Timothy Findley

Timothy Findley (1930-2002) was a Canadian novelist and playwright. Born in Toronto, Findley started his career in the arts by pursuing dancing and acting, including participating in the Ontario Stratford Festival’s first season in 1953. He studied at the London Central School of Speech and Drama and starred in the premiere of Thornton Wilder’s play The Matchmaker in 1954. Through Wilder, Findley met actress Ruth Gordon, who in turn encouraged him to pursue writing. He eventually left acting to focus exclusively on writing. Findley published a series of ten novels and three collections of short stories over the remainder of his career, starting with The Last of the Crazy People in 1967. Findley also continued to write plays and scripts for theatre and television, including in collaboration with his partner William Whitehead, whom he met in 1962. International acclaim for his third novel, The Wars (1977), including a Governor General’s Award and 1983 film adaptation, established his literary reputation. The recipient of numerous awards, he was appointed as an officer of the Order of Canada in 1985. Findley also was heavily involved in activism and professional service, including serving as a founding member and Chair of the Writer’s Union of Canada and President of the Canadian Chapter of PEN International. He died in 2002 at his residence in France.