Marina Endicott
Encyclopedia
Marina Endicott is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. Her second novel, Good to a Fault, won the 2009 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Canada and the Caribbean and was short listed for the Giller Prize.
, British Columbia
in 1958, grew up in Halifax
and Yarmouth
, Nova Scotia
, and Toronto, Ontario
. She worked as an actor before moving to London
, England
, where she began to write fiction. Returning to Canada in 1984, she went west to Saskatoon and worked in theatre as a director and dramaturge
. She was for many years the dramaturge of the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre. In 1992 she went farther west with husband Peter Ormshaw to Mayerthorpe
, Alberta
, on his first posting with the RCMP; they have since lived in Cochrane and Edmonton, and have two children: Will (1993) and Rachel (1996). They presently (2011) live in Edmonton, Alberta.
Endicott’s first short story appeared in Grain in 1985. Her stories have been anthologized in Coming Attractions and short-listed for the 1993 Journey Prize
. Her first novel, Open Arms (2001), was a finalist for the Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award
and was broadcast on CBC Radio
's Between the Covers in 2003. Her long poem about the Mayerthorpe incident, "The Policeman's Wife, Some Letters", was short-listed for the CBC Literary Awards in 2006. Her third novel, The Little Shadows was published by Doubleday in 2011, and shortlisted for the 2011 Governor General's Award for Fiction.
Personal life
Endicott was born in GoldenGolden, British Columbia
Golden is a town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of Calgary, Alberta and east of Vancouver.-History:Much of the town's history is tied into the Canadian Pacific Railway and the logging industry...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in 1958, grew up in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
and Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, and Toronto, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. She worked as an actor before moving to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where she began to write fiction. Returning to Canada in 1984, she went west to Saskatoon and worked in theatre as a director and dramaturge
Dramaturge
A dramaturge or dramaturg is a professional position within a theatre or opera company that deals mainly with research and development of plays or operas...
. She was for many years the dramaturge of the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre. In 1992 she went farther west with husband Peter Ormshaw to Mayerthorpe
Mayerthorpe, Alberta
Mayerthorpe is a town in the census division 13, central Alberta, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Highway 43 and Cowboy Trail , north-west from Edmonton.-History:...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, on his first posting with the RCMP; they have since lived in Cochrane and Edmonton, and have two children: Will (1993) and Rachel (1996). They presently (2011) live in Edmonton, Alberta.
Writing career
Endicott was an actor and director for many years before beginning a second career as a writer of fiction. When asked why she switched, she explained:- Being an actor isn't an easy life. The work is so ephemeral... I write novels instead of plays because I like the intimate link of the silent writer and the silent reader.
Endicott’s first short story appeared in Grain in 1985. Her stories have been anthologized in Coming Attractions and short-listed for the 1993 Journey Prize
Journey Prize
The Journey Prize is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by McClelland and Stewart and the Writers' Trust of Canada for the best short story published by an emerging writer in a Canadian literary magazine. The award was endowed by James A...
. Her first novel, Open Arms (2001), was a finalist for the Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award
Books in Canada First Novel Award
The Amazon.ca First Novel Award, formerly the Books in Canada First Novel Award, is a literary award given annually to the best first novel in English published the previous year by a citizen or resident of Canada. It has been awarded since 1976....
and was broadcast on CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
's Between the Covers in 2003. Her long poem about the Mayerthorpe incident, "The Policeman's Wife, Some Letters", was short-listed for the CBC Literary Awards in 2006. Her third novel, The Little Shadows was published by Doubleday in 2011, and shortlisted for the 2011 Governor General's Award for Fiction.
Prize and honours
- 1993 Shortlist, Journey PrizeJourney PrizeThe Journey Prize is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by McClelland and Stewart and the Writers' Trust of Canada for the best short story published by an emerging writer in a Canadian literary magazine. The award was endowed by James A...
- 2003 Finalist, Amazon.ca/Books In Canada First Novel Award (for Open Arms)
- 2008 Finalist, Giller Prize (for Good to a Fault)
- 2009 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book, Canada and the Caribbean (for Good to a Fault)
- 2010 Longlisted, International IMPAC Dublin Literary AwardInternational IMPAC Dublin Literary AwardThe International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is an international literary award for a work of fiction, jointly sponsored by the city of Dublin, Ireland and the company IMPAC. At €100,000 it is one of the richest literary prizes in the world...
- 2011 Longlisted, Giller Prize (for The Little Shadows)
- 2011 Finalist, Governor General's AwardGovernor General's AwardThe Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
for English-language fiction, Canada, (for The Little Shadows)