Mowat, Farley

Farley Mowat, author (b at Belleville, Ont 12 May 1921). Mowat has been writing since his pre-teens. He recalls composing "mostly verse" while living with his family in Windsor (1930-33) and then publishing a regular column based on his observations of birds in the Star-Phoenix after his family moved to Saskatoon. He studied at the University of Toronto; on a field trip as a student biologist he became outraged at the problems of the Inuit, all of which he attributed to white misunderstanding and exploitation. His observations led to his first book, People of the Deer (1952), which made him an instant, albeit controversial, celebrity.

Keywords

Born in 1921

Writers, Fiction

Mowat is one of Canada's most widely read authors. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages and have sold millions of copies around the world. His works are bitterly attacked by some, highly praised by others; few readers remain neutral. His famous Never Cry Wolf (1963) is credited with changing the stereotypically negative perception of wolves as vicious killers. Sea of Slaughter (1984) chronicles the destruction of species in the North Atlantic. His Virunga: The Passion of Dian Fossey (1987) is a biography of the well-known primatologist.

Mowat is considered a "natural" storyteller; he is also a brilliant stylist. No matter what the context, his narratives and anecdotes are fast-paced and compelling; his tone is graceful, personal, and conversational. Commitments to ideals inspire verbal fireworks; enthusiasms evoke poetic descriptions and vivid images; antipathies produce ridicule, lampoons and at times, evangelical condemnation.

Many works are autobiographical: The Dog Who Wouldn't Be (1957) and Owls in the Family (1961) are comic recollections of his youth; The Regiment (1961) and And No Birds Sang (1979) deal with his World War II experiences. Three books centre on his 8-year residency in Burgeo, Nfld: The Rock within the Sea (1968) presents his seafaring neighbours as heroic because uncorrupted by modern technology; The Boat Who Wouldn't Float (1969) reflects his later disillusion; A Whale for the Killing (1972) transforms the wanton shooting of a trapped whale into a symbolic tragedy. The highly ironic My Discovery of America (1985) speculates on the reasons he was placed in the American "lookout book" for undesirables and refused entry into the US in 1985.

Mowat's novels for young readers, including The Dog Who Wouldn't Be (1957) and Owls in the Family (1961), are classics of Canadian children's literature. Lost in the Barrens (1956) won the GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD and is a masterpiece that incorporates many of the themes central to his adult works. On the surface an adventure story, its structure is allegorical: 2 youths - a Toronto-bred Caucasian and a Cree - are able to survive an arctic winter for a time by sharing their skills, but eventually their insufficient knowledge of the North nearly dooms them; they can be rescued only by an Inuit boy whose knowledge supplements their own.

Mowat, now a resident of Port Hope, Ont, continues to be a prolific and occasionally controversial author. Rescue the Earth: Conversations (1990) continues his advocacy on ecological issues. Two volumes of autobiography, My Father's Son (1992) and Born Naked (1993), provide an intimate glimpse into family relationships and elaborate on his war experience. The Farfarers (1998) is another volume of speculative history. Mowat returns to his early Northern forays in High Latitudes: An Arctic Journey (2002), which relates his 1966 trek across Northern Canada, and No Man's River (2004), an account of his 1947 Arctic adventure. The highly acclaimed film The Snow Walker (2003) is based on his short story "Walk Well My Brother."

Mowat, Farley
Mowat has long been one of Canada's best-known and most widely read authors (photo by Fred Phipps, courtesy Farley Mowat).

Author GERALD J. RUBIO Rev: KAREN GRANDY

Links to Other Sites

Farley Mowat
A profile of popular Canadian author Farley Mowat from Random House of Canada.

Canada Reads: Farley Mowat
This CBC site dedicated to writer Farley Mowat. Features a bio and a list of his published works.

Farley Mowat
Brief author profile and synopses of books by acclaimed Canadian writer Farley Mowat. From McClelland & Stewart.

Canadian Authors
A collection of meetings with three of Canada's most acclaimed authors: Margaret Atwood, Farley Mowat, and W.O. Mitchell.