Cynthia Flood
| Cynthia Flood | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Cynthia Creighton September 17, 1940 Toronto, Ontario |
| Occupation | novelist, short stories |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Period | 1980s-present |
| Notable works | My Father Took a Cake to France, Making a Stone of the Heart, Red Girl Rat Boy |
| Relatives |
Donald Creighton, father Luella Creighton, mother |
Cynthia Flood (born September 17, 1940)[1] is a Canadian short-story writer and novelist. The daughter of novelist Luella Creighton and historian Donald Creighton,[1][2] she grew up primarily in Toronto.[1] After attending the University of Toronto she spent some years in the United States, where she married Maurice Flood before moving to British Columbia in 1969.[3]
She has been active in many socialist, feminist, anti-war, and environmental groups, and in the faculty union while an English instructor at Langara College (1971-2001).[3] Maurice came out as gay in the 1970s, and was a prominent organizer with the Gay Alliance Toward Equality, although Cynthia and Maurice remained married until 1981 in order to provide a stable upbringing for their children.[3] In 1973, both Maurice and Cynthia actively campaigned to have the federal New Democratic Party more explicitly include gay rights in its platform.[4]
After retirement, she briefly taught creative writing in Simon Fraser University's writing and publishing program.
Flood's first three books of short fiction are The Animals in Their Elements, My Father Took a Cake to France (Talonbooks, 1987 and 1992), and The English Stories (Biblioasis 2009). The title story from My Father Took a Cake to France won the Journey Prize in 1990,[5] and she has also won awards from Western Magazines and Prism International. Her work has been widely anthologized, and has been repeatedly included in Best Canadian Stories. Her novel Making a Stone of the Heart (Key Porter, 2002) was nominated for the City of Vancouver Book Award that year.
Her collection, The English Stories was published in April 2009 by Biblioasis. These short fictions are set in 1950s England. One, "Religious Knowledge," won the National Magazine Gold Award in 2000, after its publication in PRISM International. Another, "Learning to Dance," is included in Best Canadian Stories 2008, edited by John Metcalf.
Flood's latest collection of short fiction, Red Girl Rat Boy (Biblioasis 2013), was chosen by January Magazine and Quill & Quire as one of 2013's notable books. Red Girl was shortlisted for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize from BC Book Prizes.
References
- 1 2 3 "Vancouver writer wins $10,000 Canadian fiction prize". The Globe and Mail, May 25, 1990.
- ↑ W. H. New, Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada. University of Toronto Press, 2002. ISBN 0802007619. "Creighton, Luella Sanders", p. 247.
- 1 2 3 "Figures of Authority". Books in Canada.
- ↑ "NDP Conference". The Body Politic, Volume 9 (1973).
- ↑ "Cynthia Flood, Contributor - Banff Centre Press".
External links
|