Author and Order of Canada recipient Lawrence Hill will join the faculty of the University of Guelph in July.
Hill, author of 10 novels including The Book of Negros and his most recent, The Illegals, will teach creative writing for the College of Arts’ school of English and literature.
Hill is currently touring his book and was not available for an interview. But in a statement from the U of G, Hill says he’s looking forward to teaching.
“I have always loved to teach, mentor and encourage developing writers, and I can’t think of a more exciting way to embrace that passion and to support the world of Canadian letters than to join the School of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Guelph,” Hill said.
“As a writer, citizen of the campus and teacher, I very much look forward to embracing the community.”
“Lawrence Hill is a tremendous talent who has influenced our country’s literary and cultural history through his writing, public speaking and advocacy work,” said president Franco Vaccarino.
“I am delighted that he is joining our university.”
Hill comes with an extensive pedigree. His best-known book, The Book of Negros, received the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and CBC’s Canada Reads and its French-Canadian equivalent, Le combat des livres.
The book, which has been translated into 10 languages, was made into an award-winning TV miniseries that Hill also co-wrote.
His 2015 novel The Illegal, was inspired by stories of refugees from around the world and he is adapting it for another television series. It is also one of the selections for this year’s Canada Reads.
Hill is a member of the Order of Canada and is chair of the jury for the 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize. He started his career as a reporter with the Globe and Mail and the Winnipeg Free Press. He moved to Spain in 1986 and wrote his first novel.
Charlotte Yates, provost and vice-president (academic) sang Hill’s praises in the release: “Lawrence Hill brings energy, creativity and a diverse and unique perspective, which will enhance the learning experiences of our students.”
“Lawrence Hill tackles complex issues,” states Don Bruce, dean of the College of Arts. “His focus on identity and belonging is particularly powerful, and he gets readers to think about and even challenge their own views and beliefs.”
Hill is not new to teaching. He taught fiction and mentored writers in the Booming Ground program at the University of British Columbia, Ryerson University, the Humber School for Writers, the Banff Centre and Johns Hopkins University, where he earned his master’s degree in creative writing.
