Wayne Johnston

Wayne Johnston (born May 22, 1958) is an acclaimed Canadian novelist, memoirist, and one of the country's most significant contemporary literary voices, celebrated for his sweeping epic histories and deeply humorous memoirs [1]. Born and raised in the rural community of Goulds, Newfoundland, he studied at Memorial University of Newfoundland and worked as a journalist before dedicating himself fully to literature. His writing is inextricably linked to the geography, politics, and culture of his home province. He achieved major national and international breakthroughs with The Colony of Unrequited Dreams—a masterful fictionalized account of Joey Smallwood, Newfoundland’s first premier—and its highly praised sequel, The Custodian of Paradise. Johnston is equally revered for his non-fiction, notably his multi-generational family memoir Baltimore’s Mansion, which captured the prestigious Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, and his recent evocative childhood memoir, Jennie’s Boy. Over his distinguished multi-decade career, his unique ability to blend poignant historical gravity with sharp comedic timing has been recognized with the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour and the Writers’ Trust Engel Findley Award for his impressive body of work.