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Donna Morrissey

ドナ・モリシー

Donna Morrissey

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1956-01-13 （The Beaches, Newfoundland and Labrador）
Nationality
Canada
Languages
English
Residence History
The Beaches, Newfoundland and Labrador → St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador → Halifax, Nova Scotia

Career

Occupations
Author, Screenwriter
Active Years
1999-2024
Nominations
Shortlisted for the Books in Canada First Novel Award for Kit's Law, Shortlisted for the Atlantic Provinces Booksellers' Choice Award for Kit's Law, Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Sylvanus Now

Education

Memorial University of Newfoundland
Social Work
Degree: Bachelor of Social Work
Country: Canada
and a diploma in adult education

Awards

Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Award
2000
Work: Kit's Law
Organization: Canadian Booksellers Association
Result: winner
Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize
Work: Kit's Law
Result: winner
Alex Award
2002
Work: Kit's Law
Organization: American Library Association
Result: winner
Thomas Head Raddall Award
2001
Work: Downhill Chance
Result: winner
Thomas Head Raddall Award
2005
Work: Sylvanus Now
Result: winner
Gemini Awards
2002
Work: Clothesline Patch
Category: Best Production
Result: winner
Thomas Head Raddall Award
2016
Work: The Fortunate Brother
Result: winner
Arthur Ellis Award
2017
Work: The Fortunate Brother
Category: Best Crime Book
Organization: Crime Writers of Canada
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Kit's Law

1999 Novel

A story of family set in Newfoundland

familypoverty

Downhill Chance

2000 Novel

Sylvanus Now

2005 Novel

What They Wanted

2008 Novel

The Deception of Livvy Higgs

2012 Novel

The Fortunate Brother

2016 Novel

Pluck: A Memoir of a Newfoundland Childhood and the Raucous, Terrible, Amazing Journey to Becoming a Novelist

2021 Memoir

Rage the Night

Novel

Bibliography

  • Kit's Law
  • Downhill Chance
  • Sylvanus Now
  • What They Wanted
  • The Deception of Livvy Higgs
  • The Fortunate Brother
  • Pluck
  • Rage the Night

Adaptations

  • Clothesline Patch (screenplay)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Use of Newfoundland dialect
Recurring Motifs
family relationshipscommunity

Health

  • breast cancer
    underwent a double mastectomy

Legacy

Canadian bestselling author known for prize-winning novels set in Newfoundland. Participated in Canada Reads.

In Popular Culture

  • Defended Frank Parker Day's Rockbound in Canada Reads 2005, which won.
  • Championed Anosh Irani's The Song of Kahunsha in Canada Reads 2007 all-star.