Trent English Grad Lands Giller and G-G The Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award felt a lot closer to home this year. Richard B. Wright, the winner of the country's two most prestigious literary awards, the Giller and the G-G, is a graduate of Trent University. Mr. Wright graduated from Trent in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. "I always wanted to be a writer," Mr. Wright said in a brief interview, "but I knew it would be difficult to make a living at it in this country, so I went back to university when I was in my thirties to get a degree and become a teacher." While at Trent, Mr. Wright published his first novel, The Weekend Man, which received widespread acclaim. Mr. Wright has fond memories of favourite professors such as Fred Tromly, the late Michael Treadwell, and David Cameron. His wife Phyllis was employed as a secretary in the Philosophy department. The Chair of Trent University's English Department, James Neufeld, reflected on the news of Mr. Wright's outstanding literary achievement. "It takes more than a university education to create a good writer," said Professor Neufeld. "We at Trent are, of course, proud of the association we have had with Mr. Wright in the past, but even more, we are happy to see this public recognition of his work." After graduation, Mr. Wright became an English teacher at Ridley College where he taught for 20 years. He has published nine novels. The Giller was awarded for his novel Clara Callan.   Back to the Trent Report main page

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