Canadian Authors from Black and White to Screen Quiz

Answer: Margaret Atwood

"The Handmaid's Tale" is a 1985 novel that won the 1985 Governor General's Award for Literature, the first Arthur C. Clarke Award (for science fiction novels) in 1987 and was nominated for the 1986 Nebula Award, the 1986 Booker's Prize and the 1987 Prometheus Award. It tells the story from the perspective of a woman who is being forced into the position of child bearer in an authoritative and oppressive society.

It has been made into a 1990 movie starring Miranda Richardson in the lead role, a 2017 television series with Elisabeth Moss in the lead role and a 2000 opera. The first season of the 2017 TV series was nominated for thirteen Primetime Emmy Awards, winning eight of them, including Outstanding Drama Series. It also won a Golden Globe for Best Television Series - Drama. Elisabeth Moss won the Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Answer: Mordecai Richler

This novel tells the story of the life of Barney Panofsky, who recounts his life, including three previous marriages and a mysterious disappearance.

"Barney's Version" was made into a 2010 movie starring Paul Giamatti, Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver and Dustin Hoffman. The movie was nominated for the Golden Lion (highest award) at the 67th Venice International Film Festival. It was nominated for a number of other awards including the Golden Globe for Best Actor - Musical/Comedy for Paul Giamatti, which he won.

It was directed by Canadian director Paul Lewis, who has also worked on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The movie had a number of cameos by other Canadian directors, including Paul Gross, Atom Egoyan, Denys Arcand and David Cronenberg.

Answer: Lawrence Hill

This 2007 novel won the 2007 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the 2008 Commonwealth Prize. In the USA, Australia and New Zealand it was published under the title "Someone Knows My Name" due to sensitivities associated with the original title.

The novel was turned into a mini-series in 2015 starring Aunjanae Ellis, Cuba Gooding Jr and Lou Gossett Jr. Ellis, who has also acted in "Men of Honor", "The Help", and "When They See Us" was nominated for a Critic's Choice Award for Best Actress for her role in the miniseries.

Answer: Joseph Boyden

"Through Black Spruce" was made into a 2010 movie by Don McKellar and nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards. It was nominated for Best Actor (Brandon Oakes) and Best Original Score. It won in the Best Original Score category.

Author Joseph Boyden is primarily of Scottish and Irish descent but has written novels telling the stories of Indigenous people. He began to publicly speak out about Indigenous issues and received a fair bit of backlash and asked by a number of Indigenous writers to stop speaking on behalf of their community.

Answer: Robert Munsch

So technically, "Love You Forever" has never been adapted into a movie or TV screen, however it has been included in some pretty iconic moments in screen history. This beautiful children's book that makes many adults cry, is a tender tale of the relationship between a mother and her son and was written after author Robert Munsch and his wife had two stillborn babies.

On screen, one of the most memorable moments happened in the episode "The One with the Cake" from the TV series "Friends" when Joey reads the book to the one year old daughter of Rachel and Ross, moving everyone to tears.

Answer: Margaret Laurence

"The Stone Angel" tells the story of a 90-year old woman named Hagar Shipley who is being moved into a nursing home and feels that it symbolizes that she is on death's door. She reflects back on her life in this novel. In 2007 the novel was made into a movie starring Ellen Burstyn, Ellen Page and Dylan Baker.

The movie adaptation of this brilliant novel was met with mixed reviews from critics but was nominated for two Genie Awards - one for Ellen Burstyn for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role and one for Best Music Score. It won in both categories.

Answer: Yann Martel

"Life of Pi" is one of my favourite novels. It tells the story of an Indian boy named Pi and his harrowing journey on a lifeboat with a tiger he names Richard Parker. The novel won the UK version of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and was made into a play that toured England and Ireland from 2004 to 2007 and a film directed by Ang Lee in 2012. The movie was a huge success and was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and eleven Academy Awards. It won four Academy Awards including Best Director for Ang Lee.

I have to admit after reading and loving the book, I still haven't seen the movie!

Answer: Michael Ondaatje

"The English Patient" is a 1992 novel that has won the 1992 Booker Prize, the 2018 Golden Booker Prize and the Governor General's Award. It is set in WWII and brings together four very different characters who take turns narrating. The main character and subject of the title is a badly burned patient whose only possession is a book that is read to him. He starts to remember details about his life, which is part of the story told throughout the novel.

The novel was made into a movie starring Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Willem Dafoe and Naveen Andrews and was a huge hit at the box office and during awards season. It was nominated for twelve Academy Awards (and won nine) and thirteen BAFTA Awards (it won six). Despite all that, one of my favourite on screen moments associated with this movie is watching Elaine from the hilarious television series "Seinfeld" watch the movie and yell at the screen "just die already!". Watching her hate this popular and awesome movie and get more and more agitated as she's watching is so funny.

Answer: Emma Donoghue

Five-year old Jack lives in a small room with his mother. Jack and his ma are held captive, and the novel shares what life is like and how Jack's mom tries to normalize their horrible living conditions, all from the perspective of Jack. The novel has been nominated for numerous awards including the Governor General's Award and the Booker Prize, and was listed as a New York Times Best Book of the Year in 2010.

The book was made into a 2015 film starring Brie Larson, William H. Macy and Jacob Tremblay and was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Actress for Brie Larson (which she won). It won nine Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Motion Picture.

Answer: Lucy Maud Montgomery

"Anne of Green Gables" has to be included in any list of Canadian writing as it has spawned many sequels, TV shows, movies, animated series, tourism and merchandise. Published in 1908, it tells the story of an eleven year old orphan as she navigates a new home, school and community. It is the first book in an anthology written by author Lucy Maud Montgomery and is taught to school children all over the world.

The very first adaptation of this film was in 1919, a silent film called "Anne of Green Gables"; this version took the original location of Prince Edward Island in Canada and moved it to the United States, which infuriated Montgomery. Since then there have been numerous adaptations on stage, radio, television and on film. Tourists also flock to Prince Edward Island where the Green Gables farmhouse is located.