John Bemrose

John Bemrose (1947-) is a Canadian writer and novelist. He grew up in Paris, Ontario, the son of town historian and 2009 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement, Fred Bemrose. He graduated from Victoria University, University of Toronto, in 1970, and worked as a sales representative for a publishing company before becoming a freelance arts journalist, publishing reviews and articles in The Globe and Mail, the National Post, and Maclean’s.

Bemrose’s first novel, The Island Walkers, 2003, was inspired by memories of his home town, Paris, Ontario, and quickly became a national bestseller. It was a nominee for The Giller Prize and made the Longlist for the Man Booker Prize. He has also published two volumes of poetry, Going Under and Imagining Horses, and a play, Mother Moon. His second novel, The Last Woman, was published in 2009.