Heather Kirk (1949–) Biography

Born 1949, in London, Ontario, Canada; Education: Dalhousie University, B.A., 1973; University of Toronto, M.A., 1975; York University, M.A., 1989. Hobbies and other interests: Long-distance swimming, dog walking.

Career

Writer, teacher, and editor. Freelance writer and editor; University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, lecturer, 1975–77; University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, instructor, 1977–79; Grande Prairie R. College, Grande Prairie, Alberta, instructor, 1980–84; Georgian College, Barrie, Ontario, Canada, part-time instructor, 1990–2005.

Member

Canadian Society of Authors, Illustrators, and Performers; Writers' Union of Canada.

Heather Kirk

Honors Awards

Second prize, L.F. Brannan Memorial Essay Competition, 1987, for Negative Capability; Frank E. Thomas Award, 1988, for nonfiction prose in Cross-Canada Writers' magazine; nonfiction prize, Grain, 1999; finalist, Writers' Union of Canada Writing for Children Competition, 2000.

Writings

Warsaw Spring, Napoleon Pub. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2001.

A Drop of Rain (sequel to Warsaw Spring), Napoleon Publishing (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2004.

Wacousta (based on the novel by John Richardson), Winding Trail Press (Embrun, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

Contributor to periodicals, including Canadian Literature 84, Grain, Beaver, Bookbird, Books in Canada, Canadian Author, Canadian Children's Literature, Canadian Review of Materials, Canadian Women's Studies, Contemporary Verse II, Cross-Canada Writers, Literary Review of Canada, Poetry Toronto, Quill & Quire, Scrivener, Wascana Review, and Western People. Author of radio scripts for Canadian stations, including Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Work in Progress

A novel for young adults; a humorous grammar book; a junior biography, Mazo de la Roche: Rich and Famous Writer, for XYZ Publishing, 2006.

Sidelights

Heather Kirk told SATA: "I wrote the novels Warsaw Spring and Drop of Rain because I admire modern Poland. The Polish solidarity uprising was one of the greatest passive-resistance movements of the twentieth century, if not the greatest!

"I rewrote the classic Canadian novel Wacousta, by John Richardson, because I am fascinated with the early history of Canada. Wacousta illuminates the early conflicts between aboriginals and Europeans, and it is fair to both sides."