Budge Wilson
Biography
Budge Wilson was born and grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She attended Dalhousie University where she received a degree in Philosophy and Psychology, as well as an Education Diploma and a teaching certificate in Physical Education. After her time at Dalhousie, Wilson moved to Toronto to pursue graduate work in English at the University of Toronto. Wilson has worked at the Institute of Child Study at the University of Toronto in addition to being a fitness instructor. Her professional writing career began in 1984 with the publication of her first children’s book, The Best/Worst Christmas Present Ever. In 1989 Wilson and her husband, Alan, moved back to Nova Scotia from Ontario. In 1990 Wilson’s reputation grew with the publication of The Leaving, a collection of short stories that won the Canadian Library Association’s Young Adult Book Award as well as the City of Dartmouth Book Award. Furthermore, in 1994, it was included on the American Library Association’s list of “The 75 Best Children’s Books of the Last 25 Years.” Since her first publication in 1984, Wilson has written over thirty books and won many awards, including the Marianna Dempster Award, the Ann Connor Brimer Award and the Lilla Stirling Award. Her books have been translated into over ten languages and are in print around the world. In 2004 she was made a member of the Order of Canada. She died in 2021 at the age of 93.
Bibliography
- The Best/Worst Christmas Present Ever. Richmond Hill: Scholastic, 1984.
- Mr. John Bertrand Nijinsky and Charlie. Halifax: Nimbus, 1986.
- A House Far From Home. Richmond Hill: Scholastic, 1986.
- Mystery Lights at Blue Harbour. Richmond Hill: Scholastic, 1987.
- Breakdown. Richmond Hill: Scholastic, 1988.
- Going Bananas. Richmond Hill: Scholastic, 1989.
- Thirteen Never Changes. Richmond Hill: Scholastic, 1989.
- Madame Belzile and Ramsay Hitherton-Hobbs. Halifax: Nimbus, 1990.
- The Leaving: Stories. Toronto: Anansi, 1990.
- Lorinda’s Diary. Toronto: General Paperback, 1991.
- Oliver’s Wars. Toronto: Stoddart, 1992.
- A Baby at Blue Harbour. Windsor: Black Moss Press, 1993.
- Cordelia Clark. Toronto: Stoddart, 1994.
- Cassandra’s Driftwood. Lawrencetown Beach: Pottersfield, 1994.
- The Courtship: Stories. Concord: Anansi, 1994.
- Harold and Harold. Lawrencetown Beach: Pottersfield, 1995.
- The Dandelion Garden and Other Stories. New York: Philomel Books, 1995.
- Duff the Giant Killer. Halifax: Formac, 1997.
- The Long Wait. Toronto: Stoddart Kids, 1997.
- Sharla. Toronto: Stoddart Kids, 1997.
- The Cat That Barked. Lawrencetown Beach: Pottersfield, 1998.
- A House Far From Home. Markham: Scholastic, 1999.
- Duff’s Monkey Business. Halifax: Formac, 2000.
- The Fear of Angelina Domino. Toronto: Stoddart Kids, 2000.
- Manfred the Unmanageable Monster. Lawrencetown Beach: Pottersfield, 2001.
- A Fiddle for Angus. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2001.
- Fractures: Family Stories. Toronto: Penguin, 2002.
- Izzie: The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t. Toronto: Penguin, 2002.
- The Imperfect Perfect Christmas. Lawrencetown Beach: Pottersfield, 2004.
- Izzie: Homecoming. Toronto: Penguin, 2005.
- Izzie: Trongate Fury. Toronto: Penguin, 2005.
- Patricia’s Secret. Toronto: Penguin, 2005.
- Friendships: Stories. Toronto: Penguin, 2006.
- Before Green Gables. Toronto: Viking Canada, 2008.
Critical Sources
- Anderson, Rosemary. Rev. of Izzie: Book Three – Patricia’s Secret by Budge Wilson. Resource Links 11.5 (2006): 10-11.
- Berry, Evette. Rev. of Izzie: Book 2 – Trongate Fury by Budge Wilson. Resource Links 10.4 (2005): 59.
- Brown, Judy. “Picturing Childhoods.” Rev. of A Fiddle for Angus by Budge Wilson, The True Story of Trapper Jack’s Left Big Toe by Ian Wallace and Ghost Train by Paul Yee. Canadian Literature 180 (2004): 185-8.
- Cree, Mary A. Rev. of The Long Wait by Budge Wilson. Resource Links 3.3 (1998): 105.
- Jenkinson, Dave. “Portraits: Budge Wilson.” Emergency Librarian 23.2 (1995): 61-4.
- Kulyk-Keefer, Janice. “‘Brightly, Aggressively Golden’: Verbal Agency in Budge Wilson’s The Leaving.” Atlantis: A Women’s Studies Journal 20.1 (1995): 195-201.
- Lewis, Shirley. Rev. of Duff the Giant Killer by Budge Wilson. Emergency Librarian 25.4 (1998): 27.
- Mackey, Margaret. Rev. of Friendships by Budge Wilson. Resource Links 11.4 (2006): 51.
- Pennell, Victoria. “Too Young to Fight: Memories From Our Youth During World War II.” Resource Links 5.4 (2000): 33-4.
- Thompson, Hilary. “Budge Wilson: A Profile of the Author and Her Work.” Canadian Children’s Literature 97.26 (2000): 18-25.