David Bergen
David Bergen (born January 14, 1957 in Port Edward , British Columbia , Canada ) is a Canadian writer . The Winnipeg , Manitoba-based author has published six novels and a collection of short stories since 1993. The Matter with Morris , his most recent novel, published in 2010, was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award .
Life
David Bergen was born on January 14, 1957 in Port Edward, a small fishing village in British Columbia and later grew up in a small Mennonite town in Manitoba. He went to Bible College in British Columbia and Red River College in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he studied communications . He taught English and creative writing at Winnipeg's Kelvin High School until 2002.
Raised a Mennonite, Bergen later noted that the Church's tendency to avoid questioning and criticism had reinforced his decision to turn to writing fictional literature. "Writing is a way of figuring things out. If you can't ask certain questions in church, maybe you can ask them in fiction. ”David Bergen repeatedly allows experiences from his Mennonite background to flow into his novels.
His debut novel, A Year of Lesser 1996, was listed as a Notable Book by the New York Times and won the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award. His novel The Case of Lena S. was in the final round for the Governor General's Award for English language fiction and won the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award. He was also in the final round for the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award and the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction.
His novel The Time in Between won the Scotiabank Giller Prize, received excellent reviews from the Kirkus Review and was on the longlist of the IMPAC Award for 2007. In 2008 he published his fifth novel, The Retreat , which was on the longlist of the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction won. In 2010 he was again shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize for his sixth novel, The Matter with Morris . He is also the author of a short story collection, Sitting Opposite My Brother (1993), which was a finalist in the Manitoba Book of the Year.
- Awards
- 1993 Finalist, Manitoba Book of the Year - Sitting Opposite My Brother
- 1996 John Hirsch Award - A Year of Lesser
- 1996 McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award - A Year of Lesser
- 1999 CBC Literary Award, Short Story - How Can 'N' Men Share a Bottle of Vodka
- 2002 Short list, Governor General's Award - The Case of Lena S.
- 2002 Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award - The Case of Lena S.
- 2002 Finalist, McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award - The Case of Lena S.
- 2002 Finalist, Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction - The Case of Lena S.
- 2005 Giller Prize - The Time in Between
- 2005 McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award - The Time in Between
- 2007 Long list, International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award - The Time in Between
- 2008 Long list, Giller Prize - The Retreat
- 2008 McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award - The Retreat
- 2008 Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction - The Retreat
- 2010 Shortlist, Giller Prize - The Matter With Morris
- 2012 Shortlist, International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award - The Matter With Morris
- 2018 Matt Cohen Prize for Lifetime Achievement
Works
- Novels
- A Year of Lesser , HarperCollins Canada, 1996
- See the Child . ibid. 1999
- The Case of Lena S. , McClelland & Stewart, 2002
- The time in between . ibid. 2005
-
The retreat . ibid. 2008
- Übers. Benjamin Schwarz : Retreat . Bertelsmann paperback btb, Munich 2010
- The Matter With Morris , HarperCollins Canada, 2010
-
The Age of Hope. ibid. 2012
- Übers. Martin Hielscher : Yesterday and today and tomorrow. Novel. btb , 2017
- Short stories
- Sitting Opposite My Brother , Turnstone Press, 1993
Web links
- Description of David Bergen's archives at the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections
- David Bergen ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .
Individual evidence
- ↑ David Bergen ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .
- ↑ www.thestar.com/news/
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Bergen, David |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian writer |
DATE OF BIRTH | January 14, 1957 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Port Edward , British Columbia , Canada |