Findley, Timothy (1930-2002), was a Canadian novelist, short-story writer, and playwright who wrote in a broad range of styles. His works include mystery, horror, science fiction, history, and suspense. Much of his writing deals with the stresses of life on deeply troubled characters.
Findley received a Governor General’s Literary Award for his novel The Wars (1977), about a Canadian army officer during World War I (1914-1918). Governor General’s Literary Awards are the highest national prizes given to Canadian authors. Findley won the Governor General’s Literary Award in drama for his historical play Elizabeth Rex (2000). His novel Not Wanted on the Voyage (1984) is an account of the Biblical story of Noah and the ark told from the viewpoint of Noah’s wife. The Telling of Lies (1986) is a mystery story. Findley’s first novel was The Last of the Crazy People (1967). He also wrote the novels The Butterfly Plague (1969), Famous Last Words (1981), Headhunter (1993), The Piano Man’s Daughter (1995) and Pilgrim (1999).
Findley’s short stories were collected in Dinner Along the Amazon (1984), Stones (1988), and Dust to Dust (1997). Several of his essays appear in From Stone Orchard: A Collection of Memories (1998). Findley also wrote an autobiography, Inside Memory (1990).
Timothy Irving Frederick Findley was born in Toronto on Oct. 30, 1930. His formal schooling ended after the ninth grade because of illness. Findley was a successful actor before turning to writing. He became a member of the original acting company at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (now the Stratford Festival) in Stratford, Ontario, in 1953. Spadework (2001), his final novel, is set in Stratford and deals with tensions between town residents and festival people. As a screenwriter, Findley was best known for two documentaries written with the Canadian writer William Whitehead, The National Dream (1974) and Dieppe (1979). Findley and Whitehead were companions for many years. Findley died on June 20, 2002.
