The following material was contributed by Paul Barnes, Derek Hayes,
Lindsey Hume, Courtenay Lewis, and Candace Robicheau.
For another
site on biography, or for For another
site on Findley's works.
- Born in Toronto in 1930
- Until recently, lived just outside of Toronto near Cannington with his companion William Whitehead. New home will be in Europe.
- An actor in Canada from 1948-1962
- He was a member of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, and was in Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker.
- Ruth Gordon (star of The Matchmaker) and Thornton Wilder (the playwright) helped to inspire Findley's writings.
- First novel was The Last of the Crazy People in 1967 and the second The Butterfly Plague in 1969. The Wars was published in 1977.
- The Last of The Crazy People and Butterfly Plague were rejected by Canadian Publishers and were first published in Britain.
- The Wars on the other hand changed things
a great deal when it won the Governor General's Literary Award in Canada..
Findley's Plays:
- Can You See Me Yet? 1976 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa
- John A. Himself 1979 in London, Ontario
- Still Born 1993 in London, Ontario
Awards and Offices:
- Governor General's Award for The Wars
- Canadian Author's Association Award
- ACTRA Award
- Ontario Trillium Award
- Appointed an officer of the Order of Canada
-Served as the chairperson of the Writer's Union
of Canada
"Inside Memory" and its relation to "the Wars"
- Early sections of "The Wars" have an atmospheric resemblance
to that of "Inside Memory". Both are dark, hopeless and lonely.
- Many scenes from "The Wars" are vividly described in "Inside Memory". The most evident being Robert Ross' homosexual experiences which seem even more terrible in this short explanation.