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WRITER RECEIVES GRANT FOR WILLIAM HUTT BIOGRAPHY
The Mississauga News
March 22, 2012 Thursday
Ontario, Canada
by Joseph Chin, [email protected]
A widely-published Mississauga writer has received a pair of grants
from the Ontario Arts Council. Keith Garebian is the author of
18 books - and counting. He was one of only 21 writers, from 178
applicants, to receive the $12,000 Works in Progress Grant, awarded
by a seven-member jury.
He also received a separate $1,500 grant. He'll use the funds to write
a biography of William Hutt, who made his mark as one of the world's
greatest classical actors while performing in Canada, primarily at
the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Hutt died in 2007 at age 87. "The
significance of the grants is twofold for me," said the Lakeview
resident. "This is the second Works in Progress Grant that I have won
and it is for biography, whereas the first one three years ago was for
a poetry manuscript that became Children of Ararat ." Garebian, 68,
has signed a contract with the prestigious Oxford University Press
to publish a hardcover edition of the Hutt book early in 2013. Born
in India to an Armenian father and an Anglo-Indian mother, Garebian
holds a doctorate in Canadian and Commonwealth Literature from Queen's
University. In addition to books, Garebian's reviews and articles
have appeared in more than 100 newspapers, journals, magazines
and anthologies. In 2000, he became the first critic-at-large to be
appointed by a public library, when he was contracted to write theatre
and book reviews for three years on the Mississauga Library System's
website. Trained as a teacher, he taught in Quebec and Ontario before
turning to writing full-time about 12 years ago. Garebian joined the
exodus of Quebeckers to other parts of the country following the 1980
sovereignty referendum. He has been living in Mississauga since 1983.
"I'm one of those car people ... I didn't like the politics and the
economy wasn't doing well," he said. Garebian is a two-time winner
of the Mississauga Arts Award for literary arts.
Writing Hutt's biography is a happy convergence of Garebian's two
loves: writing and theatre. He considers Hutt among the top 10 actors
in the world. "He always cast a spell on the audience with his strong
stage presence and natural voice," he said.
Although Hutt appeared on stage in London and New York, Garebian
points out he joined Stratford during its inaugural season in 1953
and trod its boards until 2005. "He's the perfect example of a leading
Canadian actor who believed he could have a career in his own country
- and that's exactly what he accomplished," said Garebian. This will
be Garebian's second book about Hutt, whom he met and befriended in
1984. William Hutt: A Theatre Portrait was published four years later.
In 1995, he edited William Hutt: Masks and Faces - a collection of
tributes by prominent writers to mark Hutt's 75th birthday.
"A lot of people who read the first biography asked me to write his
complete life story. Plus, there's a wealth of information available
for exploration since then to 2007 - the year of his death," said
the author, when asked why he's undertaking another biography. The
560-page hardcover book will be published next March or April.
The Mississauga News
March 22, 2012 Thursday
Ontario, Canada
by Joseph Chin, [email protected]
A widely-published Mississauga writer has received a pair of grants
from the Ontario Arts Council. Keith Garebian is the author of
18 books - and counting. He was one of only 21 writers, from 178
applicants, to receive the $12,000 Works in Progress Grant, awarded
by a seven-member jury.
He also received a separate $1,500 grant. He'll use the funds to write
a biography of William Hutt, who made his mark as one of the world's
greatest classical actors while performing in Canada, primarily at
the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Hutt died in 2007 at age 87. "The
significance of the grants is twofold for me," said the Lakeview
resident. "This is the second Works in Progress Grant that I have won
and it is for biography, whereas the first one three years ago was for
a poetry manuscript that became Children of Ararat ." Garebian, 68,
has signed a contract with the prestigious Oxford University Press
to publish a hardcover edition of the Hutt book early in 2013. Born
in India to an Armenian father and an Anglo-Indian mother, Garebian
holds a doctorate in Canadian and Commonwealth Literature from Queen's
University. In addition to books, Garebian's reviews and articles
have appeared in more than 100 newspapers, journals, magazines
and anthologies. In 2000, he became the first critic-at-large to be
appointed by a public library, when he was contracted to write theatre
and book reviews for three years on the Mississauga Library System's
website. Trained as a teacher, he taught in Quebec and Ontario before
turning to writing full-time about 12 years ago. Garebian joined the
exodus of Quebeckers to other parts of the country following the 1980
sovereignty referendum. He has been living in Mississauga since 1983.
"I'm one of those car people ... I didn't like the politics and the
economy wasn't doing well," he said. Garebian is a two-time winner
of the Mississauga Arts Award for literary arts.
Writing Hutt's biography is a happy convergence of Garebian's two
loves: writing and theatre. He considers Hutt among the top 10 actors
in the world. "He always cast a spell on the audience with his strong
stage presence and natural voice," he said.
Although Hutt appeared on stage in London and New York, Garebian
points out he joined Stratford during its inaugural season in 1953
and trod its boards until 2005. "He's the perfect example of a leading
Canadian actor who believed he could have a career in his own country
- and that's exactly what he accomplished," said Garebian. This will
be Garebian's second book about Hutt, whom he met and befriended in
1984. William Hutt: A Theatre Portrait was published four years later.
In 1995, he edited William Hutt: Masks and Faces - a collection of
tributes by prominent writers to mark Hutt's 75th birthday.
"A lot of people who read the first biography asked me to write his
complete life story. Plus, there's a wealth of information available
for exploration since then to 2007 - the year of his death," said
the author, when asked why he's undertaking another biography. The
560-page hardcover book will be published next March or April.