Barbara Gowdy is a highly acclaimed Canadian author, born in Windsor, Ontario in June 1950. She is the second last-born child in a family of four children and spent her formative years in Don Mills, a neighborhood in North York, Toronto. Gowdy's family moved frequently due to her father's job in the advertising industry, with the family also living in Bridlewood, Ottawa.
Gowdy has established herself as a prominent figure in the literary world, with seven published books to her name, including "Helpless," "The Romantic," "The White Bone," "Mister Sandman," "We So Seldom Look on Love," and "Falling Angels." Her work has received widespread international acclaim, earning her multiple award nominations and wins. She has been a three-time finalist for The Governor General's Award, a two-time finalist for The Scotia Bank Giller Prize, The Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and The Commonwealth Writers' Prize. Gowdy has also won The Marian Engel Award and The Trillium Book Prize, and has been longlisted for The Man Booker Prize. The Chicago Tribune has described her as a "miraculous writer," while Harper's magazine has praised her as a "terrific literary realist" who has "refused to subscribe to worn-out techniques and storytelling methods."
Despite her success, Gowdy remains a humble and dedicated author, committed to her craft and her readers. She continues to live in Toronto, where she draws inspiration for her writing and engages with the local literary community. Gowdy's work is a testament to her talent and vision as a writer, and she remains a vital voice in Canadian literature and beyond.