John Ibbitson facts for kids

John Ibbitson, born in 1955, is a Canadian writer and journalist. He is well-known for his work as a political writer and columnist for The Globe and Mail. He has also written many books, including some for young adults, and won awards for his writing.

About John Ibbitson's Early Life and Education

John Ibbitson was born in 1955 in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. He went to the University of Toronto and earned a degree in English in 1979. Later, he continued his studies at the University of Western Ontario. There, he received a master's degree in journalism in 1988.

John Ibbitson's Journey as a Writer

After university, John Ibbitson first tried writing plays. His play Mayonnaise was quite popular. It was shown in theatres across Canada and even became a TV show.

Writing for Young Adults

In the mid-1980s, John Ibbitson started writing books for young adults. One of his science fiction novels is called Starcrosser, published in 1990. He also wrote 1812: Jeremy's War and The Night Hazel Came to Town.

His book The Landing, published in 2008, won a special prize. It received the Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature. This award is one of Canada's most important literary prizes.

Other Notable Books and Awards

John Ibbitson's book 1812 was also nominated for a Governor General's Award. His novel The Night Hazel Came to Town was nominated for the Trillium Book Award and the City of Toronto Book Award. These nominations show how well-regarded his writing is.

John Ibbitson's Career in Journalism

After finishing his master's degree in journalism, John Ibbitson began working as a reporter. He joined the Ottawa Citizen newspaper in 1988. There, he covered local news and wrote columns.

Covering Politics

From 1995 to 2001, he focused on Canadian politics. He worked for several newspapers, including the Ottawa Citizen, Southam News, the National Post, and The Globe and Mail.

In 2001, he became the Washington bureau chief for The Globe and Mail. This meant he led the newspaper's office in Washington, D.C. He returned to Canada a year later to write columns about politics. He went back to Washington in 2007 and then returned to Ottawa in 2009.

Chief Political Writer and Analyst

In 2010, John Ibbitson became the chief political writer for The Globe and Mail. In this role, he often appeared on Canadian TV news shows. He shared his thoughts as a pundit and political analyst, helping people understand political events. Since 2015, he has been a writer-at-large for the paper.

Books About Canadian Politics and Society

John Ibbitson has also co-written important non-fiction books. In 2013, he teamed up with Darrell Bricker to write The Big Shift. This book explored major changes in Canadian politics and culture.

In 2014, John Ibbitson took a break from The Globe and Mail. He worked on a biography of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. This book was published in 2015 and won the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing in 2016.

He and Darrell Bricker also wrote Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline. This book was published in 2019 and translated into many languages. It discusses how global population changes might affect our future.