Joan Givner facts for kids

Joan Givner is a talented writer who was born in Manchester, England. She writes many different kinds of books, including stories about real people (called biographies), short stories, and novels. She is especially well-known for her exciting "Ellen Fremedon" series, which is very popular with young readers. These books have even been nominated for cool awards like the Silver Birch Awards and the Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award!

About Joan Givner

Joan Givner loved learning and studied at important universities. She earned degrees from the University of London and Washington University in St. Louis. After teaching for a while in the United States, she completed her Ph.D. in London in 1972.

She then joined the English Department at the University of Saskatchewan, which later became the University of Regina. She became a Professor of English there in 1981. In 1995, she retired from teaching. She moved to British Columbia to focus on writing full-time.

Joan Givner was also a Fellow at the Bunting Institute at Radcliffe College, Harvard University. This was a special program for researchers and writers. From 1984 to 1992, she was the editor of the Wascana Review, which is a literary magazine. She has also helped choose winners for several literary prizes and writes for the Literary Review of Canada.

In 1989 and 1990, she was part of a committee for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. This group helps decide which research projects get funding. In 1991, she became the chair of that committee. In 1992, Joan Givner won a fiction writing competition held by the CBC.

She married David Givner in 1963, and they have two children.

On Television

Joan Givner appeared in a television show called Katherine Anne Porter: The Eye of Memory. This show was made in the USA in 1986. It was directed by Ken Harrison and produced by KERA Dallas. Joan Givner played herself in the show, alongside actors Dina Chandel and Eleanor Clark.

Her Books

Joan Givner has written many books for different ages. Here are some of her well-known works:

Biographies and Other Non-Fiction

• Katherine Anne Porter: A Life (1982): This book is a biography, which means it tells the life story of the writer Katherine Anne Porter. Joan Givner also put together a collection of interviews with Katherine Anne Porter called Katherine Anne Porter: Conversations (1987).
• Mazo De La Roche: The Hidden Life (1989): This book explores the life and work of another writer, Mazo De La Roche.
• Unfortunate Incidents (1988, 2000): A biography about Rachel de la Warr.
• The Self-Portrait of a Literary Biographer (1993): This is an autobiography, where Joan Givner tells her own story as a writer of biographies.

Novels and Short Stories

• Tentacles of Unreason (1985): A collection of short stories.
• Scenes from Provincial Life (1991): Another collection of short stories.
• In the Garden of Henry James (1996): More short fiction.
• Thirty-Four Ways of Looking at Jane Eyre (1998): A collection of short stories and essays.
• Half Known Lives (2001): A novel.
• Playing Sarah Bernhardt (2004): Another novel.

Books for Young Readers

Joan Givner is especially loved for her books written for children and young adults.

• Ellen Fremedon (2004): This is the first book in the popular "Ellen Fremedon" series.
• Ellen Fremedon: Journalist (2005): The second book in the series.
• Ellen Fremedon, Volunteer (2007): The third book about Ellen Fremedon.
• Ellen's Book of Life (2010): The fourth book in the series.
• A Girl Called Tennyson (2011): A fantasy novel for young adults.
• The Hills Are Shadows (2014): This book is a sequel, meaning it continues the story from A Girl Called Tennyson.

Plays

• Mazo and Caroline (1992): A play written by Joan Givner.