The English Short Story in Canada

In 2013, the Nobel Prize for Literature was for the first time awarded to a short story writer, and to a Canadian, Alice Munro. The award focused international attention on a genre that had long been thriving in Canada, particularly since the 1960s. This book traces the development and highlights of the Canadian short story from the late 19th century up to the present. The history and stylistic approaches of the genre are covered, with in-depth examination of exemplary stories by prominent authors.

“"Here is as thorough and detailed an overview of the Canadian short story in English as might be found, tracing its trajectory broadly while also highlighting well-chosen examples by the form's most eminent practitioners."-Robert Thacker, Professor of Canadian Studies and English, St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York; "Nischik's book is the most comprehensive work on the Canadian short story out there. It provides an excellent overview of the genre's development and prevalent themes as well as close readings of individual stories...a must-read for anyone involved with Canadian short fiction."-Caroline Rosenthal, President of the Association of Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries and Professor of American Studies at the University of Jena, Germany; "Nischik lucidly analyzes the evolution, breadth, and finesse of Canada's national art form. This important study celebrates the formidable contributions of well-known authors and introduces readers to the next generation of Canadian short-story writers."-Marlene Goldman, Professor of English, University of Toronto, Canada; "This is an important book by one of our foremost scholars on the Canadian short story and will prove invaluable to both scholars and students alike."-J. Brooks Bouson, Professor of English, Loyola University Chicago, Illinois.”

“Nischik has written another landmark study...the book is likely to give the sort of pleasure experienced when reuniting with a friend of long standing, whose conversation is sure to delight and enlighten in equal measure. The volume forms a tightly-knit whole, packed with information”—Canadian Literature; “Here is as thorough and detailed an overview of the Canadian short story in English as might be found, tracing its trajectory broadly while also highlighting well-chosen examples by the form’s most eminent practitioners.”—Robert Thacker, Professor of Canadian Studies and English, St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York; “Nischik’s book is the most comprehensive work on the Canadian short story out there. It provides an excellent overview of the genre’s development and prevalent themes as well as close readings of individual stories...a must-read for anyone involved with Canadian short fiction.”—Caroline Rosenthal, President of the Association of Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries and Professor of American Studies at the University of Jena, Germany; “Nischik lucidly analyzes the evolution, breadth, and finesse of Canada’s national art form. This important study celebrates the formidable contributions of well-known authors and introduces readers to the next generation of Canadian short-story writers.”—Marlene Goldman, Professor of English, University of Toronto, Canada; “This is an important book by one of our foremost scholars on the Canadian short story and will prove invaluable to both scholars and students alike.”—J. Brooks Bouson, Professor of English, Loyola University Chicago, Illinois.

Reingard M. Nischik is Professor and Chair of American Literature at the University of Konstanz in Germany. She has published extensively on Canadian, American, and Comparative Literature. A three-time winner of the Best Book Award of the Margaret Atwood Society, she is one of the most renowned and productive scholars of Canadian literature studies internationally, counting short fiction, literary history, and the works of Margaret Atwood among her special interests in the area.

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