In September, 2005, Michael Redhill, renowned author, poet and playwright will be the Snider Visiting Artist at the University of Toronto at Scarborough (UTSC).
"He is the next big writer for this generation," says UTSC English professor, Russell Brown. "We are thrilled to welcome Michael back to our faculty"
Redhill's role as Snider Visiting Artist will be his second teaching experience at UTSC. In the 2004-2005 academic year Redhill taught Creative Writing: Poetry for the Department of Humanities.
"What I found last year, and what I look forward to this year," says Redhill, "is a certain kind of openness and curiosity of the students I met in the creative writing program. Students at UTSC are well-read and engaged, and there was a kind of quiet and intimacy at UTSC that was just right for talking about writing. Away from the pressures of downtown and the noise of a big campus, students were able to really focus on the work."
Redhill will teach two courses simultaneously this fall and will teach a fiction workshop in the spring, giving students access to his expertise and industry knowledge. During his one-year term he will hold office hours to meet with writers one-on-one.
"My door will be open to anyone at UTSC who'd like to show a professional writer their work," says Redhill. "I'll be reading whatever comes in my door, and meeting with the writers throughout the year."
The Department of Humanities also has plans to offer a 6-week (non-credit) writing workshop with Redhill in October, 2005.
Redhill's most recent novel Martin Sloan was short listed for the 2001 Giller Prize and the 2002 Trillium Award. It also won the Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Fiction, Canada/Caribbean.
As a poet he has compiled four poetry collections, including Asphodel (1997) and Light-crossing (2001). His play, Building Jerusalem, has earned multiple awards including 2000 Dora Award for Outstanding New Play and was a finalist for the 2001 Governor General's Award. Redhill’s new play, Goodness, premiers at the Tarragon Theatre (Toronto) in October, 2005.
For more information on UTSC's Department of Humanies, visit:
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~humdiv/index.html