TORONTO, January 15, 2002 -- Jane Urquhart, one of Canada's best-known writers, will read from her bestselling novel The Stone Carvers (McClelland and Stewart, 2001) at York University, Thursday, January 17, 7:30 p.m.
Set in a small Ontario town, Urquhart’s novel tells the story of 38-year-old spinster, Klara Becker, a wood carver who travels to France disguised as a man to work on the Vimy memorial. At Vimy she finally puts the pain and suffering of losing her childhood sweetheart, killed in battle, to rest.
The Stone Carvers was short-listed for both the Giller Prize and Governor General’s Award for fiction and has been on The Globe and Mail's national bestseller list for 40 weeks. Her novel Away (McClelland and Stewart, 1993) remained on The Globe’s national bestseller list for 132 weeks (the longest of any Canadian book) and was shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Urquhart was named to France's Order of Arts and Letters as a Chevalier in 1996, and won the 1997 Governor General's Award for her novel The Underpainter (Viking, 1997).
Urquhart’s reading is part of an innovative first-year English course which introduces students and avid readers to some of the best contemporary Canadian writers and poets. The readings are free and open to the public.
The series is sponsored by York's Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies, with the support of the Canada Council and many other sponsors. Urquhart’s reading will take place in Stedman Lecture Hall ‘D’, York University, 4700 Keele Street.
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