Douglas Arthur Brown

Douglas Arthur Brown

Douglas Arthur Brown, short story writer, playwright, novelist (b at Cape Breton, NS). Born in Nova Scotia, Brown attended YORK UNIVERSITY in Toronto, where he majored in theatre. After graduation he worked in theatre in Toronto and spent 10 years in Copenhagen, Denmark as the marketing director for Husets Teater (The House Theatre) and Bådteatret (The Boat Theatre). He has also worked as publisher and managing editor of the LITERARY MAGAZINEPottersfield Portfolio and served as writer-in-residence at two Cape Breton schools, Boularderie Elementary School and Florence Elementary School. Brown's short stories have appeared in literary magazines - Matrix Magazine, B&A, Pottersfield Portfolio - as well as in 3 anthologies: Water Studies: New Voices in Maritime Fiction, Life's Beginnings and Undercurrents. He has also published a collection of short stories, The Komodo Dragon and Other Stories (2006); 2 children's books, The Magic Compass (1998) and Archibald's Boo-boo (2002); and 2 novels, A Deadly Harvest (1999) and Quintet (2008).

Douglas Arthur Brown's most celebrated novel, Quintet, focuses on 3 men, identical triplets, who reunite following their parents' death. The trio realize they have grown apart and pledge to keep a journal for 4 months before passing it to the next brother, in an effort to reconnect. The novel takes the form of this journal, allowing readers intimate insight into the brothers' private lives. Praised for its examination of the difficulties of sibling relationships, the novel masterfully explores the theme through its epistolary form. Brown's children's books are also highly acclaimed. The Magic Compass was selected to be part of The Atlantic Collection, an initiative by the Nova Scotia Department of Education, which placed Brown's book in every elementary school throughout the province.

Douglas Arthur Brown has been honoured many times for his work. For his full-length play The Weaverbird, Douglas was named a finalist in the Canadian Playwriting Competition hosted by Theatre BC and BRAVO. His short story "Macedon" was short-listed for the CBC Literary Awards. Quintet was short-listed for the Dartmouth Book Award (2009) and long-listed for a ReLit Award (2009), and won the Thomas Head Raddall Fiction Prize (2009). In 2009 Brown was honoured with the Nova Scotia Established Artist Recognition Award. He has also been actively involved in the Canadian literary scene, serving as second vice-chair of the WRITERS' UNION OF CANADA and as a past president of the board of the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia.