Guy Gavriel Kay

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Guy Gavriel Kay

CM
Guy Kay.jpeg
Kay in 2011
Born (1954-11-07) November 7, 1954 (age 69)
Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada
OccupationWriter
Education
Period1984–present
Genre
Notable works
Website
brightweavings.com

Guy Gavriel Kay CM (born November 7, 1954) is a Canadian writer of fantasy fiction. The majority of his novels take place in fictional settings that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Justinian I or Spain during the time of El Cid. Kay has expressed a preference to avoid genre categorization of these works as historical fantasy. As of 2022, Kay has published 15 novels and a book of poetry. As of 2018, his fiction has been translated into at least 22 languages. [1] Kay is also a qualified lawyer in Canada. [2]

Contents

Biography

Kay was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, in 1954. [3] He was raised and educated in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Manitoba in 1975. [3]

When Christopher Tolkien needed an assistant to edit his father J. R. R. Tolkien's unpublished work, he chose Kay, then a student of philosophy at the University of Manitoba, because of a family connection. Kay moved to Oxford in 1974 to assist Christopher in editing The Silmarillion . [2]

Kay returned to Canada in 1975 to pursue a law degree at the University of Toronto, which he obtained in 1978; he was called to the bar of Ontario in 1981. [3] [2] Kay became principal writer and an associate producer for the CBC Radio series The Scales of Justice, and continued as principal writer when the series transferred to television as Scales of Justice . [3]

Kay's first novel, the portal fantasy The Summer Tree that serves as the first volume of his Fionavar Tapestry trilogy, was published in 1984. He subsequently had many other novels published, most of them in the field of historical fantasy.

Kay has voiced concerns relative to the decline of individual privacy, the expectation of privacy, and literary privacy. The last principally has to do with the use of real individuals in works of fiction, such as Michael Cunningham's The Hours , partly based on the life of Virginia Woolf, where Woolf features in the novel as one of a number of protagonists. [4] [5]

Bibliography

Novels

Poetry

Awards and distinctions

Awards

Nominations

Related Research Articles

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Tigana is a 1990 fantasy novel by Canadian writer Guy Gavriel Kay. The novel is set in a region called the Peninsula of the Palm, which somewhat resembles Renaissance Italy as well as the Peloponnese in shape.

<i>The Fionavar Tapestry</i> Novel trilogy by Guy Gavriel Kay

The Fionavar Tapestry is a book series of fantasy novels by Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay, published between 1984 and 1986. The novels are set in both contemporary Toronto and the secondary world of Fionavar.

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<i>The Summer Tree</i> 1984 novel by Guy Gavriel Kay

The Summer Tree is a 1984 novel written by Canadian fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay and the first novel of The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy.

<i>Ysabel</i> 2007 fantasy novel by Guy Gavriel Kay

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<i>The Darkest Road</i> 1986 novel by Guy Gavriel Kay

The Darkest Road is a 1986 novel by Canadian fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay and the third and final novel in The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy. It follows The Summer Tree and The Wandering Fire.

The 51st World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), also known as ConFrancisco, was held on 2–6 September 1993 at the ANA Hotel, Parc Fifty Five, and Nikko Hotels and the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California, United States.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">CAN-CON (convention)</span>

CAN-CON, stylized CAN•CON, or more completely "CAN•CON: The Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature", is a periodic science fiction and fantasy convention in Ottawa put on by The Society for Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature. Founded in 1991 by James Botte and Farrell McGovern in response to a perception that there were no dedicated public venues that featured primarily Canadian speculative fiction writers, editors, and artists. In addition to the focus on Canadian content, it was also an attempt to bring a focus on the book back to Ottawa science fiction and fantasy events. It ran from 1992 through 1997, and again in 2001 before taking a hiatus of several years due to the two founders moving out of Canada for employment reasons; it was then relaunched in 2010 after they had both returned to Canada.

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<i>A Song for Arbonne</i> 1992 novel by Guy Gavriel Kay

A Song for Arbonne is a novel by Canadian writer Guy Gavriel Kay published in 1992. It is set in a fantasy world with two moons and is loosely based on 12th-century Provence and the Albigensian Crusade.

<i>A Brightness Long Ago</i> 2019 novel by Guy Gavriel Kay

A Brightness Long Ago is a historical fantasy novel by Canadian writer Guy Gavriel Kay published in 2019 by Viking Press. It is inspired from the events of 15th-century Italy leading to the Italian Wars, and particularly the feud between Federico da Montefeltro and Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta.

<i>Children of Earth and Sky</i> 2016 novel by Guy Gavriel Kay

Children of Earth and Sky is a historical fantasy novel by Canadian writer Guy Gavriel Kay published in 2016. It was the first novel he wrote after receiving the Order of Canada.

References

  1. "au:Guy Gavriel Kay". WorldCat. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Flood, Alison (October 29, 2014). "Guy Gavriel Kay: 'I learned a lot about false starts from JRR Tolkien'". The Guardian . Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Myman, Francesca (May 15, 2016). "Guy Gavriel Kay: Journeying". Locus magazine . Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  4. Levin, Martin (December 2, 2000). "Privacy between the covers". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  5. Woods, Stuart (December 18, 2007). "The Internet, and other modern horrors". Quill & Quire . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Professional Awards (1980–2006)". Archived from the original on March 25, 2010.
  7. "A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  8. "Reporters win awards". The Ottawa Citizen. April 18, 1986. p. 38. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  9. "Fifteenth Annual Report 1985-1986" (PDF) (Report). 1986. p. 5. ISBN   0-662-54876-0 . Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  10. "Aurora Awards 1991". Science Fiction Awards Database. Locus Science Fiction Foundation. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  11. "Awards | World Fantasy Convention". Archived from the original on October 27, 2012.
  12. "Shortlist for the 2005 Sunburst Award". Archived from the original on March 17, 2010.
  13. General, Office of the Secretary to the Governor (September 20, 2017). "The Governor General of Canada". The Governor General of Canada.
  14. Cerny, Dory (July 2, 2014). "Guy Gavriel Kay, Chris Hadfield given Order of Canada honours". Quill & Quire . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  15. "Remise des trophées du prix Elbakin.net adulte aux Utopiales 2017". www.elbakin.net (in French). Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  16. "2011 The REading list | Awards & Grants". www.ala.org. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  17. "2011 Sunburst Award Winners". Archived from the original on August 9, 2014.
  18. "International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award: 2012 Longlist". Archived from the original on April 21, 2013.
  19. "Remise de trophées du prix Elbakin.net". www.elbakin.net (in French). Retrieved October 13, 2018.

Further reading

Interviews and lectures