Ian Williams (writer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ian Williams
Born	(1979-06-17) June 17, 1979 (age 46)
Occupation	Writer
Nationality	Canadian
Education	University of Toronto (BSc, MA, PhD)
Genre	Poetry fiction non-fiction
Notable awards	Giller Prize Danuta Gleed Literary Award Raymond Souster Award

Ian Williams was born on June 17, 1979. He is a Canadian writer who creates poetry and fiction stories. His book of short stories, Not Anyone's Anything, won a special award called the Danuta Gleed Literary Award. His first novel, Reproduction, won the Giller Prize in 2019. These are two of Canada's biggest literary awards!

Ian Williams studied at the University of Toronto. He earned three degrees there: a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Arts, and a PhD. He used to teach creative writing at the University of British Columbia. Now, he is a professor of English at the University of Toronto. He also helps with The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry, which supports poets. From 2014 to 2015, he was a special writer at the University of Calgary. In 2022, he was a Visiting Fellow at the American Library in Paris.

Ian Williams's Books

Ian Williams has written many different kinds of books. Let's explore some of them!

You Know Who You Are

Williams's first book was a collection of poems called You Know Who You Are. It came out in 2010. This book was nominated for the ReLit Poetry Award. In this collection, Williams played with old poetry styles like the sonnet.

Not Anyone's Anything

In 2011, Williams released Not Anyone's Anything. This book is a collection of short stories. It won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award. This award goes to the best first collection of short stories in Canada. The book is set up in a very clever way. It has three groups of three stories. Some stories even have parts divided into three! Williams wanted to celebrate physical books with this collection. He wrote it when people worried that e-books would replace printed books.

Personals

Williams's third book, Personals, is a poetry collection. It was nominated for the Canadian Griffin Poetry Prize. These poems are about trying to connect with others in a world that feels more and more distant because of technology. Williams tried new ways to write poems. He made poems that look like rings or loops. One part of the book explores the topic of infertility. This section changes the sonnet form, making it 13 lines instead of 14. This makes it feel like something is missing or incomplete. Many Canadian students still read and memorize poems from this book.

Later, Ian Williams became a trustee for The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry. He took over from another famous writer, Michael Ondaatje.

Reproduction

In 2019, Williams published his first novel, Reproduction. This book tells a story that spans forty years and many generations. It shows how families come together, break apart, and then form again. Reproduction won the Scotiabank Giller Prize, which is a very important award in Canadian literature. It was also nominated for other awards and was published in other countries.

Williams wanted the novel to "reproduce itself" in its structure. The book has four parts. Part 1 has 23 pairs of chapters, like chromosomes. Part 2 tells the story from four characters' viewpoints in 16 chapters. Part 3 expands into 256 small sections. In Part 4, the book uses special text that looks like "tumours" to show how the story changes.

Word Problems

Word Problems (2020) is another poetry collection by Williams. It uses the style of math word problems to ask big questions about right and wrong. This book won the Raymond Souster Award. It was also named one of the best poetry books of 2020 by CBC. The book has two main parts, each with a long poem that runs through it. Critics called this book "a game changer" for Canadian poetry.

Disorientation: Being Black in the World

In 2021, Williams released Disorientation. This book is a collection of essays about race. The term "disorientation" in the title refers to how racial encounters can make people of color feel out of place. It's like a sudden reminder of their race, even when it doesn't seem important. Disorientation was nominated for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize in Non-fiction. It was also a "Best Book of the Year" for the Boston Globe. Judges praised the book for being thoughtful and honest about race and Blackness.

Ian Williams is also involved with other literary groups. He is on the Board of Directors for the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. He also helps with Coach House Books and advises a journalism program. Sometimes, he writes reviews for The Guardian newspaper.

What I Mean to Say

Ian Williams was the CBC Massey Lecturer in 2024. This meant he gave five special radio talks. A book called What I Mean to Say: Remaking Conversations in Our Time was released with these talks in November 2024. Before the lectures, Williams also talked about his life and the lecture topics on the CBC Ideas radio show.

Awards and Honours

Personal Life

Ian Williams lives in the city of Toronto, Canada.