Media Release

For Immediate Release

May 4, 2009

Writer MacLeod to speak at Saint Mary’s

One of Canada’s greatest short story writers and novelists, Alistair MacLeod, will be at Saint Mary’s University May 8 to deliver the keynote address for this year’s Atlantic Ink writers’ festival.

ATLANTIC INK, The Writers Festival, is a week-long fanfare recognizing the 12 finalists for this year's Ann Connor Brimer Children's Literature, Atlantic Poetry, Thomas H. Raddall Fiction and Evelyn Richardson Non-fiction book prizes.

MacLeod’s address will take place at the Scotiabank Conference Theatre in the Sobey Building beginning at 7 p.m. Following the address, the winners of this year’s four prizes will be announced and each will provide a short reading.

Alistair MacLeod was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, in 1936. He lived on the Prairies until the age of 10 when his parents moved back to the family farm on Cape Breton.

After obtaining his Teacher's Certificate from the Nova Scotia Teacher's College, MacLeod took his B.A. and B.Ed. (1960) from St. Francis Xavier University, his M.A. (1961) from the University of New Brunswick, and his Ph.D. (1968) from the University of Notre Dame. He taught at Indiana University from 1966 until 1969, then moved to the University of Windsor, where he is currently Professor of English and Creative Writing.

MacLeod's short fiction roots itself in carefully delineated and haunting settings, only to transcend the settings in humane explorations of the personal struggles that challenge and often defeat men and women of all time.

His most recent publications include: To Every Thing There Is a Season: A Cape Breton Christmas Story (2004), Island: The Collected Stories (2000), and No Great Mischief (1999).

Alistair MacLeod’s son, Dr. Alexander MacLeod, is an Assistant Professor of English and the Undergraduate Coordinator of Atlantic Canada Studies at Saint Mary’s University.

For more information about the ATLANTIC INK festival, please visit: http://www.atlanticink.ca/index.html

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For More Information:

Blake Patterson
Public Affairs Officer
Saint Mary's University, Public Affairs
(902) 420.5514
E-mail: blake.patterson@smu.ca
www.smu.ca