Hugh Garner (February 22, 1913 – June 30, 1979) was a British-born Canadian
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others asp ...
.
Biography
Early life
Hugh Garner was born on February 22, 1913, in
Batley, Yorkshire, England. He came to Canada in 1919 with his parents, and was raised in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
where he attended
Danforth Technical High School.
[Stuewe, Paul. 1988. ''The Storms Below: The Turbulent Life and Times of Hugh Garner.'' Toronto: James Lorimer. .]
During the
Great Depression, he rode the rails in both Canada and the United States, and then joined the International Brigades in the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
he served in the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
.
Career
Following the war, Garner concentrated on his writing. He published his first novel, ''Storm Below'', in 1949. Garner's most famous novel, ''Cabbagetown'', depicted life in the Toronto neighbourhood of
Cabbagetown, then Canada's most famous
slum, during the Depression. It was published in abridged form in 1950, and in an expanded edition in 1968. ''The Intruders'', a sequel depicting the
gentrification
Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ec ...
of the neighbourhood, was published in 1976.
Later in his career, he concentrated on
mystery
Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
*Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange''
Films
* ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film
* ''Mystery'' ( ...
novels, including ''Death in Don Mills'' (1975) and ''Murder Has Your Number'' (1978).
His background (poor, urban,
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
) is rare for a Canadian writer of his time. It is nevertheless, the foundation for his writing. His theme is working-class Ontario; the
realistic novel his preferred genre. ''Cabbagetown'' is the best-known example of his style. His focus on the victimization of the worker reflects his
socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...
roots.
Hugh Garner
, The Canadian Encyclopedia
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage.
Available f ...
.
In 1963, he won the Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual List of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields.
Th ...
for his collection of short stories entitled ''Hugh Garner's Best Stories.'' Garner struggled much of his life with alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
, and died in 1979 of alcohol-related illness. A housing cooperative in Cabbagetown is named in his memory.
Death
He died on June 30, 1979.
Works
Novels
*''Storm Below'' (1949)
*''Waste No Tears'' (1950) (as "Jarvis Warwick")
*''Cabbagetown'' (first published in abridged form in 1950; restored version published in 1968)
*''Present Reckoning'' (1951)
*''The Silence On The Shore'' (1962)
*''The Sin Sniper'' (1970)
*''A Nice Place to Visit'' (1970)
*''Death in Don Mills'' (1975)
*''The Intruders'' (1976; something of a sequel to ''Cabbagetown'')
*''Murder Has Your Number'' (1978)
*''Don't Deal Five Deuces'' (1992; novel completed by Paul Steuwe after Garner's death)
Short fiction
''The Yellow Sweater'' (1952)
''Hugh Garner's Best Stories'' (1963; winner of the 1963 Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual List of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields.
Th ...
)
''Men and Women'' (1966)
''Violation of the Virgins'' (1971)
''One Mile of Ice''
''The Moose and the Sparrow'' (1966)
''The Father'' (1958)
Prose
''Author, Author!'' (1964; essays)
''One Damned Thing After Another!'' (1973; memoir)
Biographical Works
Steuwe, Paul, 1988.''The Storms Below: The Turbulent Life and Times of Hugh Garner.'' Toronto: James Lorimer.
References
External links
Hugh Garner fonds
a
Queen's University Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garner, Hugh
1913 births
1979 deaths
Canadian Anglicans
Canadian mystery writers
Canadian male novelists
Canadian male short story writers
British emigrants to Canada
People from Batley
Writers from Toronto
Governor General's Award-winning fiction writers
Toronto in fiction
International Brigades personnel
Canadian people of the Spanish Civil War
Alcohol-related deaths in Canada
20th-century Canadian novelists
20th-century Canadian short story writers