Paul Quarrington
Encyclopedia
Paul Lewis Quarrington (July 22, 1953 – January 21, 2010) was a Canadian
novelist, playwright
, screenwriter
, filmmaker, musician
and educator.
as the middle of three sons in the family of four of Bruce Quarrington, he was raised in the suburb of Don Mills and studied at the University of Toronto
but dropped out after less than two years of study.
He wrote his early novels while working as the bass
player for the group Joe Hall and the Continental Drift and as the guitar accompanist for Cathy Stewart, a Canadian singer who was popular at the time. One of his novels, Whale Music
, was called "the greatest rock'n'roll novel ever written" by Penthouse
magazine. His non-fiction books and journalism were also highly regarded - he earned or co-earned more than 20 gold awards for his magazine articles alone.
He has two daughters with actor Dorothy Bennie, Carson and Flannery Quarrington.
Quarrington's most consistent musical colleague has been Martin Worthy; their friendship began in high school. He was also a high school friend of songwriter Dan Hill
, with whom he re-united in recent years to collaborate on musical projects. Quarrington collaborated on projects with many artists and in many different disciplines (a defining element of his overall body of work), who have achieved recognition in their respective fields. These include Nino Ricci
, Joseph Kertes
, Dave Bidini
, Jake MacDonald
, John Krizanc
, Christina Jennings
, Judith Keenan, Michael Burke, Peter Lynch, Ron Mann
, Robert Lantos
and many others.
received the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour in 1988) although they address serious subjects. His protagonists are largely emotionally crippled antiheroes who have withdrawn from society; typically, in Quarrington's work, an agent of some sort — a young woman in Whale Music, ghosts in King Leary, a hurricane in Galveston — challenges the protagonist's carefully ordered life and draws them back into the fold of humanity.
His novel The Ravine was published in March 2008. At the time of his death, Quarrington had completed a short film adaptation of the work (Pavane, 2008) and was collaborating on a television series adaptation of that novel, which he claimed to be semi-autobiographical. "It's about a writer who squanders his talents in television, drinks too much, screws around and ruins his marriage," Quarrington has said. "The reason it's 'semi-autobiographical' is the guy's name is 'Phil.'"
. Quarrington and Findley held a mutual admiration for each other, with Findley once quoting that Quarrington was "an extraordinary writer with a rare gift." As a youngster, Quarrington came from a very musical background, and this showed consistently in his writing. While writing a review blurb for Leonard Cohen
's book, The Favourite Game, he admired Cohen's "poetic craftsmanship." Another time, in typical whimsical Quarrington fashion, he declared, "I seem to like authors named John -- John Fowles
, John Gardner
, John Irving
. John Gardner is my favourite — he's sadly not so well known these days."
, of Whale Music was nominated for numerous Genie Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, in 1994. Actor Maury Chaykin
won best actor for his portrayal of the drug-addled Desmond Howl.
He won the Genie Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1991 for Perfectly Normal
, a comedy that combined ice hockey
and grand opera.
Quarrington has also worked in the television industry, acting as writer and/or producer on such shows as Due South
, Power Play
and Moose TV
, the latter winning Best Comedy from the CFTPA Indie Awards 2008.
on the Whale Music film soundtrack
, including a songwriting credit on the band's most successful hit single, "Claire".
Quarrington was also the lead singer/guitarist for the blues/roots/country ensemble Porkbelly Futures
. Their first CD, Way Past Midnight was released in late 2005 by Wildflower Records (owned by singer Judy Collins
) and spent six months on the "Americana" charts. Their second CD, Porkbelly Futures, was released by Cordova Bay Entertainment Group in April 2008. It contains many of Quarrington's original compositions. His solo CD called The Songs was released in May 2010, also by Cordova Bay.
He participated in the collaborative "Canadian Songbook" tour in 2008 with Murray McLauchlan
, Stephen Fearing
and Catherine MacLellan
.
In their teens, Quarrington and Hill also occasionally performed together as a folk music
duo, billed as Quarrington/Hill. Paul and Martin Worthy achieved number one hit status with their tune "baby and the Blues" in 1980.
in May 2009, Quarrington continued his plans to embark on various concert tours with Porkbelly Futures, while continuing to produce his own solo CD and the Porkbellys third release; complete his non-fiction memoir Cigar Box Banjo: Notes on Life and Music (Greystone Books, May 2010), deliver multiple screenplays for episodes of a television series for Shaftesbury Films
(Notes on Euphoria, dir. John L'Ecuyer
) as well as give generously on camera as the featured subject of a documentary film initiated by he and colleague Judith Keenan; the film, Paul Quarrington: Life in Music, is an adaptation tied to his written memoir.
Rheostatics, who had broken up in 2007, reunited for a live tribute show to Quarrington produced by Humber College
for Toronto's International Festival of Authors. Also appearing to celebrate his body of work in multiple genres were Christina Jennings, John Krizanc
, Michael Burns, Wayson Choy
, Nino Ricci
, Paul Gross
, Alistair McLeod, Joe Hall, Porkbelly Futures with David Gray, and talented family members Christine Quarrington, Tony Quarrington and Joel Quarrington. Michael Burke announced the launch of Quarrington Arts Society / Société des Arts Quarrington, to provide support for working and emerging artists committed to multi-disciplinary practices.
Quarrington's final collaboration with Hill and Worthy, a song about his journey with cancer called "Are You Ready", was completed just ten days before Quarrington's death. The song was conceived by Quarrington and film producer Keenan as the focal point for their feature documentary. Many other songs were also conceived and produced by Paul during this fertile creative time, including "All the Stars" (created just days after the diagnosis) and "Wherever You Go," all of which will be included on the posthumously released CD.
Quarrington died of lung cancer in Toronto on January 21, 2010, aged 56.
won the Stephen Leacock Award in 1988, and Whale Music
won the 1989 Governor General's Award for Fiction
.
Galveston, published in the United States as Storm Chasers, was nominated for the prestigious Giller Prize. He lost to Alice Munro
— which, Quarrington stated afterward, "was hard to feel upset about. It's like losing to Chekhov
."
In February 2008, King Leary was put forward by Dave Bidini
as one of the five books considered on CBC Radio
's Canada Reads
. Bidini ultimately prevailed, and King Leary was named the book that everyone in the nation should read.
His short film Pavane, adapted from his novel The Ravine, garnered a Remi Platinum Award Houston's WorldFest, was juried in several other US festivals, and was broadcast in Canada on Bravo!FACT Presents and CBC Reflections. He and the creative team for ShowCase earned the CFPTA Indie Award for Comedy for the series Moose TV.
In 2009, the Writers' Trust of Canada
awarded Quarrington its Matt Cohen Prize
for a distinguished lifetime contribution to Canadian literature.
On June 10, 2010, Quarrington was posthumously awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters by Nipissing University
. His daughter Carson accepted the award on his behalf.
Feature Films
Series and One-Offs
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...
novelist, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, filmmaker, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and educator.
Background
Born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
as the middle of three sons in the family of four of Bruce Quarrington, he was raised in the suburb of Don Mills and studied at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
but dropped out after less than two years of study.
He wrote his early novels while working as the bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player for the group Joe Hall and the Continental Drift and as the guitar accompanist for Cathy Stewart, a Canadian singer who was popular at the time. One of his novels, Whale Music
Whale Music
Whale Music is a novel by Canadian writer Paul Quarrington. It was first published by Doubleday Canada in 1989.The novel's central character is Desmond Howl, a reclusive former rock star who has lived in virtual seclusion from the world since the death of his brother Danny in a car accident...
, was called "the greatest rock'n'roll novel ever written" by Penthouse
Penthouse (magazine)
Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International...
magazine. His non-fiction books and journalism were also highly regarded - he earned or co-earned more than 20 gold awards for his magazine articles alone.
He has two daughters with actor Dorothy Bennie, Carson and Flannery Quarrington.
Quarrington's most consistent musical colleague has been Martin Worthy; their friendship began in high school. He was also a high school friend of songwriter Dan Hill
Dan Hill
Daniel Grafton "Dan" Hill IV is a Canadian pop singer and songwriter. He had two major hits with his songs, "Sometimes When We Touch" and "Can't We Try," a duet with Vonda Shepard.-Early life and career:...
, with whom he re-united in recent years to collaborate on musical projects. Quarrington collaborated on projects with many artists and in many different disciplines (a defining element of his overall body of work), who have achieved recognition in their respective fields. These include Nino Ricci
Nino Ricci
Nino Ricci is a Canadian novelist who lives in Toronto, Ontario. He was born in Leamington, Ontario to Italian immigrants, Virginio and Amelia Ricci, from the province of Isernia, Molise....
, Joseph Kertes
Joseph Kertes
Joseph Kertes was born in 1951 in Hungary but escaped with his family to Canada after the revolution of 1956.He studied English at York University and the University of Toronto, where he was encouraged in his writing by Irving Layton and Marshall McLuhan. Kertes founded Humber College's...
, Dave Bidini
Dave Bidini
Dave Bidini is a Canadian musician, journalist and author originating from Etobicoke, Ontario. He is a founding member of the acclaimed rock band Rheostatics, and has published several books about music and sports. He currently performs with his band, aptly named BidiniBand. The group's first...
, Jake MacDonald
Jake MacDonald
Jake MacDonald is a Canadian author who lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Over twenty-five years he has produced eight books of both fiction and non-fiction and several hundred stories for many of Canada’s leading publications, including the Globe and Mail, Canadian Geographic, Macleans, Cottage Life,...
, John Krizanc
John Krizanc
John Krizanc is a Canadian playwright who established an international reputation with his non-linear work, Tamara. Its Toronto production won him a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 1982.-Writing career:...
, Christina Jennings
Christina Jennings
Christina Jennings is a chairman and Co-CEO of Shaftesbury Films. She has won both a Genie and a Gemini Award, among other nominations.-External links:*...
, Judith Keenan, Michael Burke, Peter Lynch, Ron Mann
Ron Mann
Ronald "Ron" Mann is a Canadian documentary film director focusing primarily on aspects of Canadian and American popular culture. He does most of his work through his company Sphinx Productions, while also running a film distribution company on the side called 'FilmsWeLike'. Mann has also put...
, Robert Lantos
Robert Lantos
-Life and career:Lantos was born in Budapest, the son of Agnes and László Lantos, a mechanic and truck company owner. Lantos spent much of his childhood in Montevideo, Uruguay, where his family had fled after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956...
and many others.
Novels
Quarrington's novels are characterized by their humour (King LearyKing Leary
King Leary is a novel by Canadian humorist Paul Quarrington, published in 1987 by Doubleday Canada.-Plot introduction:The novel's protagonist is Percival "King" Leary, a legendary retired ice hockey player living in a smalltown nursing home, who is invited to Toronto by a young hotshot advertising...
received the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour in 1988) although they address serious subjects. His protagonists are largely emotionally crippled antiheroes who have withdrawn from society; typically, in Quarrington's work, an agent of some sort — a young woman in Whale Music, ghosts in King Leary, a hurricane in Galveston — challenges the protagonist's carefully ordered life and draws them back into the fold of humanity.
His novel The Ravine was published in March 2008. At the time of his death, Quarrington had completed a short film adaptation of the work (Pavane, 2008) and was collaborating on a television series adaptation of that novel, which he claimed to be semi-autobiographical. "It's about a writer who squanders his talents in television, drinks too much, screws around and ruins his marriage," Quarrington has said. "The reason it's 'semi-autobiographical' is the guy's name is 'Phil.'"
Influences
During his time, Quarrington has been an influential figure in Canadian literature, not only as an author, but also through his participation in teaching (Humber College and University of Toronto), publishing circles, organizations and events. He befriended many Canadian writers, including Timothy FindleyTimothy Findley
Timothy Irving Frederick Findley, OC, O.Ont was a Canadian novelist and playwright. He was also informally known by the nickname Tiff or Tiffy, an acronym of his initials.-Biography:...
. Quarrington and Findley held a mutual admiration for each other, with Findley once quoting that Quarrington was "an extraordinary writer with a rare gift." As a youngster, Quarrington came from a very musical background, and this showed consistently in his writing. While writing a review blurb for Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's book, The Favourite Game, he admired Cohen's "poetic craftsmanship." Another time, in typical whimsical Quarrington fashion, he declared, "I seem to like authors named John -- John Fowles
John Fowles
John Robert Fowles was an English novelist and essayist. In 2008, The Times newspaper named Fowles among their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".-Birth and family:...
, John Gardner
John Gardner
John Champlin Gardner, Jr. was an American novelist, essayist, literary critic and university professor. He is perhaps most noted for his novel Grendel, a retelling of the Beowulf myth from the monster's point of view....
, John Irving
John Irving
John Winslow Irving is an American novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of The World According to Garp in 1978...
. John Gardner is my favourite — he's sadly not so well known these days."
Cinema and television
Quarrington's adaptation, with director Richard J. LewisRichard J. Lewis
Richard J. Lewis is a television and film director born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.From 2002 to 2009, Lewis worked on the CBS television crime`drama series, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as writer, director and co-executive producer....
, of Whale Music was nominated for numerous Genie Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, in 1994. Actor Maury Chaykin
Maury Chaykin
Maury Alan Chaykin was an American-born Canadian actor. Best known for his portrayal of detective Nero Wolfe, he was also known for his work as a character actor in many films and on television programs.-Personal life:...
won best actor for his portrayal of the drug-addled Desmond Howl.
He won the Genie Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1991 for Perfectly Normal
Perfectly Normal
Perfectly Normal is a Canadian comedy film, released in 1991. Directed by Yves Simoneau and written by Eugene Lipinski and Paul Quarrington, the film starred Robbie Coltrane, Michael Riley and Kenneth Welsh.-Cast:*Robbie Coltrane as Alonzo Turner...
, a comedy that combined ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and grand opera.
Quarrington has also worked in the television industry, acting as writer and/or producer on such shows as Due South
Due South
Due South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie...
, Power Play
Power Play (TV series)
Power Play was a Canadian television drama series, which aired on CTV from 1998 to 2000. The series was filmed at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario....
and Moose TV
Moose TV
Moose TV is a Canadian television sitcom, airing on Showcase in the 2007-08 television season.The show stars Adam Beach as George Keeshig, a Cree from the fictional community of Moose in northern Quebec, who returns home after a decade living in Toronto to become manager of the local community...
, the latter winning Best Comedy from the CFTPA Indie Awards 2008.
Stage
Quarrington's work for the stage includes Dying is Easy, The Invention of Poetry and Three Ways from Sunday. He was a long-time board member of the Toronto Fringe Festival.Music
Quarrington collaborated with the band RheostaticsRheostatics
Rheostatics was a Genie Award-winning Canadian indie rock band, active from 1980 to 2007.Although they had only one Top 40 hit, "Claire" in 1995, they were simultaneously one of Canada's most influential and unconventional rock bands, a band whose eclectic take on pop and rock music has been...
on the Whale Music film soundtrack
Music from the Motion Picture Whale Music
Music from The Motion Picture Whale Music is a 1994 album by Rheostatics. It is the soundtrack to the film version of Paul Quarrington's novel Whale Music, and should not be confused with the band's 1992 album Whale Music....
, including a songwriting credit on the band's most successful hit single, "Claire".
Quarrington was also the lead singer/guitarist for the blues/roots/country ensemble Porkbelly Futures
Porkbelly Futures
Porkbelly Futures is a Canadian musical group. Although originally formed as a Chicago blues band in homage to Paul Butterfield, they soon opened themselves to other influences and began creating original work in a roots/country/folk/r'n'b mode...
. Their first CD, Way Past Midnight was released in late 2005 by Wildflower Records (owned by singer Judy Collins
Judy Collins
Judith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
) and spent six months on the "Americana" charts. Their second CD, Porkbelly Futures, was released by Cordova Bay Entertainment Group in April 2008. It contains many of Quarrington's original compositions. His solo CD called The Songs was released in May 2010, also by Cordova Bay.
He participated in the collaborative "Canadian Songbook" tour in 2008 with Murray McLauchlan
Murray McLauchlan
Murray McLauchlan, CM is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and harmonica player.-Biography:Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, he emigrated to Canada with his family when he was five years old...
, Stephen Fearing
Stephen Fearing
Stephen Fearing is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter.Fearing was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and raised in Dublin, Ireland. He returned to Canada in 1981 and began pursuing a career in music. In addition to his solo career, Fearing was one of the founding members of Blackie and the Rodeo...
and Catherine MacLellan
Catherine MacLellan
Catherine MacLellan is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter, currently based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The daughter of Canadian songwriter Gene MacLellan, she was born and raised in Summerside, Prince Edward Island....
.
In their teens, Quarrington and Hill also occasionally performed together as a folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
duo, billed as Quarrington/Hill. Paul and Martin Worthy achieved number one hit status with their tune "baby and the Blues" in 1980.
Final Chapter
Even after being diagnosed with lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in May 2009, Quarrington continued his plans to embark on various concert tours with Porkbelly Futures, while continuing to produce his own solo CD and the Porkbellys third release; complete his non-fiction memoir Cigar Box Banjo: Notes on Life and Music (Greystone Books, May 2010), deliver multiple screenplays for episodes of a television series for Shaftesbury Films
Shaftesbury Films
Shaftesbury Films is a Canadian film and television production company founded by Christina Jennings and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1987, Shaftesbury is a leading creator and producer of original content for television and multiple platforms, with programming available in more than...
(Notes on Euphoria, dir. John L'Ecuyer
John L'Ecuyer
John L'Ecuyer is a Canadian film and television director. He is the younger brother of Gerald L'Ecuyer, a noted Canadian film and television director. L'Ecuyer studied at Ryerson University in Toronto, where his classmates included screenwriter Brad Abraham.His first feature, Curtis's Charm , was...
) as well as give generously on camera as the featured subject of a documentary film initiated by he and colleague Judith Keenan; the film, Paul Quarrington: Life in Music, is an adaptation tied to his written memoir.
Rheostatics, who had broken up in 2007, reunited for a live tribute show to Quarrington produced by Humber College
Humber College
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning is a polytechnic college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Humber offers more than 150 programs including: bachelor’s degree, diploma, certificate, post-graduate certificate and apprenticeship programs, across 40 fields of study. Humber serves...
for Toronto's International Festival of Authors. Also appearing to celebrate his body of work in multiple genres were Christina Jennings, John Krizanc
John Krizanc
John Krizanc is a Canadian playwright who established an international reputation with his non-linear work, Tamara. Its Toronto production won him a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 1982.-Writing career:...
, Michael Burns, Wayson Choy
Wayson Choy
Wayson Choy, CM is a Canadian writer.-Early life:Choy was born in Vancouver in 1939. A Chinese Canadian, he spent his childhood in the city's Chinatown...
, Nino Ricci
Nino Ricci
Nino Ricci is a Canadian novelist who lives in Toronto, Ontario. He was born in Leamington, Ontario to Italian immigrants, Virginio and Amelia Ricci, from the province of Isernia, Molise....
, Paul Gross
Paul Gross
Paul Michael Gross is a Canadian actor, producer, director, singer and writer born in Calgary, Alberta. He is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the television series Due South as well as his 2008 war film Passchendaele, which he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in...
, Alistair McLeod, Joe Hall, Porkbelly Futures with David Gray, and talented family members Christine Quarrington, Tony Quarrington and Joel Quarrington. Michael Burke announced the launch of Quarrington Arts Society / Société des Arts Quarrington, to provide support for working and emerging artists committed to multi-disciplinary practices.
Quarrington's final collaboration with Hill and Worthy, a song about his journey with cancer called "Are You Ready", was completed just ten days before Quarrington's death. The song was conceived by Quarrington and film producer Keenan as the focal point for their feature documentary. Many other songs were also conceived and produced by Paul during this fertile creative time, including "All the Stars" (created just days after the diagnosis) and "Wherever You Go," all of which will be included on the posthumously released CD.
Quarrington died of lung cancer in Toronto on January 21, 2010, aged 56.
Awards
King LearyKing Leary
King Leary is a novel by Canadian humorist Paul Quarrington, published in 1987 by Doubleday Canada.-Plot introduction:The novel's protagonist is Percival "King" Leary, a legendary retired ice hockey player living in a smalltown nursing home, who is invited to Toronto by a young hotshot advertising...
won the Stephen Leacock Award in 1988, and Whale Music
Whale Music
Whale Music is a novel by Canadian writer Paul Quarrington. It was first published by Doubleday Canada in 1989.The novel's central character is Desmond Howl, a reclusive former rock star who has lived in virtual seclusion from the world since the death of his brother Danny in a car accident...
won the 1989 Governor General's Award for Fiction
1989 Governor General's Awards
Each winner of the 1989 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit received $5000 dollars and a medal from the Governor General of Canada. The winners and nominees were selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Fiction:...
.
Galveston, published in the United States as Storm Chasers, was nominated for the prestigious Giller Prize. He lost to Alice Munro
Alice Munro
Alice Ann Munro is a Canadian short-story writer, the winner of the 2009 Man Booker International Prize for her lifetime body of work, a three-time winner of Canada's Governor General's Award for fiction, and a perennial contender for the Nobel Prize...
— which, Quarrington stated afterward, "was hard to feel upset about. It's like losing to Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
."
In February 2008, King Leary was put forward by Dave Bidini
Dave Bidini
Dave Bidini is a Canadian musician, journalist and author originating from Etobicoke, Ontario. He is a founding member of the acclaimed rock band Rheostatics, and has published several books about music and sports. He currently performs with his band, aptly named BidiniBand. The group's first...
as one of the five books considered 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 Canada Reads
Canada Reads
Canada Reads is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC.-Overview:During Canada Reads, five personalities champion five different books, each champion extolling the merits of one of the titles. The debate is broadcast over a series...
. Bidini ultimately prevailed, and King Leary was named the book that everyone in the nation should read.
His short film Pavane, adapted from his novel The Ravine, garnered a Remi Platinum Award Houston's WorldFest, was juried in several other US festivals, and was broadcast in Canada on Bravo!FACT Presents and CBC Reflections. He and the creative team for ShowCase earned the CFPTA Indie Award for Comedy for the series Moose TV.
In 2009, the Writers' Trust of Canada
Writers' Trust of Canada
The Writers' Trust of Canada is a non-profit organization which provides financial support to Canadian writers.Founded by Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, David Young and Margaret Laurence, the Writers' Trust of Canada was registered as a non-profit organization in 1976...
awarded Quarrington its Matt Cohen Prize
Matt Cohen Prize
The Matt Cohen Prize is an award given annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to a Canadian writer, in honour of a distinguished lifetime contribution to Canadian literature...
for a distinguished lifetime contribution to Canadian literature.
On June 10, 2010, Quarrington was posthumously awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters by Nipissing University
Nipissing University
Nipissing University is a public liberal arts university located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, on a site overlooking Lake Nipissing. The university's unique character is defined by its location in Northern Ontario, and a large and highly respected faculty of education...
. His daughter Carson accepted the award on his behalf.
Novels
- The Service (1978)
- Home Game (1983)
- The Life of Hope (1985)
- King LearyKing LearyKing Leary is a novel by Canadian humorist Paul Quarrington, published in 1987 by Doubleday Canada.-Plot introduction:The novel's protagonist is Percival "King" Leary, a legendary retired ice hockey player living in a smalltown nursing home, who is invited to Toronto by a young hotshot advertising...
(1987) - Whale MusicWhale MusicWhale Music is a novel by Canadian writer Paul Quarrington. It was first published by Doubleday Canada in 1989.The novel's central character is Desmond Howl, a reclusive former rock star who has lived in virtual seclusion from the world since the death of his brother Danny in a car accident...
(1989) - Logan in Overtime (1990)
- Civilization (1994)
- The Spirit CabinetThe Spirit CabinetThe Spirit Cabinet is a novel by Paul Quarrington about two oddball Las Vegas magicians. It was first published by Random House of Canada in 1999....
(1999) - Galveston (2004)
- The Ravine (2008)
Non-Fiction
- Hometown Heroes: On the Road with Canada's National Hockey Team (1988)
- Fishing with my Old Guy (1995)
- Original Six: True Stories From Hockey's Classic Era (1996)
- The Boy on the Back of the Turtle (1997)
- Fishing for Brookies, Browns and Bows: The Old Guy's Complete Guide to Catching Trout (2001)
- From the Far Side of the River - (2003)
- Cigar Box Banjo: Notes on Music and Life (2010)
Drama
- The Second (1990)
- The Invention of Poetry (1989)
- So You Think You’re Mozart (1991)
- Checkout Time (1996)
- Dying is Easy (1997)
- Heart in a Bottle (2001)
- Three Ways from Sunday (2007)
Selected filmography
Short Films by Quarrington- Seventh Seal Inspired by Paul Quarrington (2010)
- Pavane, Screenwriter & Director; Fizzy Dreams, Crush Inc., BookShorts Inc / Bravo!FACT / CBC Reflections (2008)
- Angel Takes All: No Limit Texas Hold 'Em (2006)
- A Man's Life Writer/Director Short; Moondog Films
- Mann Over Moon Writer/Director Short; Fizzy Dreams Inc. Producer (2000)
- Mump and Smoot in the Princess Who Wouldn't Smile Director Short, Canadian Film Centre
Feature Films
- Vulnerable (2010) Screenwriter; Producer Greg Dummett, CineAmerique
- Camilla (1994) Writer Feature; directed by Deepa Mehta and starring Jessica Tandy. Majestic Films / Shaftesbury / British Screen
- Whale Music (1994)Co-Writer Feature, Alliance / Cape Scott; Genie Award Best Song
- Giant Steps (1992)Co-Writer Feature; OB & D Films
- Perfectly Normal (1990)Co-Writer Feature; BSB / Bialystock & Bloom / Skyhost; Genie Award Best Screenplay
Series and One-Offs
- Notebooks on Euphoria / Shaftsbury Films / The Movie Network
- Keep Your Head Up: Story Editor and Barna Alper Productions / CBC
- The Don Cherry Story consultant / CBC
- Men With Brooms Co-Creator and 1/2 hr comedy series in development with Writer Serendipity / CBC
- Moose TV Writer and 1 hour comedy series Exec. Story Editor Rezolution Films / Showcase
- BookShorts Moving Stories TV / Story Editor & Host / CLT
- Puck Hogs Story Editor Feature in development with Protocol Ent.
- Call Forward Story Consultant Feature; Protocol Entertainment
- Whiskey Echo Story Editor Miniseries; Barna Alper Productions /CBC
- 1-800 Missing Writer and Hour long drama series; NDG Creative Producer Productions / Lion?s Gate
- Cradle Will Fall Writer MOW; Barna Alper Productions
- Chilly Beach Writer and ? hour animated comedy series. Story Consultant March Entertainment / CBC
- Tom Stone Writer Hour long drama series; Alberta Film Works / CBC
- Men With Brooms Story Consultant Feature starring Paul Gross / Whizbang/Serendipity Point Films
- Power Play Writer and Exec. Story Editor Serendipity Point Films / NDG Productions / Alliance Atlantis / CTV WGC Award
- John Woo's Once a Thief Writer Alliance / NDG Productions / CTV
- Due South Writer, Program Drama Series; Alliance-Atlantis / Consultant CTV / CBS; Gemini Nomination Best Writing