Sandra Birdsell

Sandra Birdsell's first collection of short stories, "Night Travellers" was published by Turnstone Press in 1982 to wide critical acclaim. William French of the "Globe and Mail," titled his review, "Birdsell Revives Joy of Discovering Major New Talent," and said, "... Ms. Birdsell has us well and truly hooked."

The second collection of short stories, "Ladies of the House", was published in 1984 by Turnstone Press. Of his collection, Alberto Manguel in "Books In Canada" said, "... these stories confirm Birdsell's position of one of the best short story writers in the language."
In 1989 Birdsell published her first novel with Lester & Orpen Dennys, "The Missing Child," and in 1992 completed a second novel, "The Chrome Suite," published by McClelland and Stewart in September, 1992.

AWARDS
Birdsell is the recipient of Canada Council B Grants and Manitoba Arts Council Major Arts Awards, the Robert Kroetsch Scholarship which enabled her to study creative writing with the author Jack Hodgins at the Saskatchewan Summer School of the Arts. She was awarded the League of Canadian Poets Gerald Lampert Award for her book, "Night Travellers," and a National Magazine Award for her story, "Falling In Love." In 1986 Birdsell was chosen by the Canadian Book Information Centre as one of 10 authors below the age of 45 whose work is the most promising. Her first novel, "The Missing Child," was nominated for McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award and received the Books in Canada, WH Smith First Novel Award.
In 1992 Birdsell received the Joseph B Staufer Award from the Canada Council for "meritorious Achievement in the Arts." In 1992 her second novel, "The Chrome Suite," was nominated for The Governor Generals Award and received the McNally Robinson award for best book published in 1992. In October 1993, Birdsell was given the Marian Engel Award, Canada's most prestigious award honouring women writers who have made a major contribution to Canadian Literature.

Birdsell has been invited to teach at the School of Fine Arts in Banff Alberta, University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, and as a Writer in Residence at the University of Waterloo, Alberta, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan. She has been invited to read from her work and attend workshops in many parts of Canada, the United States and Italy. Birdsell has also explored other forms of writing and her first stage play, "A Prairie Boy's Winter" was co-written with two other writers and produced by Prairie Theatre Exchange, in London Ontario, and Alberta. A second play, "The Revival," was also produced by Prairie Theatre Exchange in their 1985/86 season. She has also written scripts for independent and CBC co-produced television series, for The National Film Board, and radio drama.

PUBLICATIONS, BOOKS:

The Town That Floated Away a chapter book for 8 to 11 year olds Harper Collins, Autumn, 1997
The Two-Headed Calf, short stories, McClelland & Stewart Spring, 1997
The Chrome Suite, a novel McClelland & Stewart, September 1992, Virago Press, Great Britain, 1994.
Agassiz A Novel In Stories Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis Minn. USA March 1991.
The Missing Child a novel. Lester & Orpen Dennys. September 1989.

Story Collections. Trade Paper, Little Brown, 1990. Agassiz Stories Turnstone Press 1987 (combined volume of "Ladies of the House" and "Night Travellers."
Ladies of the House French translation du Roseau, 1990 Montreal, Quebec.
Ladies of the House Turnstone Press, 1984. Short Stories.
Night Travellers Turnstone Press, 1982. Short Stories.

SCRIPTS:

The Waiting Time a 60 minute radio drama commissioned by CBC produced in March, 1993.
Another View of North a 60 minute radio drama commissioned by CBC and produced in June, 1992.
The Town That Floated Away, a 30 minute radio drama produced by Barbara Nicol, CBC, September 1992. Released on CD and cassette, BMG records.
Euclid & Main Euclid and Main Street Productions Inc. Episode #3 for a television series pilot.
Niagara Falls West End Productions Inc.A 45 minute film script as part of a trilogy, "In Good Season." Produced in a 30 minute format for the CBC "The Way We Are," series.
Summer Storm : Novina Motion Pictures. A 30 minute film script produced for a CBC "Family Pictures" series.
Falling In Love West End Productions Inc. A 30 minute film script as part of a trilogy, "In Good Season."
Cora West End Productions Inc. A 30 minute film script as part of a trilogy, " In Good Season."
Places Not Our Own National Film Board. A 60 minute drama for the mini series, "Daughters of the Country."
From the Heart A 30 minute script written for and produced by the National Film Board's Screen Institute.

THEATRE:

A Prairie Boy's Winter: A one act play for children. Co- written and produced by Prairie Theatre Exchange, 1986. The play also toured rural Manitoba several years, was produced in London Ontario and by the National Theatre Centre in Ottawa and Edmonton, Alberta. The play has been remounted in Winnipeg four times since it's first run and toured northern Quebec and the Maritimes.

The Revival A Two Act Play commissioned by Prairie Theatre Exchange and produced in 1987.

ANTHOLOGIES:

Birdsell's stories have appeared in many anthologies including: "The Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories," "Stories by Canadian Women," "Section Lines," "Liars and Rascals," "From Ink Lake," "Evening Games," "Canadian Short Stories," "Double Bond," "La Reina Negra Y Otras Historias."

AWARDS:
Nominated for National Magazine Award 1995
Canada Council B grant 1994
Manitoba Arts Council Major Arts grant 1993
Marion Engel Award 1993
McNalley Robinson Award Best Book of the Year 1993.
Nominated for the Governor General's Award for, "The Chrome Suite," 1992
Holder of the Joseph S. Stauffer Prize, The Canada Council 1992, for meritorious achievement in the arts
Nominated for the "Irish Times Aeorlingus Award," for "Agassiz, a Novel In Stories," 1991
Canada Council B Grant, 1990
Nominated for the Manitoba Book Award, 1990
WH Smith Books In Canada Award for first novel, "The Missing Child," 1990
Manitoba Arts Council Senior Arts Grant 1989
45 Below Award, by The Canadian Book Information Centre. Chosen as one of ten "most promising writers below the age of 45." Canada Council B Grant, 1984.
National Magazine Award for Short Fiction, 1984.
Gerald Lampert Award, the League of Canadian Poets, 1984, for "Night Travellers."
Robert Kroetsch Scholarship, Saskatchewan Arts Board, 1982.

WRITING RELATED EXPERIENCE:
Writer in Residence Saskatoon Public Library 1995
Mentor, Manitoba Writers Guild Mentor Program, 1994
Workshop leader, Banff School of Fine Arts 1993
Instructor, University of Toronto Summer School of Writing 1993
Writer in Residence Prince Edward Island, 1991
Writer in Residence, The University of Alberta, 1991.
Workshop leader, Maritime Writers Workshop
Mentor, Manitoba Writers Guild Mentor Program, 1990
Writer in Residence University of Lethbridge, Alberta, 1990
Writer in Residence, The University of Waterloo, 1987 to 1989
Artists in the Schools, Manitoba 1985 to 1986
Creative Writing Instructor, Red River Community College, 1981, 1984
Story Editor for Novina Motion Pictures Inc. 1989 to present.
Script Editor for "Moment of Light," Blue Morpho Films Inc.
Script Writer and Production Assistant in the National Film Board Screen Institute.
Teacher, Red River Community College, Creative Writing, 1979-80 and 1983 -85.
Fiction Editor, Prairie Fire Journal, 1980 -83.

Readings and Conference participant at:
Universita di Messina, Italy,
Universita Ca' Foscari, Italy.
Canada House, London, England,
Nottingham, England.
University of Upper State, New York, Plattsburgh, New York.
University of Lodz, Poland.

WRITING RELATED TRAINING:

Saskatchewan Summer School of the Arts, working with the writer, Jack Hodgins.
Creative Writing, The University of Manitoba with writer Robert Kroetsch.
Creative Writing, The University of Winnipeg.
Script Writing: The Screen Institute, The National Film Board, Edmonton Alberta.

AFFILIATIONS:

Member of P.E.N. International
The Writers Union of Canada
The Writers Guild of Canada
Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
Founder and member of the Manitoba Writers' Guild.
Member of the Manitoba Association of Playwrights
Member of the Manitoba Metis Federation