Arnold (Abram Bernhard) Dyck (January 19, 1889 – July 10, 1970) was a

Russian Mennonite The Russian Mennonites (german: Russlandmennoniten it. "Russia Mennonites", i.e., Mennonites of or from the Russian Empire occasionally Ukrainian Mennonites) are a group of Mennonites who are descendants of Dutch Anabaptists who settled for abo ...

writer born in Hochfeld,

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. He immigrated to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

in 1923, residing in

Steinbach, Manitoba Steinbach () ( Plautdietsch: /ˈʃte̞nbah/ or /ˈʃte̞nbax/) is a city located about south-east of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Steinbach is the third-largest city in Manitoba, with a population of 17,806, and the largest community in the Eas ...

, where he purchased and edited the ''Steinbach Post''. He is best known for his humorous 'Koop enn Bua' books, and his autobiographical novel 'Verloren in der Steppe (Lost in the Steppe)'. He also wrote Low German plays, history, and short stories. Dyck's books are among the first publications in the Mennonite dialect of Plautdietsch. He is an important figure in

Mennonite literature Mennonite literature emerged in the mid-to-late 20th century as both a literary movement and a distinct genre. Mennonite literature refers to literary works created by or about Mennonites. Definition Mennonite literature, in the modern sense, usua ...

, as his works are regarded as influential not only in establishing and recording Mennonite

humour Humour (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humorism, humoral medicine of the ancient Gre ...

, but as establishing Plautdietsch as a written language. In later years Dyck moved to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, where he died in Darlaten in 1970.

References

1889 births 1970 deaths Canadian male novelists 20th-century Canadian novelists Canadian humorists Mennonite writers Mennonite humorists Canadian Mennonites Writers from Steinbach, Manitoba {{canada-writer-stub