Donna McFarlane | |
---|---|
Born | 1958 Quebec, Canada |
Occupation | novelist |
Period | 1990s |
Notable works | Division of Surgery |
Donna McFarlane (born 1958) [1] is a Canadian writer, who was a shortlisted nominee for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction at the 1994 Governor General's Awards for her novel Division of Surgery. [2] Published by Women's Press of Canada, Division of Surgery was an autobiographical novel about McFarlane's own experience in the medical system after being diagnosed with Crohn's disease. [3]
Born in Quebec and raised in Ottawa, [3] McFarlane graduated from York University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, [1] and was working as a librarian at the time of her Crohn's diagnosis. [3] The novel began life as a journal that she kept during her hospital stays, [3] and later submitted to CKLN-FM after Arnie Achtman's documentary series Life Rattle broadcast a story about another woman battling chronic illness. [3] Achtman helped McFarlane organize her notes into a novel, [3] and later became McFarlane's partner. [4]
The doctor in the novel, known only by the name "The Prophet", was based on Mount Sinai Hospital surgeon Zane Cohen. [5]
At the time of her award nomination, she was working as a program coordinator for Windfall, a charity organization that distributed clothing to needy women. [3] She subsequently published a number of short stories in literary magazines, but has not published any further books.
Donna McFarlane | |
---|---|
Born | 1958 Quebec, Canada |
Occupation | novelist |
Period | 1990s |
Notable works | Division of Surgery |
Donna McFarlane (born 1958) [1] is a Canadian writer, who was a shortlisted nominee for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction at the 1994 Governor General's Awards for her novel Division of Surgery. [2] Published by Women's Press of Canada, Division of Surgery was an autobiographical novel about McFarlane's own experience in the medical system after being diagnosed with Crohn's disease. [3]
Born in Quebec and raised in Ottawa, [3] McFarlane graduated from York University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, [1] and was working as a librarian at the time of her Crohn's diagnosis. [3] The novel began life as a journal that she kept during her hospital stays, [3] and later submitted to CKLN-FM after Arnie Achtman's documentary series Life Rattle broadcast a story about another woman battling chronic illness. [3] Achtman helped McFarlane organize her notes into a novel, [3] and later became McFarlane's partner. [4]
The doctor in the novel, known only by the name "The Prophet", was based on Mount Sinai Hospital surgeon Zane Cohen. [5]
At the time of her award nomination, she was working as a program coordinator for Windfall, a charity organization that distributed clothing to needy women. [3] She subsequently published a number of short stories in literary magazines, but has not published any further books.