TORONTO, November 18, 2002 -- Celebrated Canadian writer Richard B. Wright will read from his award-winning novel Clara Callan (Harper Collins, 2001) at York University on Thursday, November 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Set in the middle of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Wright's novel chronicles the lives of two sisters. Clara is a spinsterish school teacher whose quiet life in a small Ontario town masks a passion for love and adventure. Nora, her flighty and very pretty sister, travels to New York where she lands a starring role in a radio soap opera. Written in diary and letter form, the novel brilliantly reveals the sisters' stories and increasingly complex lives.
Clara Callan topped Canadian bestseller lists for more than 32 weeks and has won the 2001 Giller Prize for Fiction; the 2001 Governor General's Award for Fiction and the Trillium Book Award.
Wright is also the author of In the Middle of a Life (1973), Farthing's Fortunes (1976), Final Things (1980), The Teacher's Daughter (1982), Tourists (1984), Sunset Manor (1990) and The Age of Longing (1995).
Wright’s reading is part of an innovative first-year English course taught by Prof. John Unrau 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.
Wright’s reading will take place in Stedman Lecture Hall ‘D’, York University, 4700 Keele Street.
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For further information, please contact:
| Prof. John Unrau | Ken Turriff |
| Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies | Media Relations |
| York University | York University |
| 416-736-2100, ext. 33893 | 416-736-2100, ext. 22086 |
| junrau@yorku.ca | kturriff@yorku.ca |
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