Mary Lawson
Encyclopedia
Mary Lawson is a Canadian novelist.
Born in southwestern Ontario
, she spent her childhood in Blackwell, Ontario and is a distant relative of L. M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables
. Her father worked as a research chemist. With a psychology degree in hand from McGill University
, Lawson took a trip to Britain
and ended up accepting a job as an industrial psychologist. She married a British psychologist, Richard Lawson. Lawson spent her summers in the north, and the landscape inspired her to use northern Ontario as her settings for both her novels.
In a book review Terry Rigelhof, from The Globe and Mail
, stated: "Within days you'll see people reading Crow Lake
in odd places as they take quick breaks from the business of their lives. You'll also hear people say 'I stayed up all night reading this book by Mary Lawson. Mary Lawson, Mary Lawson. Remember the name."
Robert Fulford of the National Post
wrote an article about Lawson describing her process towards becoming a novelist. After settling down, she wrote short fiction for women's magazines and then graduated to her first novel. Lawson was in her 50's when she wrote it, and spent years perfecting it. She decided she didn't like her first novel and then spent 5 more years writing until Crow Lake was complete. It took her 3 more years to find a publisher.
On the National Post's Paperback Fiction Best-Sellers list in 2007, Lawson’s second novel, The Other Side of the Bridge, took the number one spot.
An article featuring Mary Lawson was published in the McGill News magazine by Neale Mcdevitt and Daniel Mccabe. After her first novel, the article describes Mary Lawson as surprised by her success: "I really didn’t know what I had done right. I didn’t know if I could do it again." Her first novel, Crow Lake, was published in 22 countries and landed her a guest appearance on the Today Show, and several positive reviews in the New York Times, the Guardian
, and many other publications. Her second novel, The Other Side of the Bridge, also did well. She received good reviews from The Independent
, and the Toronto Star
. This second novel held promise of being on the Maclean magazine's list of Canadian bestsellers.
A French language
edition of Crow Lake was translated by Cécile Arnaud, was published as Le choix des Morrison by Belfond in 2003.
Born in southwestern 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 spent her childhood in Blackwell, Ontario and is a distant relative of L. M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book...
. Her father worked as a research chemist. With a psychology degree in hand from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, Lawson took a trip to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and ended up accepting a job as an industrial psychologist. She married a British psychologist, Richard Lawson. Lawson spent her summers in the north, and the landscape inspired her to use northern Ontario as her settings for both her novels.
In a book review Terry Rigelhof, from The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, stated: "Within days you'll see people reading Crow Lake
Crow Lake (novel)
Crow Lake is a 2002 first novel written by Canadian author Mary Lawson. It won the Books in Canada First Novel Award in the same year and won the McKitterick Prize in 2003...
in odd places as they take quick breaks from the business of their lives. You'll also hear people say 'I stayed up all night reading this book by Mary Lawson. Mary Lawson, Mary Lawson. Remember the name."
Robert Fulford of the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
wrote an article about Lawson describing her process towards becoming a novelist. After settling down, she wrote short fiction for women's magazines and then graduated to her first novel. Lawson was in her 50's when she wrote it, and spent years perfecting it. She decided she didn't like her first novel and then spent 5 more years writing until Crow Lake was complete. It took her 3 more years to find a publisher.
On the National Post's Paperback Fiction Best-Sellers list in 2007, Lawson’s second novel, The Other Side of the Bridge, took the number one spot.
An article featuring Mary Lawson was published in the McGill News magazine by Neale Mcdevitt and Daniel Mccabe. After her first novel, the article describes Mary Lawson as surprised by her success: "I really didn’t know what I had done right. I didn’t know if I could do it again." Her first novel, Crow Lake, was published in 22 countries and landed her a guest appearance on the Today Show, and several positive reviews in the New York Times, the Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, and many other publications. Her second novel, The Other Side of the Bridge, also did well. She received good reviews from The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, and the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
. This second novel held promise of being on the Maclean magazine's list of Canadian bestsellers.
A French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
edition of Crow Lake was translated by Cécile Arnaud, was published as Le choix des Morrison by Belfond in 2003.
Awards and recognition
- 2002: winner, Books in Canada First Novel AwardBooks in Canada First Novel AwardThe 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....
, Crow Lake - 2003: winner, McKitterick PrizeMcKitterick PrizeThe McKitterick Prize is a United Kingdom literary prize. It is administered by the Society of Authors. It was endowed by Tom McKitterick, who had been an editor of The Political Quarterly but had also written a novel which was never published. The prize is awarded annually for a first novel by...
, Crow Lake - 2006: longlisted, Man Booker Prize for Fiction, The Other Side of the Bridge
- 2005: winner, Evergreen Award, Crow Lake
- 2006: shortlisted, Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction PrizeRogers Writers' Trust Fiction PrizeThe Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize is a Canadian literary award presented by Rogers Communications and the Writers' Trust of Canada after an annual juried competition between publishers who submit entries....
, The Other Side of the Bridge