinsey Millhone novel, A Is for Alibi, in 1982."

Marcus Aurelius  (26 April 121 – 17 March 180 AD) was Roman philosopher, humane emperor, and author of The Meditations. "As Emperor of Rome from 161-180, Marcus Aurelius kept the empire safe from the Parthians and Germans, but is best known for his intellectual pursuits. Marcus Aurelius' Stoic tome Meditations, written in Greek is still revered as a literary monument to a philosophy of service and duty, describing how to find and preserve equanimity in the midst of conflict by following nature as a source of guidance and inspiration".

April Literary Birthdays - Part 1

Celebrate your favourite author birthdays and explore their works!

Edmond Rostand (1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French dramatist and poet best known for Cyrano de Bergerac, “one of the last examples of the Romantic period. “The play was a success in France and beyond. Rostand wrote many other plays, and was one of the last great Romantic dramatists of the period. His other lasting work is “L'Aiglon”, which provided a triumphant role for actress Sarah Bernhardt.”

Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American-born Irish writer, best known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She became the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction and the first to win a Nebula Award. “Ms. McCaffrey, an avocational horse breeder, was often asked Why dragons? “You can get closer to a dragon than you can to a horse,” she said in an interview. “Horses are smart within their own boundaries, but dragons are very smart.”

Hans Christian Andersen (2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author, a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems. “No collection of fairy tales would be complete without the works of Hans Christian Andersen. In fact, Andersen's life was like a fairy tale in many ways. Out of the poverty, hardship, and loneliness of his youth, he came to be one of the most honored men of his time. Many of the more than 160 fairy tales he wrote, including "The Ugly Duckling”, "The Princess and the Pea”, and "The Little Mermaid”, have become literary classics enjoyed by children and adults alike.” – Scholastic

Émile Zola (2 April 1840 – 29 September 1902) was the most prominent French novelist of the late 19th century. "He was noted for his theories of naturalism as expressed in Les Rougon-Macquart. Zola wrote numerous short stories and essays, four plays and three novels. Among his early books was Contes à Ninon. With the publication of his sordid autobiographical novel La Confession de Claude attracting police attention, Hachette fired him."

Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. "He was the first American to gain national acclaim as a professional writer. He wrote many short stories, including “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Although his reputation declined in the 20th century because of the sentimentality and excessive gentility of much of his work, he remains important as a pioneer in American humor and the development of the short story."

"With over 50 honorary doctorate degrees, Dr. Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) became a celebrated poet, memoirist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry, and she was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. Dr. Angelou is best known for her series of autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, tells of her life up to the age of 17."

Anthony Horowitz (born 5 April 1955) is a British novelist and screenwriter specializing in mystery and suspense. His work for young adult readers includes The Diamond Brothers series, the Alex Rider series, and The Power of Five series. His work for adults includes the novel and play Mindgame, and two Sherlock Holmes novels The House of Silk and Moriarty. He is the most recent author chosen to write a James Bond novel by the Ian Fleming estate."

Barbara Kingsolver (born April 8, 1955) is an American novelist, essayist and poet. "Her work often focuses on topics such as social justice, biodiversity and the interaction between humans and their communities and environments. Her widely known works include The Poisonwood Bible, the tale of a missionary family in the Congo, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a non-fiction account of her family's attempts to eat locally.

March Literary Birthdays

So many great authors celebrate birthdays in March!

Gabriel García Márquez (6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist. “He is one of the most preeminent writers of Magical Realism. His writing forces readers to actively engage with plot to provide essential details. Marquez was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature.”

Jeffrey Kent Eugenides (born March 8, 1960) is an American novelist and short story writer. “He published several stories in The New Yorker, The Paris Review and the British magazine Granta. His first novel The Virgin Suicides became even more successful after being adapted into a film by the famous American film director Sofia Coppola in 1999. His second novel, Middlesex, received the Pulitzer Prize in 2003. He currently lives in the United States, teaching creative writing at Princeton University."

Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English writer, humorist and dramatist. “His first published work was a short story in Eagle comic, age 11. Douglas Adams moved from radio to become script editor of Doctor Who, also writing several stories for the Tom Baker incarnation of the Doctor. Whilst writing for Doctor Who, the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was commissioned, originally appearing as a Radio 4 series in March 1978.” - BBC.

Carl Hiaasen (born March 12, 1953) is an American journalist, columnist, and novelist. “Carl Hiaasen has been writing about Florida since his father gave him a typewriter at age six. Then it was hunt-and-peck stories about neighborhood kickball and softball games. Now Hiaasen is the author of many bestselling novels, including  Basket Case and Skinny Dip. Together, Hiaasen's novels have been published in 29 languages, which is 28 more than he can read or write!”

William Ormond Mitchell, better known as W. O. Mitchell (March 13, 1914 – February 25, 1998) was a Canadian writer “of stories that deal humorously with the hardships of western Canadian prairie life. Mitchell received favourable notice for his first novel, Who Has Seen the Wind?, a sensitive picture of a grim prairie town seen from the point of view of a small boy. Mitchell’s Jake and the Kid was later developed into a popular, long-running radio and television series. In 2000, Mitchell was honoured by the government of Canada with his image on a postage stamp.”

John Hugh MacLennan (born at Glace Bay, NS, March 20, 1907 – November 9, 1990) was a Canadian novelist, essayist and professor of English at McGill University. He won five Governor General's Awards and a Royal Bank Award. “Hugh MacLennan is best known as the first major English-speaking writer to attempt a portrayal of Canada's national character. His first published novel,
Barometer Rising, was about the 1917 Halifax Explosion. In 1945, he published Two Solitudes, which won the Governor General's Award for fiction that year. His books helped usher in a new, self-reflective age of Canadian literature, establishing the idea that Canada is a place worth writing about.”

Gabrielle Roy, C.C. (22 March 1909 - 13 July 1983) was a French Canadian author. “Gabrielle Roy received the highest literary awards, including the Governor General’s Award, the Prix Duvernay, and the Prix David, and was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada. Bonheur d'occasion was a huge success. It was awarded the Prix Femina, and translated into a dozen languages. “

February Literary Birthdays

“Ukraine-born Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem (February 18, 1859 – March 16, 1916) author of the short stories on which the libretto for Fiddler on the Roof was based. He is one of the preeminent classical writers of modern Yiddish literature. His works were widely translated, and he became known in the United States as “the Jewish Mark Twain.” He was the first to write in Yiddish for children. Adaptations of his work were important in the founding of the Yiddish Art Theatre in New York City.” – Encyclopedia Britannica.

Nikos Kazantzakis (February 18, 1883 – October 26, 1957) Greek novelist, journalist, and politician is best known internationally for novels Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation of Christ. “He gained renewed fame with the 1988 Martin Scorsese adaptation of his book The Last Temptation of Christ.”

Toni Morrison, original name Chloe Anthony Wofford, (February 18, 1931) is a Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, editor and professor. "Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue and richly detailed black characters. Morrison has won nearly every book prize possible. She has also been awarded honorary degrees."

Amy Tan was born on February 19, 1952 in Oakland, California. "Her first novel The Joy Luck Club explored the relationship between Chinese women and their Chinese-American daughters. It received the Los Angeles Times Book Award and was translated into 25 languages. Tan has also written two children's books: The Moon Lady and The Chinese Siamese Cat, the latter of which was adapted to television for PBS."

Morley Callaghan (February 22, 1903—August 25, 1990) was Canadian novelist and short-story writer. "Callaghan attended the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School. He never practiced law, but he became a full-time writer and won critical acclaim for his short stories collected in A Native Argosy. Later collections of stories include Morley Callaghan’s Stories and No Man’s Meat and The Enchanted Pimp."

Anthony Burgess (February 25, 1917 – November 22, 1993) was an English novelist, poet, playwright and composer. Well known novels included The Wanting Seed, Inside Mr. Enderby, Earthly Powers and A Clockwork Orange, the latter of which was adapted into a popular 1971 Stanley Kubrik film.

Victor Hugo, in full Victor-Marie Hugo, (February 26, 1802—May 22, 1885) was a French novelist, playwright, poet and a leading figure of the Romantic Movement in France. “He was also a visual artist, statesman and human rights activist. His best novels include Les Misérables, Notre-Dame de Paris and Les Travailleurs de la Mer. He is regarded as the leading figure in the history of French literature and politics who did not only contributed to the Romantic Movement in France but also gained international fame for his efforts towards establishing the Third Republic and democracy in the country.”

John Steinbeck (February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American author "whose Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, portrayed the plight of migrant workers during the Great Depression. He is widely known for the comic novels Tortilla Flat and Cannery Row, the multi-generation epic East of Eden, and the novellas Of Mice and Men and The Red Pony. Steinbeck served as a war correspondent during World War II, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962."

January Literary Birthdays

Happy New Year, dear Readers! January is so rich on author birthdays - what a delight to start the year of 2015! Here is our list of January literary birthdays:

Isaac Asimov (circa January 2, 1920– April 6, 1992) Russian-born American scientist and sci-fi writer. “He is best known for his Foundation series and I, Robot, as well as coining the term “robotics”. It was Asimov who conceived of the idea of the positronic brain, brought to life in iconic pop culture shows like Doctor Who, Star Trek: The Next Generation”- bio.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (January 3, 1892 – 2 September 2, 1973) born in South-Africa was a major scholar of the English language, specializing in Old and Middle English. Twice Professor of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) at the University of Oxford, he also wrote a number of stories, including most famously The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.- The Tolkien Society.

Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm (January 4, 1785 – September 20, 1863) was a German scholar and a librarian. He and younger brother Wilhelm studied German folklore and oral traditions, publishing a collection of stories known as Grimm’s' Fairy Tales.

Umberto Eco (born January 5, 1932) is an Italian intellectual and writer known for his work in semiotics and novels, such as The Name of the Rose, Baudolino and The Prague cemetery.

Terence Dean "Terry" Brooks (born January 8, 1944) is an American writer of fantasy fiction. “He spent a great deal of his childhood and early adulthood dreaming up stories in and around Sinnissippi Park in Illinois, the very same park that would eventually become the setting for his bestselling Word and Void trilogy.
Karel Čapek (January 9, 1890 – December 25, 1938) was a Czech writer, sci-fi genius and creator of the word "Robot". He is best known for his novel War with the Newts and play R.U.R.

Japanese author Haruki Murakami (January 12, 1949) wrote The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Norwegian Wood and 1Q84. His unusual style has been called "mysterious and surreal". – bio.

William Somerset Maugham (January 25, 1874 – December, 16 1965) English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer whose work is characterized by a clear unadorned style, cosmopolitan settings, and a shrewd understanding of human nature. During World War I he worked as a secret agent. His reputation as a novelist rests primarily on four books: Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence, Cakes and Ale, and The Razor’s Edge. – Encyclopedia Britannica.

Mordecai Richler (January, 27 1931 - July 3, 2001) was a Canadian novelist, essayist, social critic. A Companion of the Order of Canada, two-time winner of the Governor General’s Award, and winner of the Giller Prize, Mordecai Richler is one of Canada’s greatest writers. – Canadian Encyclopedia.

The 2015 International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award Longlist Includes 11 Canadian Novels!

The International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award  is sponsored by the city of Dublin, Ireland, and the company IMPAC. Works of fiction are nominated by public libraries from around the world. It is one of the richest literary prizes in the world. The 142-book 2015 longlist features 11 Canadian authors!

Alistair MacLeod won the prize for his novel No Great Mischief in 2001, and Rawi Hage - for De Niro's Game in 2008. The Canadian books on the 2015 longlist are:

MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood - Oryx and Crake trilogy

“A conclusion to the trilogy finds Toby and Ren returning to the MaddAddamite cob house after rescuing Amanda and assuming the duties of the Craker's religious overseers while Zeb searches for the founder of the pacifist green religion he left years earlier.”


The Strangers' Gallery by Paul Bowdring

St. John's archivist Michael Lowe's life is turned on its head when a Dutch acquaintance, Anton Aalders, arrives on his doorstep in 1995. Anton is searching for a father he never met, ostensibly a Newfoundland soldier who was part of the Allied forces that liberated the Netherlands at the end of the Second World War. The Strangers' Gallery is a finely crafted, at times humorous, novel about the painful search for identity - both political and personal. - Novelist

The Orenda by Joseph Boyden

“Boyden's novel tells the story of the French conquest of Canada from the point of view of both the conquerors and the conquered. Set in the early 1600s, as the French were exploring today's Canadian province of Ontario, Boyden's narrative depicts in compelling detail how the French exploited ancient enmities between the Iroquois and Huron tribes to speed their conquest of New France."

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

“In 1866, a weary Englishman lands in a gold-mining frontier town on the coast of New Zealand to make his fortune and forever leave behind his family's shame. On arrival, he stumbles across a tense gathering of twelve local men who have met in secret to investigate what links three crimes that occurred on a single day, events in which each man finds himself implicated in some way: the town's wealthiest man has vanished.”

Three Souls by Janie Chang

"Civil war China is fractured by social and political change. Behind the magnificent gates of the Song family estate, however, none of this upheaval has touched Leiyin, a spoiled and idealistic teenager. But when Leiyin meets the captivating left-wing poet Hanchin, she defies her father and learns a harsh reality: that her father has the power to dictate her fate. Leiyin's punishment for disobedience leads to exile from her family, an unwanted marriage and ultimately a lover's betrayal - followed by her untimely death."

For Sure by France Daigle

For Sure tells the story of Terry and Carmen and their children and the people who are drawn towards the Babar, the local bar in Moncton. The novel also tackles the topics of numbers, the Chiac language and minority cultures. - Novelist

Under Budapest by Ailsa Kay

“The drama and ravages of the Hungarian Revolution are seen through interconnected stories set in 1956 and 2010 of two North American Hungarian families who have gone back to Hungary for reasons which they have kept to themselves.”

Anatomy of a Girl Gang by Ashley Little

“Cast out by mainstream society, a gang of teenage girls known as the "Black Roses" rob ATMs, cook crack on stoves, and savagely beat down anyone who dares to harm them. Brutal and broken, they claw at the knot of darkness and violence that tightens around their lives.”

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

“Relegated to the status of schoolteacher and friendly neighbor after abandoning her dreams of becoming an artist, Nora advocates on behalf of a charismatic Lebanese student and is drawn into the child's family until his artist mother's careless ambition leads to a shattering betrayal.”

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

Nao Yasutani is a Japanese schoolgirl who plans to kill herself as a way of escaping her dreary life. First, though, she intends to write in her diary the life story of her great-grandmother Jiko, a Zen Buddhist nun. But Nao actually ends up writing her own life story, and the diary eventually washes up on the shore of Canada's Vancouver Island, where a novelist called Ruth lives.- Novelist

Love Letters of the Angels of Death by Jennifer Quist

“Brigs, in the company of his wife Caroline, discovers the body of his mother in her mobile home. On his shoulders falls the burden of arranging the funeral. Brigs and Caroline turn out to be the only ones taking responsibility for the burial. By the time the burial is over they understand this will always be their role in future funerals, to liaise with death on behalf of the people they love.”

The shortlist for the 2015 award will be announced on April 15, 2015 and the winner will be revealed on June 17, 2015.