Farley Mowat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Farley Mowat
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Mowat in 1993
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| Born | Farley McGill Mowat May 12, 1921 Belleville, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | May 6, 2014 (aged 92) Cobourg, Ontario, Canada |
| Resting place | Port Hope, Ontario |
| Occupation | Author, soldier, environmentalist, naturalist, philanthropist |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Education | Biology |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto |
| Period | 1952–2014 |
| Genre | Memoir, Young adult fiction, Non-fiction |
| Subject | Environmentalism, Northern Canada |
| Notable works | Never Cry Wolf, People of the Deer, Lost in the Barrens, The Curse of the Viking Grave, The Grey Seas Under, Owls in the Family |
| Spouse | Frances (Thornhill) Mowat, Claire (Wheeler) Mowat |
| Children | Robert Mowat, David Mowat |
| Relatives | John Mowat, John Bower Mowat, John McDonald Mowat, Angus McGill Mowat, Sir Oliver Mowat |
Farley McGill Mowat (May 12, 1921 – May 6, 2014) was a famous Canadian writer. He was also a strong supporter of protecting nature. His books were translated into 52 languages. He sold over 17 million copies worldwide.
Farley Mowat became well-known for his books about Canada's North. These include People of the Deer (1952) and Never Cry Wolf (1963). Never Cry Wolf was about his experiences with wolves in the Arctic. It was even made into a movie in 1983. In 1970, he won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his children's books.
Mowat was praised for his work to protect the environment. However, he sometimes said that he "never let the facts get in the way of the truth." This meant he sometimes changed details in his stories to make them more interesting. This made some people criticize him. Still, many admired his strong beliefs and vivid writing.
Contents
Growing Up and Learning
Farley Mowat was born on May 12, 1921, in Belleville, Ontario. He grew up in Richmond Hill, Ontario. His father, Angus McGill Mowat, was a librarian. Farley started writing, mostly poems, when he was young. This was when his family lived in Windsor.
In the 1930s, his family moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. As a teenager, Farley wrote about birds for a newspaper called the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. He also created his own nature newsletter, Nature Lore. He studied zoology (the study of animals) at the University of Toronto.
Serving in the War
During World War II, Farley Mowat joined the Canadian Army. He became an officer in 1940. He went overseas to fight in the war.
He was part of the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943. He also fought in Italy. He later became an Intelligence Officer. This meant he gathered important information. He stayed in Italy with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division for most of the war. He was promoted to captain.
In 1945, his division moved to northwest Europe. There, he helped with important negotiations. These talks led to food drops for people in the Netherlands. These food drops, called Operation Manna, saved many lives.
Mowat also helped bring German military equipment to Canada. This included a V2 rocket and armored vehicles. Some of these are now in Canadian museums. He left the army in 1945 as a captain.
After the War
After the war, Mowat worked as a field technician. He helped study barren-ground caribou in the North. He worked with other naturalists. These experiences helped him learn more about nature and the Arctic.
His Writing Career
Farley Mowat's first book, People of the Deer (1952), was inspired by his trips to the Canadian Arctic. He was upset by the difficult lives of the Inuit people there. This book made him a well-known writer.
In 1956, he wrote a children's book called Lost in the Barrens. This book won a Governor General's Award.
In 1963, Mowat wrote Never Cry Wolf. This book shared his experiences with Arctic wolves. It helped change how people thought about wolves.
In 1985, Mowat was stopped from entering the United States. This was because of old laws. He believed it was due to his environmental activism. He wrote about this experience in My Discovery of America (1985). The law was later changed.
Mowat also wrote a book about Dian Fossey. She was an American scientist who studied gorillas. His book was called Virunga: The Passion of Dian Fossey (1987).
Many of Mowat's books were about his own life. Owls in the Family (1962) was about his childhood. The Boat Who Wouldn't Float (1969) was about his time in Newfoundland. And No Birds Sang (1979) was about his experiences in World War II.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Farley Mowat received many awards for his writing and his work.
- 1950s: He won awards for Lost in the Barrens, including the Governor General's Award in 1956. His book People of the Deer also won an award.
- 1960s: Owls in the Family won the Boys' Clubs of America Junior Book Award in 1962.
- 1970s: The Boat Who Wouldn't Float won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. He also won the Vicky Metcalf Award in 1970.
- 1980s: He received the Author's Award for Sea of Slaughter in 1985. His book Virunga was named Book of the Year in 1988.
- 2000s: A ship of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was named RV Farley Mowat in his honor in 2002. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. In 2010, he received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
- 2010s: A life-sized sculpture of Farley Mowat was unveiled in Saskatoon in 2014, shortly after he passed away.
Mowat was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1981. This is one of Canada's highest honors. He also received several medals for his service and contributions to Canada.
(ribbon bar, as it would look at the date of his death, including war service medals)
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Farley Mowat was also the name of the sheepdog in the comic strip For Better or For Worse. The comic's creator, Lynn Johnston, was a friend of Mowat.
Honorary Degrees
Farley Mowat received many honorary doctorates from universities. These are special degrees given to people who have achieved great things.
- 1970, Laurentian University
- 1973, University of Lethbridge
- 1973, University of Toronto
- 1979, University of PEI
- 1982, University of Victoria
- 1985, Lakehead University
- 1994, McMaster University
- 1995, Queen's University
- 1996, Cape Breton University
His Beliefs and Groups He Supported
Mowat strongly supported the Green Party of Canada. He was also a close friend of the party's leader, Elizabeth May. In 2007, he donated over 200 acres (0.81 km2) of his land in Cape Breton Island to the Nova Scotia Nature Trust. He was also an honorary director of the North American Native Plant Society. Farley Mowat was known for his belief in fairness and helping others.
Farley Mowat Library
In 2012, a Canadian publisher created the Farley Mowat Library series. They re-released many of his popular books. These books came out with new designs and introductions.
Later Life and Passing
Farley Mowat and his second wife, Claire, lived in Port Hope, Ontario. They spent their summers on a farm on Cape Breton Island. Mowat was very interested in nature throughout his life.
Farley Mowat passed away on May 6, 2014, just before his 93rd birthday. He is buried at St. Mark's Anglican Church cemetery in Port Hope.
Works
- People of the Deer (1952)
- The Regiment (book) (1955)
- Lost in the Barrens (1956)
- Lost in the Barrens (film) (1990)
- The Dog Who Wouldn't Be (1957)
- Coppermine Journey (1958)
- The Grey Seas Under (1959)
- The Desperate People (1959)
- Ordeal by Ice (1960)
- Owls in the Family (1961)
- The Serpent's Coil (1961)
- The Black Joke (1962)
- Never Cry Wolf (1963)
- Never Cry Wolf (film) (1983)
- Westviking (1965)
- The Curse of the Viking Grave (1966)
- The Curse of the Viking Grave (film) (1992)
- Canada North (illustrated edition) (1967)
- The Polar Passion (1967)
- This Rock Within the Sea (with John de Visser) (1968)
- The Boat Who Wouldn't Float (1969)
- Sibir (book) (1970)
- A Whale for the Killing (1972)
- Tundra (book) (1973)
- Wake of the Great Sealers (with David Blackwood) (1973)
- The Snow Walker (book) (1976)
- The Snow Walker (movie) (2003)
- Canada North Now (1976)
- And No Birds Sang (Farley Mowat) (1979)
- The World of Farley Mowat (1980)
- Sea of Slaughter (1984)
- My Discovery of America (1985)
- Virunga: The Passion of Dian Fossey (1987)
- The New Founde Land (1989)
- Rescue the Earth! (1990)
- My Father's Son (book) (1992)
- Born Naked (1993)
- Aftermath (1995)
- The Farfarers (1998)
- Walking on the Land (2000)
- High Latitudes (2002)
- No Man's River (2004)
- Bay of Spirits (2006)
- Otherwise (2008)
- Eastern Passage (2010)
The Top of the World Trilogy
- Ordeal by Ice (1960)
- The Polar Passion (1967)
- Tundra (1973)
