Timothy Findley

Born in ''.

Findley was briefly married to actress Janet Reid , but the marriage was subsequently Annulled . In 1951 , he met writer William Whitehead , who remained Findley's partner for the remainder of his life. Findley and Whitehead also collaborated on several Documentary projects in the 1970s .

Through Wilder, Findley became a close friend of actress Ruth Gordon , whose work as a screenwriter and playwright inspired Findley to consider writing as well. After Findley published his first short story in the '' Tamarack Review '', Gordon encouraged him to pursue writing more actively, and he eventually left acting in the 1960s .

Findley's first two Novel s, ''The Last of the Crazy People'' ( 1967 ) and ''The Butterfly Plague'' ( 1969 ), were originally published in Britain and the United States after having been rejected by Canadian pubishers. Findley's third novel, ''The Wars'', was published to great acclaim in 1977 and went on to win the Governor General's Award for fiction. It was adapted for film in 1981 .

Timothy Findley received a Governor General's Award, the Canadian Authors Association Award, an ACTRA Award, the Order Of Ontario , the Ontario Trillium Award , and in 1985 he was appointed an Officer of the Order Of Canada . He was a founding member and chair of the Writers' Union Of Canada , and a president of the Canadian chapter of PEN International .

His writing, typical of the Southern Ontario Gothic genre, was heavily influenced by Jungian psychology, and Mental Illness , Gender and Sexuality were frequent recurring themes in his work. His characters often carried dark personal secrets, and were often conflicted -- sometimes to the point of Psychosis -- by these burdens.

He resided in rural Ontario and the south of France with his partner, William Whitehead . He was honoured by the French government, who declared him a "''Chevalier de l'ordre des arts et des lettres''".

Findley was also the author of several dramas for television and stage. '' Elizabeth Rex '', his most successful play, premiered at the Stratford Festival to rave reviews and won a Governor General's award. '' Shadows '', first performed in 2001 , was his last completed work.

Timothy Findley died near Toulouse , France .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Novels