Suzette Mayr facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Suzette Mayr
Mayr at the Eden Mills Writers' Festival, 2017
Born	1967 (age 57–58) Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Occupation	Author, professor
Language	English
Education	Honours B.A. in English, M.A. in Creative Writing, PhD in Creative Practice
Alma mater	University of Calgary, University of Alberta, University of New South Wales
Period	1991 to present
Genre	Literature

Suzette Mayr is a famous Canadian author. She has written six popular novels that have won many awards. Besides writing, she is also a professor at the University of Calgary, where she teaches other aspiring writers.

Early Life and Education

Suzette Mayr was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. When she was young, she thought she would study science after high school. However, she was very good at English, which changed her plans.

A creative writing class at the University of Calgary inspired her to become a writer. She earned a special bachelor's degree in English there. Later, she got a Master's degree in Creative Writing from the University of Alberta. She also earned a PhD from the University of New South Wales in Australia.

Career as a Writer

Before becoming a full-time writer, Mayr worked jobs like being a waitress. She has now published six novels, including Monoceros and The Sleeping Car Porter. She has also written books of poetry.

Today, Mayr is a professor in the English Department at the University of Calgary. She teaches creative writing and modern literature. Coming from a German and Afro-Caribbean background, Mayr often writes about people figuring out who they are. She uses humor and imagination to tell her stories.

The Sleeping Car Porter (2022)

Mayr's novel The Sleeping Car Porter was released in 2022. The story is about a Black Canadian man named R.T. Baxter. He works as a porter on a train that travels across Canada. Baxter has to keep his true self a secret while dealing with the challenges of his job.

The book was a huge success. Publishers Weekly, a famous magazine, called it one of the best books of 2022. It won the Giller Prize, one of Canada's most important book awards.

Awards and Recognition

Suzette Mayr's books have received many honors. Her first novel, Moon Honey, was nominated for two awards in Alberta. Her second book, The Widows, was shortlisted for a Commonwealth Writers' Prize.

Her fourth novel, Monoceros, won the ReLit Award and the W. O. Mitchell Award. It was also longlisted for the Giller Prize in 2011. In 2022, Mayr won the Giller Prize for her novel The Sleeping Car Porter.

List of Works

Novels

• Moon Honey (1995)
• The Widows (1998)
• Venous Hum (2004)
• Monoceros (2011)
• Dr. Edith Vane and the Hares of Crawley Hall (2017)
• The Sleeping Car Porter (2022)

Poetry

• Zebra Talk (1991)
• Tale (2001)

Community Involvement

Mayr has also been a leader in the writing community. She was once the president of the Writers' Guild of Alberta. In 2010, she was a judge for the Dayne Ogilvie Prize. This award helps new LGBT writers in Canada.