Biographies and Publications – Joseph Boyden and Patrick Süskind
Joseph Boyden
Born 1966 in Willowdale, Ontario.
1980s
Begins travelling the United States alone at sixteen, works as a gravedigger, tutor, dishwasher, waiter, and bartender. Later studies Creative Writing in New Orleans.
2001
Debuts with his short story collection Born with a Tooth.
2005
First novel Three Day Road follows two Cree friends through the trenches of World War I. Nominated for a Governor General’s Award, wins the McNally Robinson Aboriginal Book of the Year Award.
2007
Boyden delivers the inaugural Henry Kreisel Lecture at the University of Alberta. From Mushkegowuk to New Orleans: A Mixed Blood Highway is published in 2008.
His second novel, Through Black Spruce, further explores the cultural identities of the First Nations in modern Canada and becomes a national bestseller.
2008
Through Black Spruce wins the prestigious Giller Price.
Invited to readings and discussions with students at the International Spring Book Fair in Munich.
2009 - 2010
Exploring the real-life backgrounds behind his novel Three Day Road, Boyden works his research on Native American snipers in World War I into the double biography Extraordinary Canadians: Louis Riel & Gabriel Dumont, part of Penguin’s Extraordinary Canadians series.
2013
His third novel, The Orenda, is on the longlist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and also receives a Governor General’s Award nomination.
2015
Boyden is made a Member of the Order of Canada.
In addition to teaching creative writing at the University of New Orleans, Boyden has been writer-in-residence at Trent University, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Athabasca University. He also serves on the jury for the Canadian Aboriginal Writing and Arts Challenge, a writing and visual arts competition for youth of Aboriginal descent.
Since the late 1990s, when Joseph Boyden spent two years as professor for Aboriginal programs on James Bay, he has been dividing his time between Northern Ontario and New Orleans, where he teaches Creative Writing and continues to live with his wife and son.
Patrick Süskind
Born 1949 in Ambach, Bavaria, to the literary translator and political journalist Wilhelm Emanuel Süskind.
1968 – 1974
Süskind studies Medieval and Modern History in Munich and Aix-en-Provence.
1980
After several years of freelance work as a screenwriter, The Double Bass, his first play, becomes an international success and is shown on stage in Germany, Switzerland, London, Edinburgh and New York.
With Helmut Dietl, he writes the screenplay for the tv mini-series Der ganz normale Wahnsinn.
1982
With Helmut Dietl, he writes the screenplay for the tv mini-series Monaco Franze.
1985
Debuts with his thus far only novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.
1986
With Helmut Dietl, he writes the screenplay for the tv mini-series Kir Royal.
1987
Rejects all prizes (the FAZ Literaturpreis and the Tukan-Preis, most famously), dodges the media and slowly withdraws from the public.
Publishes his short story The Pigeon.
1991
Publishes his short story Mr. Summer’s Story.
1995
Publishes his short story collection Three Stories and a Reflection.
1997
With Helmut Dietl, he writes the screenplay for the motion picture Rossini.
2005
With Helmut Dietl, he writes the screenplay for the motion picture Vom Suchen und Finden der Liebe.
2006
Publishes his essay Über Liebe und Tod.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is adapted into a major motion picture by Tom Tykwer, starring Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman and Dustin Hoffman.
Without ever giving interviews or making public appearances, Patrick Süskind lives in Munich and France with his partner, a publisher from Munich, and their son.