Commonwealth Writers' Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 4 (1990) Winner
Mordecai Richler
モーデカイ・リッチラー
Mordecai Richler
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1931-01-27 （Montreal, Quebec, Canada）
- Died
- 2001-07-03 （Montreal, Quebec, Canada） age 70
- Nationality
- Canada
- Languages
- English, Yiddish
- Religion
- Atheist
- Residence History
- Montreal (birthplace; long-term residence) → London (circa 1954–1972) → Paris (short-term residence, age 19)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Journalist, Screenwriter
- Active Years
- 1950-2001
- Influenced By
- Rabbi Yehudah Yudel Rosenberg (grandfather; Jewish religious writer)
- Nominations
- St. Urbain's Horseman (Booker Prize nominee), Solomon Gursky Was Here (Booker Prize nominee)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baron Byng High School | — | — | — | — | Canada |
| Sir George Williams College (now Concordia University) | — | — | — | — | Canada |
Baron Byng High School
Country:
Canada
Graduated high school
Sir George Williams College (now Concordia University)
Country:
Canada
Attended but did not complete a degree
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Companion of the Order of Canada | — | — | Government of Canada | 受章 |
| 1969 | Governor General's Award | Cocksure and Hunting Tigers Under Glass | — | Governor General of Canada | 受賞 |
| 1972 | Governor General's Award | St. Urbain's Horseman | — | Governor General of Canada | 受賞 |
| 1997 | Giller Prize | Barney's Version | — | Giller Prize Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1990 | Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best Book) | Solomon Gursky Was Here | — | Commonwealth Writers' Prize | 受賞 |
| 1975 | Writers Guild of America Award (Best Comedy, screenplay) | The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (screenplay) | — | Writers Guild of America | 受賞 |
| 1998 | Stephen Leacock Award for Humour | Barney's Version | — | Stephen Leacock Award | 受賞 |
| 1976 | Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children | Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang | — | Canadian Library Association | 受賞 |
| 2000 | Honorary Doctorate (McGill University) | — | — | McGill University | 授与 |
Companion of the Order of Canada
2001
Organization:
Government of Canada
Result:
受章
Governor General's Award
1969
Work:
Cocksure and Hunting Tigers Under Glass
Organization:
Governor General of Canada
Result:
受賞
Governor General's Award
1972
Work:
St. Urbain's Horseman
Organization:
Governor General of Canada
Result:
受賞
Giller Prize
1997
Work:
Barney's Version
Organization:
Giller Prize Foundation
Result:
受賞
Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best Book)
1990
Work:
Solomon Gursky Was Here
Organization:
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Result:
受賞
Writers Guild of America Award (Best Comedy, screenplay)
1975
Work:
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (screenplay)
Organization:
Writers Guild of America
Result:
受賞
Stephen Leacock Award for Humour
1998
Work:
Barney's Version
Organization:
Stephen Leacock Award
Result:
受賞
Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children
1976
Work:
Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang
Organization:
Canadian Library Association
Result:
受賞
Honorary Doctorate (McGill University)
2000
Organization:
McGill University
Result:
授与
Awards & Nominations
Giller Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 4 (1997) Winner
Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour
1 appearances
-
Edition 51 (1998) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
1959 Novel (social novel)A novel set in Montreal's Jewish community following Duddy Kravitz's ruthless pursuit of success and the moral compromises he makes.
ambitionJewish communitysocial mobility
Adaptations
- [Film] The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (film) / Ted Kotcheff (1974)
- [Stage (musical)] The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (musical productions) (1984)
St. Urbain's Horseman
1971 NovelA reflective novel mixing memoir and fiction about an author's life, relationships and moral reckonings set around Montreal's St. Urbain Street.
memoryauthorial identitynostalgia
Adaptations
- [Television drama] St. Urbain's Horseman (TV drama) (1971)
Barney's Version
1997 Novel (contemporary)A novel chronicling the life of Barney, blending humor and pathos to explore family, memory, and the blurry line between truth and fiction.
memory and truthfamilyhumor and pathos
Adaptations
- [Film] Barney's Version (film) / Richard J. Lewis (2010)
Solomon Gursky Was Here
1989 Novel (with historical elements)A sprawling family saga exploring wealth, power and the interwoven fates of characters across generations.
family historylegendpower
The Street (short story collection)
1969 Short story collectionA collection of short stories about life in Montreal's Jewish community, focusing on human drama and everyday detail.
communityordinary struggles
Adaptations
- [Animated short film] The Street (animated short) / Caroline Leaf (1976)
Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang
1975 Children's fiction (fantasy) 100 pagesA humorous and adventurous children's tale featuring Jacob Two-Two and his whimsical escapades; part of a series.
childhood adventureimagination
Adaptations
- [Film] Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1978 film, later adaptations) (1978)
- [Television (TV film)] Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1999 TV film) (1999)
- [Animated TV series] Jacob Two-Two (animated TV series) (2003)
Oh Canada! Oh Quebec!
1992 Non-fiction (essay)An essay/book criticizing Quebec's language policies and nationalism, which provoked significant controversy on publication.
nationalismlanguage policypolitical commentary
Bibliography
- The Acrobats (1954)
- Son of a Smaller Hero (1955)
- A Choice of Enemies (1957)
- The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959)
- The Incomparable Atuk (1963)
- Cocksure (1968)
- St. Urbain's Horseman (1971)
- Joshua Then and Now (1980)
- Solomon Gursky Was Here (1989)
- Barney's Version (1997)
Adaptations
- Film and stage adaptations of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974 film, stage musicals)
- Animated adaptation of The Street (1976, Caroline Leaf)
- Jacob Two-Two adaptations (1978 film, 1999 TV film, 2003 animated series)
- Barney's Version film (2010)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- satiricalclear, dry humorsocial realism
- Recurring Motifs
- Jewish community lifeMontreal neighbourhoods (especially St. Urbain Street)memory and identityimmigration and cultural conflict
Health
-
Kidney cancer晩年（2001年に死去）Died of cancer in 2001. Illness affected his later life and work.
Legacy
A leading Canadian writer known for portrayals of Montreal's Jewish community and trenchant commentary. Winner of numerous awards, frequently adapted to film and stage, and influential in Canadian cultural life.
Museums
- Mordecai Richler Library (Mile End Library) Montreal, Mile End neighbourhood Opened in 2015
- Mordecai Richler gazebo (Mount Royal Park, Montreal) Montreal, near Mount Royal Park Opened in 2016
Archives
- Personal papers (portions held in Canadian libraries/archives)
In Popular Culture
- Multiple film/TV adaptations (The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Barney's Version, Jacob Two-Two, etc.)
- Posthumous honours including induction to Canada's Walk of Fame
Quotes
-
“To a middle-class stranger, it is true, one street would have seemed as squalid as the next.”
Source: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959) -
"without question one of Canada’s greatest writers."
Source: Charles Foran (Historica Canada) commentary (2015)
Trivia
- Oh Canada! Oh Quebec! provoked significant controversy in the early 1990s.
- Richler wrote/adapted screenplays; The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz was adapted to film in 1974.
- The Jacob Two-Two series became popular children's books and was adapted into an animated TV series.
- Posthumously honoured (Companion of the Order of Canada in 2001; inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame).