Joyce Carman Barkhouse (May 3, 1913 – February 2, 2012) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

children's writer best known for writing historical fiction. She is the aunt of Margaret Atwood, with whom she co-wrote the children's book ''Anna's Pet''. Barkhouse achieved her greatest recognition for her novel ''Pit Pony.''

Education and family life

Born in Woodville, Nova Scotia, the daughter of Harold Edwin Killam, a rural family physician, and his wife, Ora Louise (née Webster), Joyce was educated in Woodville until transferring to King’s County Academy in

Kentville Kentville is an incorporated town in Nova Scotia. It is the most populous town in the Annapolis Valley. As of 2021, the town's population was 6,630. Its census agglomeration is 26,929. History Kentville owes its location to the Cornwallis River ...

to complete grade twelve. After receiving a Teacher's License from the Provincial Normal College in

Truro Truro (; kw, Truru) is a cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its population was 18,766 in the 2011 census. People of Truro ...

in 1932, she began teaching in Sand Hill.

Family

In 1939, she began teaching in Liverpool, Nova Scotia where she met Milton Joseph Barkhouse, a teller with the Royal Bank of Canada. After marrying in 1942, they had two children, Murray Roy, and Janet Louise. Barkhouse and her husband lived in Halifax, Charlottetown and

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

, Quebec. After his death in 1968, she returned to her native Nova Scotia.

Writing career

Barkhouse began writing in 1932 but did not publish her first book until 1974, ''George Dawson: The Little Giant'', a biography of the noted scientist

George Mercer Dawson George Mercer Dawson (August 1, 1849 – March 2, 1901) was a Canadian geologist and surveyor. Biography He was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia, the eldest son of Sir John William Dawson, Principal of McGill University and a noted geologis ...

. She is best known for writing the novel ''

Pit Pony A pit pony, otherwise known as a mining horse, was a horse, pony or mule commonly used underground in mines from the mid-18th until the mid-20th century. The term "pony" was sometimes broadly applied to any equine working underground.English ...

'', published in 1989, which was produced as a CBC Television film in 1997, and a Gemini Award-winning

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

in 1999.

Honours

In 2007, she was awarded the

Order of Nova Scotia The Order of Nova Scotia (french: Ordre de la Nouvelle-Écosse) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Instituted on August 2, 2001, when Lieutenant Governor Myra Freeman granted Royal Assent to the Order of Nova ...

. In 2008, she was made a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

for "her contributions to children’s literature and the Canadian literary community". She was an honorary life member of The

Writers' Union of Canada The Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC), founded in 1973, describes itself as supporting "the country's authors by advocating for their rights, freedoms, and economic well-being." Its members are professional writers who must have published at least o ...

and the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia.

Selected works

* ''Heroine of Lunenburg''(based on the 371138-C5_U5_ExploreHeritage.pdf Raid on Lunenburg (1782)/ref> * ''Smallest Rabbit'', illustrated by Barbara Martin (1996) * ''Yesterday's Children'' (1992) * ''

'' (1989) * ''Anna's Pet'' with Margaret Atwood, illustrated by

Ann Blades Ann Blades (born November 16, 1947) is a Canadian illustrator, writer and educator. She was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. She earned a teaching certificate from the University of British Columbia in 1970. In 1974, she graduated in nursing ...

(1980)

References

External links

*
CBC notice of Barkhouse's death, February 3, 2012
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barkhouse, Joyce 1913 births 2012 deaths Canadian children's writers Members of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Nova Scotia Writers from Nova Scotia People from Kings County, Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Teachers College alumni Canadian women children's writers