Duncan Thornton

Duncan Thornton (born June 14 , 1962) is a Canadian author, speaker, and futurist. He was born in God’s Lake Narrows in northern Manitoba where his father served as minister in the United Church. The family moved to Winnipeg a few years later. At the age of the 13 he dropped out of school, but 20 he enrolled as a mature student at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. He went on to graduate from the University of Winnipeg (BA, hon.s in English and History). He also did graduate work in English at both Concordia University in Montreal and the University of Manitoba. He currently lives in Winnipeg with his wife, author Brenda Hasiuk, and their two children.

His first novel, Kalifax[1] (1999), a YA fantasy described as a fairy-tale retelling of the search for the Northwest Passage, was nominated for the 2000 Governor General’s Award[2] for Children’s Literature. The sequel, Captain Jenny[3] (2001) was a counterpart inspired by classic literature of Old World exploration. The final book in the series, The Star-Glass[4] (2003), won the 2004 McNally-Robinson Book for Young People prize [5].

Thornton was the founding editor of the electronic version of Canadian Materials[6], one of the first regular on-line publications in Canada. He also developed and led Red River College’s innovative New Media Program. These experiences led to a second career as a lecturer and columnist on technology trends.

Thornton was also the 2004-2005 Writer-in-Residence for the Winnipeg Public Library.

Shadow-Town[7] (2008) his first novel in several years, is the first of a new four-book sequence called “The Vastlands.”

Novels

   * Kalifax[8] (1999)
   * Captain Jenny and the Sea of Wonders[9] (2001)
   * The Star-Glass[10] (2003)
   * Shadow-Town (2008)