Guy Gavriel KayCM (born November 7, 1954) is a Canadian writer of fantasy fiction. The majority of his novels take place in fictional settings that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Justinian I or Spain during the time of El Cid. Kay has expressed a preference to avoid genre categorization of these works as historical fantasy. As of 2022[update], Kay has published 15 novels and a book of poetry. As of 2018[update], his fiction has been translated into at least 22 languages.[1] Kay is also a qualified lawyer in Canada.[2]
Biography
Kay was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, in 1954.[3] His father, a doctor, was a Jewish immigrant from Poland, and his mother was an artist.[4] He was raised and educated in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Manitoba in 1975.[3]
Kay returned to Canada in 1975 to pursue a law degree at the University of Toronto, which he obtained in 1978; he was called to the bar of Ontario in 1981.[3][2] Kay became principal writer and an associate producer for the CBC Radio series The Scales of Justice, and continued as principal writer when the series transferred to television as Scales of Justice.[3]
Kay has voiced concerns relative to the decline of individual privacy, the expectation of privacy, and literary privacy. The last principally has to do with the use of real individuals in works of fiction, such as Michael Cunningham's The Hours, partly based on the life of Virginia Woolf, where Woolf features in the novel as a protagonist.[5][6]
Ysabel (2007), a contemporary fantasy set in Provence, centering on a teenage boy and his encounters with characters from the distant past. Linked to his Fionavar Tapestry series.
River of Stars (April 2, 2013), taking place in the same setting as Under Heaven, based on the 12th-century Song dynasty and the events around the Jin-Song Wars and the transition from Northern Song to Southern Song
Children of Earth and Sky (May 10, 2016), taking place in the same world as The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Sarantine Mosaic, and The Last Light of the Sun, and taking place in a world based on Italy, Istanbul and the Balkans in the 15th century
An episode of CBC Radio programme The Scales of Justice written by Kay, entitled "Second Time Around", was awarded the 1985 Scales of Justice Award by the Law Reform Commission of Canada.[9] The purpose of the award was to "accord national recognition to media reports that foster greater public understanding of the inherent values of the Canadian legal and judicial system".[10]
The Wandering Fire won the 1987 Prix Aurora Award in the English category for best work of speculative fiction.[7]
Kay won the International Goliardos Award for his contributions of the international literature of the fantastic.[13]
Kay was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2014 "for his contributions to the field of speculative fiction as an internationally celebrated author".[14][15]
River of Stars won the 2017 Prix Elbakin in France.[16]
Under Heaven was named the best fantasy novel of the year by the American Library Association.[17] It was the SF Book Club book of the year. It received the Sunburst Award in 2011[18] and was longlisted for the IMPAC/Dublin Literary prize.[19] It won the 2015 Prix Elbakin, a French award.[20]
^"Shortlist for the 2001 Sunburst Award". The Sunburst Award For Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. The Sunburst Award Society. Retrieved November 10, 2024. Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay
^"Shortlist for the 2005 Sunburst Award". The Sunburst Award For Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. The Sunburst Award Society. Retrieved November 10, 2024. The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay
^"2011 Shortlists". The Sunburst Award For Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. The Sunburst Award Society. Retrieved November 10, 2024. Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay
^"2014 Shortlists". The Sunburst Award For Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. The Sunburst Award Society. Retrieved November 10, 2024. River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay
