Michael Crummey
Encyclopedia
Michael Crummey is a Canadian
poet and writer.
Born in Buchans
, Newfoundland and Labrador
, Crummey grew up there and in Wabush
, Labrador
, where he moved with his family in the late 1970s. He began to write poetry while studying at Memorial University
in St. John's
, where he received a B.A.
in English
in 1987. He completed a M.A.
at Queen's University in Kingston
, Ontario
, in 1988, then dropped out of the Ph.D.
program to pursue his writing career. Crummey returned to St. John's in 2001.
Since first winning Memorial University's Gregory J. Power Poetry Contest in 1986, Crummey has continued to receive accolades for his poetry and prose. In 1994, he became the first winner of the Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award
for young unpublished writers, and his first volume of poetry, Arguments with Gravity (1996), won the Writer's Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award for Poetry. Hard Light (1998), his second collection, was nominated for the Milton Acorn
People's Poetry Award in 1999. 1998 also saw the publication of a collection of short stories, Flesh and Blood, and Crummey's nomination for the Journey Prize
.
Crummey's debut novel, River Thieves (2001) became a Canadian bestseller, winning the Thomas Head Raddall Award
, the Winterset Award for Excellence in Newfoundland Writing, and the Atlantic Independent Booksellers' Choice Award. It was also shortlisted for the Giller Prize, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize
, the Books in Canada First Novel Award
, and was long-listed for the IMPAC Award. His second novel, The Wreckage (2005), was longlisted for the 2007 IMPAC Award. His third novel Galore (2009) shortlisted for the 2011 IMPAC Award.
Crummey's writing often draws on the history and landscape of Newfoundland and Labrador
. The poems and prose in Hard Light are inspired by the stories of his father and other relatives, and the short stories in Flesh and Blood take place in the fictional mining community of Black Rock, which strongly resembles Buchans. Crummey's novels in particular can be described as historical fiction
. River Thieves details the contact and conflict between European settlers and the last of the Beothuk
in the early 19th century, including the capture of Demasduwit
. The Wreckage tells the story of young Newfoundland soldier Wish Fury and his beloved Sadie Parsons during and after World War II
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
poet and writer.
Born in Buchans
Buchans, Newfoundland and Labrador
Buchans is a Canadian town located in the central part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on the northwest shore of Red Indian Lake on the Buchans River....
, Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Crummey grew up there and in Wabush
Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador
Wabush is a small town in the western tip of Labrador, known for transportation and iron ore operations for over three decades ....
, Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
, where he moved with his family in the late 1970s. He began to write poetry while studying at Memorial University
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
in St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
, where he received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
in 1987. He completed a M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
at Queen's University in Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, 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....
, in 1988, then dropped out of the Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
program to pursue his writing career. Crummey returned to St. John's in 2001.
Since first winning Memorial University's Gregory J. Power Poetry Contest in 1986, Crummey has continued to receive accolades for his poetry and prose. In 1994, he became the first winner of the Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award
Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award
The Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to a writer under 35 who has not yet published his or her first book....
for young unpublished writers, and his first volume of poetry, Arguments with Gravity (1996), won the Writer's Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award for Poetry. Hard Light (1998), his second collection, was nominated for the Milton Acorn
Milton Acorn
Milton James Rhode Acorn , nicknamed The People's Poet by his peers, was a Canadian poet, writer, and playwright. He was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island....
People's Poetry Award in 1999. 1998 also saw the publication of a collection of short stories, Flesh and Blood, and Crummey's nomination for the 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...
.
Crummey's debut novel, River Thieves (2001) became a Canadian bestseller, winning the Thomas Head Raddall Award
Thomas Head Raddall Award
The Thomas Head Raddall Award is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada and the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia, to the best work of adult fiction published in the previous year by a writer from the Atlantic provinces...
, the Winterset Award for Excellence in Newfoundland Writing, and the Atlantic Independent Booksellers' Choice Award. It was also shortlisted for the Giller Prize, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
, the 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 long-listed for the IMPAC Award. His second novel, The Wreckage (2005), was longlisted for the 2007 IMPAC Award. His third novel Galore (2009) shortlisted for the 2011 IMPAC Award.
Crummey's writing often draws on the history and landscape of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. The poems and prose in Hard Light are inspired by the stories of his father and other relatives, and the short stories in Flesh and Blood take place in the fictional mining community of Black Rock, which strongly resembles Buchans. Crummey's novels in particular can be described as historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
. River Thieves details the contact and conflict between European settlers and the last of the Beothuk
Beothuk
The Beothuk were one of the aboriginal peoples in Canada. They lived on the island of Newfoundland at the time of European contact in the 15th and 16th centuries...
in the early 19th century, including the capture of Demasduwit
Demasduwit
Demasduit was a Beothuk woman, one of the last of her people on the island of Newfoundland, Canada.She was born near the end of the 18th century. The Beothuk were openly hostile to Europeans, and violent conflict between the two groups were common. The conflicts usually took more Beothuks than...
. The Wreckage tells the story of young Newfoundland soldier Wish Fury and his beloved Sadie Parsons during and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Poetry
- Arguments With Gravity (1996)
- Hard Light (1998)
- Emergency Roadside Assistance (2001)
- Salvage (2002)
- Went With (2007)
Non-fiction
- Newfoundland: Journey Into a Lost Nation (with photographer Greg Locke) (2004)
Anthologies
- Coastlines: The Poetry of Atlantic Canada, ed. Anne Compton, Laurence Hutchman, Ross Leckie and Robin McGrath (Goose Lane Editions, 2002)
External links
- Michael Crummey's entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia
- How He Carried It from Salvage, on CBC Words at Large
- A Piece of Hard Light by John StefflerJohn Steffler-Biography:Born in Toronto, Ontario, Steffler was educated at the University of Toronto and the University of Guelph. Since 1975 he has lived in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador where he taught at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College...
, with excerpts from Hard Light. - Interview with Leo Furey from The Antigonish Review, May 2002.
- 2011 podcast interview at The Bat Segundo ShowThe Bat Segundo ShowThe Bat Segundo Show is a podcast based in New York run by writer and literary critic Edward Champion.The program features comprehensive interviews with prominent figures in arts and culture, with a special focus on literature. Past guests have included David Mitchell, David Lynch, Amy Sedaris,...