Morley Callaghan facts for kids

Edward Morley Callaghan (born February 22, 1903 – died August 25, 1990) was a famous Canadian writer. He wrote many novels and short stories. He was also known for being on TV and radio.

About Morley Callaghan

Morley Callaghan was born and grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His parents had moved there from England. When he was young, he loved playing baseball. He even played for a team coached by Bob Abate, who is now in Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Morley went to school in Toronto. He studied at the University of Toronto and also went to law school. He became a lawyer, but he decided not to practice law. Instead, he wanted to write.

In the 1920s, he worked as a reporter for the Toronto Star newspaper. There, he became friends with another famous writer, Ernest Hemingway. Morley started writing his own stories, and people really liked them. Soon, he was known as one of the best short story writers of his time.

In 1929, Morley went to Paris, France. He met many other famous writers there. This group included Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Joyce. It was a very exciting time for writers!

Morley's Writing Style

Morley Callaghan's stories often have themes from his Roman Catholic faith. He wrote about people who had a strong sense of who they were, even if they sometimes felt weak.

His first novel was called Strange Fugitive (1928). After that, he wrote many more short stories and novels. One of his most famous books for young readers is Luke Baldwin's Vow (1947). It's a story about a boy and his dog. This book became a classic and was read in schools all over the world.

Later, he wrote The Loved and the Lost (1951), which won a special award called the Governor General's Award. Some of his other books include The Many Colored Coat (1960) and A Passion in Rome (1961). His last novel was A Wild Old Man Down the Road (1988). Many of his short stories were also published in famous magazines like The New Yorker.

His Family Life

Morley Callaghan married Loretto Dee. They had two sons, Michael and Barry. Barry also became a writer and a poet, just like his father. Barry wrote a book called Barrelhouse Kings (1998) about his own life and his father's career.

Morley Callaghan lived a long life. He passed away in Toronto in 1990 at the age of 87. He is buried in Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery in Ontario.

How Morley Callaghan Was Honored

Morley Callaghan received many awards for his writing.

• In 1960, he won the Lorne Pierce Medal from the Royal Society of Canada.
• In 1982, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. This is one of the highest honors a Canadian can receive. It means he was recognized for making a great difference to Canada.

His life and work have also been featured on television. There was an episode of the CBC Television show Life and Times about him. There was also a mini-series called Hemingway Vs. Callaghan in 2003.

Morley Callaghan lived in the Rosedale, Toronto area for many years. There is a special historic plaque near his home. It tells about his important writing career and the other famous writers he knew, like Ernest Hemingway and F Scott Fitzgerald.

Special Postage Stamp

To celebrate Canadian writers, Canada Post released a special series of postage stamps in 2003. Morley Callaghan was chosen to be on one of these stamps. This was a way to honor his important contributions to Canadian literature.

Film Adaptations

Some of Morley Callaghan's stories have been made into movies:

• Now That April's Here (1958)
• The Cap (1984)

Images for kids

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  Morley Callaghan often walked across the Glen Road bridge near his home in Toronto. A plaque here remembers his writing.