Geoffrey Ursell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geoffrey Ursell
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| Born | March 14, 1943 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan |
| Died | February 21, 2021 (aged 77) Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
| Occupation | playwright, novelist, poet |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Years active | 1970s-2021 |
| Notable works | Perdue, or How the West Was Lost, Saskatoon Pie |
| Spouse | Barbara Sapergia |
Geoffrey Ursell (born March 14, 1943 – died February 21, 2021) was a talented Canadian writer. He wrote many plays, poems, and stories. In 1985, he won the Books in Canada First Novel Award for his book Perdue, or How the West Was Lost. This award was a big achievement for his first novel.
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Geoffrey Ursell's Writing Journey
Geoffrey Ursell was best known for writing plays. He created many stage plays and musical plays. These plays were performed for audiences. He also wrote for radio and television.
Plays and Musicals
Some of his popular plays include The Running of the Deer (1981) and Saskatoon Pie (1982). He also wrote The Willowbunch Giant (1983) and The Secret Life of Railroaders (1986). Later plays included The Rum Runners of Rainbow Ravine (1990) and The Park (1994). He continued writing with Deer Bring the Sun (1998) and Gold on Ice (2003). His later works were Winning the Prairie Gamble (2005), The Walnut Tree (2010), and Dead Midnight (2011).
Geoffrey Ursell also adapted his play The Rum Runners of Rainbow Ravine for CBC Radio. He wrote a TV show called Distant Battles for CBC Television.
Other Books and Poetry
Besides plays, Ursell wrote other kinds of books. He published poetry collections like Trap Lines (1982) and The Look-Out Tower (1989). He also wrote Jumbo Gumbo: Songs, Poems, and Stories for Children (1990). This book was especially for younger readers. He also published a collection of short stories called Way Out West (1990).
Helping Other Writers
Geoffrey Ursell helped other writers too. He was a co-founder of Coteau Books in the 1970s. This was a company that published books. He also led the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild and the Saskatchewan Playwrights' Centre. These groups support writers in Saskatchewan.
He was a writer-in-residence at the Saskatoon Public Library and the Winnipeg Public Library. This means he was available to help people with their writing. He also worked as an editor for Grain, a literary magazine. He taught literature and creative writing at the University of Regina.
