Katherine Ashenburg is a Canadian writer best known for her 2018 debut novel ''

Sofie & Cecilia ''Sofie & Cecilia'' is a historical novel by Canadian author Katherine Ashenburg. The novel drew attention for being Ashenburg's fiction debut published when she was 72. She was inspired to write the book after a visit to Sweden where she learn ...

''.

Career

Ashenburg began her career as a

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producer, eventually becoming an editor at ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'' newspaper. In 1996 Ashenburg published her first book, ''Going to Town: Architectural Walking Tours in Southern Ontario''. She would follow that with two more works of non-fiction: ''The Mourner's Dance: What We Do When People Die'', which she wrote after her son-in-law died in 1998 and ''The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History''. Ashenberg released her debut novel ''

'' a few months shy of her 73rd birthday. The novel was inspired by a trip she took to Sweden to visit her daughter, where she became fascinated by the life of artist Carl Larsson and his wife

Karin Bergöö Larsson Karin Larsson, née Bergöö, (3 October 1859 – 18 February 1928) was a Swedish artist and designer who collaborated with her husband, Carl Larsson, as well as being often depicted in his paintings. Early life and education Karin Bergö� ...

. Ashenburg originally told Bergöö Larsson's story to her friend author

Jane Urquhart Jane Urquhart, LL.D (born June 21, 1949) is a Canadian novelist and poet. She is the internationally acclaimed author of seven award-winning novels, three books of poetry and numerous short stories. As a novelist, Urquhart is well known for her e ...

, hoping that she would turn it into a novel, but Urquhart instead suggested Ashenberg write the story herself.

Selected works

*''Going to Town: Architectural Walking Tours in Southern Ontario'' (1996) *''The Mourner's Dance: What We Do When People Die'' (2002) *''The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History'' (2008) *''

'' (2018)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashenburg, Katherine 21st-century Canadian novelists Canadian women novelists Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century Canadian women writers