Andrew Kaufman

This article is about the Canadian writer. For the American entertainer, see Andy Kaufman.
Andrew Kaufman
Born1968
Wingham, Ontario, Canada
OccupationWriter, director, and producer
EducationF. E. Madill Secondary School
Notable awardsReLit Award (2015)
ChildrenPhoenix & Frida

Andrew Kaufman (born 1968) is a Canadian writer, film director, and radio producer, best known for novels which incorporate aspects of genre literature, such as fantasy, superhero and detective novels, with humor.[1]

Born and raised in Wingham, Ontario, Kaufman regularly promotes himself as the second most famous and/or second best writer to come from Wingham, as the town was also the birthplace of Alice Munro.[1]

Career

Kaufman was a revolving cast member of the Perpetual Motion Roadshow.[2]

His debut novella, All My Friends Are Superheroes, was published by Coach House Books in 2003, and is a humorous love story between a normal man and a super-heroine, The Perfectionist. The novella is set in a community of superheroes in Toronto, in which the bizarre characters (The Seeker, The Inverse, BusinessMan etc.) actually personify different human types.[2] A 10th anniversary edition with added bonus material was released in April 2013.

He has since published five more novels. His 2013 novel, Born Weird, was shortlisted for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.[3] His 2010 novel, The Tiny Wife, won the 2015 ReLit Award for Novel.[4] Small Claims and The Ticking Heart were shortlisted for the same award.[5][6]

Awards

Awards for Kaufman's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2013 Born Weird Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour Shortlist [3]
2015 The Tiny Wife ReLit Award for Novel Winner [4]
2018 Small Claims ReLit Award for Novel Shortlist [5]
2020 The Ticking Heart ReLit Award for Novel Shortlist [6]

Bibliography

  • All My Friends Are Superheroes (2003)
  • The Waterproof Bible (2010)[7]
  • The Tiny Wife (2010)
  • Born Weird (2013)
  • Small Claims (2017)
  • The Ticking Heart (2019)[8]

References

  1. ^ a b Terra Arnone, "I'd walk to Wingham and back for Andrew Kaufman, but 176 pages later, Small Claims has been a stretch" Archived 8 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine. National Post, May 17, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Katie Heindl, "Chatting with Andrew Kaufman about 'All My Friends Are Superheroes'" Archived 7 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Vice, May 15, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "The authors on the shortlist for the Stephen Leacock Medal are no April Fools" Archived 13 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine. CBC Books, April 2, 2013.
  4. ^ a b van Koeverden, Jane (30 August 2017). "Andrew Kaufman wins ReLit Award for The Tiny Wife". CBC Books. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b "43 books shortlisted for 2018 Relit Awards, as prize returns after 4-year hiatus". CBC Books. 7 April 2021. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  6. ^ a b "38 books shortlisted for 2020 ReLit Awards". CBC Books. 27 April 2021. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  7. ^ Mark Medley, "Andrew Kaufman discusses The Waterproof Bible" Archived 8 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine. National Post, February 23, 2010.
  8. ^ Madden, Stacey (9 September 2019). "The Ticking Heart". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2023.