| 1935 |
 born
Oak Park, Illinois on June 2nd
sister
Barbara and brother Robert (twins) two years older
mother
Inez (Sellgren) Warner, father Robert E. Warner |
| 1940 |
starts
school - Nathaniel Hawthorne School, Oak Park, IL |
| 1943 |
changes
to Ralph Waldo Emerson School in Oak Park |
| 1948 |
enters
Oak Park High School |
| 1953 |
starts
university at Hanover College, Hanover, Indiana |
| 1955 |
United
Nations Exchange Student, University of Exeter, Exeter, England
meets Donald
Shields at the Covenantors Inn, Aberfoyle, Scotland |
| 1956 |
returns
to Hanover College for final year
student
teaching in Kentucky |
| 1957 |
graduates
in English and History from Hanover College
marries
Donald Shields, July 20, Oak Park, IL
emigrates
to Canada
lives in
Vancouver, BC, until November, then moves to Toronto |
| 1958 |
son
John Douglas Shields born April 19 in Toronto |
| 1959 |
daughter
Anne Elizabeth Shields born October 12 in Toronto |
| 1960 |
attends
evening writing class at University of Toronto
sells short
story to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
moves to
Manchester, England, in the fall |
| 1962 |
daughter
Catherine Mary Shields born February 8 in Manchester
publishes
first short story in British magazine, The Story Teller |
| 1963 |
moves
back to Toronto in November |
| 1964 |
daughter
Margaret (Meg) Lorin Shields born April 30 in Toronto
wins CBC
Young Writer's Competition for poetry |
| 1967 |
moves
temporarily to Ottawa, ON, in September |
| 1968 |
daughter
Sara Ellysn Shields born January 5 in Ottawa
returns
to Toronto in April
moves to
Ottawa in October |
| 1969 |
starts
working part-time towards M.A. degree in English at University
of Ottawa |
| 1971 |
becomes
a Canadian citizen March 11 |
| 1972 |
first
book of poetry, Others, is published by Borealis Press
in Canada |
| 1973 |
Editorial
Assistant of The Canadian Slavonic Papers (for two
years)
book of
poetry, Intersect, is published by Borealis Press in
Canada |
| 1975 |
receives
M.A. degree in English from the University of Ottawa
Poet-in-the-Schools,
Ontario Arts Council
moves temporarily
to France in July |
| 1976 |
returns
to Ottawa in July from France
is hired
as teaching assistant in English, University of Ottawa
novel Small
Ceremonies is published by McGraw-Hill Ryerson in Canada
wins The
Canadian Authors Association Award for Small Ceremonies
|
| 1977 |
teaches
Creative Writing, University of Ottawa
novel The
Box Garden is published by McGraw-Hill Ryerson in Canada
non-fiction
book-length essay Susanna Moodie: Voice and Vision
is published by
Borealis Press in Canada |
| 1978 |
moves
to Vancouver in July
teaches
Creative Writing, University of British Columbia |
| 1979 |
Lecturer
and Resource Person, Alberta Culture (for two years) |
| 1980 |
moves
to Winnipeg, MB, in July
lecturer
at Winnipeg Education Centre, University of Manitoba
instructor
in creative writing, Continuing Education Division, University
of Manitoba
novel Happenstance
is published by McGraw-Hill Ryerson in Canada |
| 1981 |
becomes
Assistant Professor of English, University of Manitoba
teaches
English for Engineers, University of Manitoba as a sessional
lecturer |
| 1982 |
novel
A Fairly Conventional Woman is published by Macmillan
Canada in Canada |
| 1983 |
wins
CBC Annual Literary Competition for radio play, Women Waiting
starts
writing A Celibate Season with Blanche Howard - is
accepted for publication by
Coteau Books in 1990
starts
writing short stories which will become the book Various
Miracles |
| 1984 |
first
stage play Departures and Arrivals is performed at
Black Hole Theatre,
University of Manitoba
wins second
prize, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Literary Awards:
Short fiction,
for Fitting Behavior |
| 1985 |
short
story Mrs Turner Cutting the Grass wins Canadian National
Magazine Award
short story
collection Various Miracles is published by Stoddard
in Canada
moves to
Nantes, France, in July; returns to Winnipeg in December
travels
to Albania. Participates in English language courses at the
University of Tirana
subject
of documentary film |
| 1986 |
Writer-in-Residence
at Queen's University, Kingston, ON
moves to
Paris in September
play Anniversary
written with Dave Williamson is performed in Toronto |
| 1987 |
returns
to Winnipeg from Paris in June
novel Swann:
A Mystery is published in Canada by Stoddard
Short-listed
for Governor General of Canada Literary Award: Swann: A
Mystery
returns
to Albania, records readings to be used in English language
courses |
| 1988 |
Writer-in-Residence,
University of Winnipeg
Writer-in-Residence,
Douglas College, Vancouver, BC
wins the
Arthur Ellis Award for the Best Canadian Mystery of the Year
for Swann: A Mystery |
| 1989 |
Writer-in-Residence,
University of Ottawa from September to December
magazine
Room of One's Own publishes special issue on Carol
Shields
short story
collection The Orange Fish is published in Canada by
Random House Canada
short story
collection Various Miracles is published in the USA
by Viking
novel Swann
is published by Viking in the USA
stories
are published in both Saturday Night and Prairie
Fire magazines
teaches
writing for two weeks in Fort San, Saskatchewan |
| 1990 |
awarded
Marian Engel Award for body of work
stage play
Departures and Arrivals is published by Blizzard Press
in Canada
short story
collection The Orange Fish is published by Viking in
the USA, and chosen
by Christian Science Monitor
as one of two best books of short fiction of 1990
novel Mary
Swann is published by Fourth Estate in Britain
play based
on A Celibate Season, is adapted by Blanche Howard,
performed in North Vancouver
starts
research for the book which will become The Stone Diaries
|
| 1991 |
novel
A Celibate Season (co-authored with Blanche Howard)
is published in Canada
by Coteau |
| 1992 |
novel
The Republic of Love is published in Canada by Random
House Canada, Viking
in the USA and Fourth Estate
in the UK
book of
poetry Coming To Canada is published by Carleton University
Press
novel Mary
Swann is published in the UK by Harper Collins
awarded
second prize, Guardian Newspaper Fiction Prize: Republic
of Love
promoted
to Associate Professor of English at the University of Manitoba
|
| 1993 |
novel
The Stone Diaries is published in Canada by Random
House Canada
The
Stone Diaries receives Governor General of Canada Literary
Award
novels
Happenstance and Fairly Conventional Woman are
combined into Happenstance, published
by Fourth Estate in the UK
play Thirteen
Hands is first staged by Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg,
and is published in Canada by
Blizzard Publishing
moves to
Berkley, California in September for sabbatical leave
short-listed
for Man Booker Prize: The Stone Diaries |
| 1994 |
wins
the McNally Robinson Award for Manitoba Book of the Year for
The Stone Diaries
wins the
Canadian Booksellers Association Prize for The Stone Diaries
awarded
National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction for The
Stone Diaries
short story
collection Various Miracles is published in the United
Kingdom by Fourth Estate
novel
The Stone Diaries is published by Viking in the USA
The
Stone Diaries is listed as a notable book by the New York
Times
novel Happenstance
(combined version) is published by Viking in the USA
returns
to Winnipeg in June after sabbatical leave in California
teaches
creative writing in Paris in the Spring
starts
research into labyrinths/mazes for book that becomes Larry's
Party |
| 1995 |
receives
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Stone Diaries
receives
Tradition of Excellence Award in Literature from alma-mater
Oak Park and
River Forest High School for
winning the Pulitzer Prize
play Fashion,
Power, Guilt, and the Charity of Families (co-authored
with daughter Catherine Shields)
is performed at Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg, and
published by Blizzard Press
in Canada
novel The
Box Garden is published by Fourth Estate in the UK
Corresponding
Writer for Humber School for Writers (Toronto) from January
to July
Resource
Author, one-week July short course, Humber School for Writers
Prairie
Fire Magazine devotes entire issue to Carol Shields
becomes
a full Professor of English at the University of Manitoba
awarded
Honourary Doctor of University Degree by University of Ottawa
|
| 1996 |
becomes
Chancellor of the University of Winnipeg
awarded
Honourary Doctorates from Hanover College (Humane Letters),
Queen's University (Ontario)(Laws),
University of Winnipeg (of Letters), and
University of British Columbia
(Literature)
novel Mary
Swann is published by Flamingo, an imprint of Harper Collins,
in
the United Kingdom
novel The
Box Garden is published by Penguin in the USA
novel Small
Ceremonies is published by Penguin in the USA
film based
on Swann is released
receives
Hanover College Alumna Achievement Award |
| 1997 |
novel
Larry's Party is published by Random House Canada in
Canada, and by Viking
in the USA
Larry's
Party is short-listed for Giller Prize
Larry's
Party is nominated for The Guardian Fiction Prize in the
UK
Publishers
Weekly chooses Larry's Party as a favourite book of
the year
play
Thirteen Hands is shortlisted for the Dora Mavor Moore
Award |
| 1998 |
appointed
Officer of the Order of Canada (invested by the Governor General
of Canada
in Ottawa in 1999)
made a
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
awarded
Honourary Doctorates by University of Toronto (Letters), Concordia
University (Laws), University
of Western Ontario (Letters)
wins The
Orange Prize for Larry's Party
play Anniversary
(co-authored with Dave Williamson) is published by Blizzard
Press
in Canada
travels
to China to participate in a three-day seminar on her writing.
wins Prix
de Lire for Larry's Party in France |
| 1999 |
awarded
a Guggenheim Fellowship to spend sabbatical year in London
appointed
Professor Emerita by University of Manitoba
short story
is published in Saturday Night magazine
made guest
curator at The Glenbow Museum in Calgary |
| 2000 |
appointed
Chancellor Emerita by University of Winnipeg
receives
Honourary Doctorates from Carleton University (Literature),
and Wilfred
Laurier University (Literature)
short story
collection Dressing Up For The Carnival is published
by Random House
Canada in Canada, and by Viking
in the USA
honoured
by the Government of France by being named Chevalier dans
l'ordres
des Arts et des Lettres (Knight
of the Order of Arts and Letters)
radio play
Sisters Under the Skin is broadcast by CBC |
| 2001 |
awarded
The Order of Manitoba
Larry's
Party adapted into a musical by Richard Ouzounian and
Marek Norman;
performed inToronto, Ottawa
and Winnipeg
named Winnipeg
Citizen of the Year with a life-size bronze bust mounted in
the
Alley of Honour, Assiniboine
Park, Winnipeg
receives
Honourary Doctorates from Lakehead University (Letters), University
of Victoria (Letters), and University
of Calgary (Laws)
biography
Jane Austen is published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson
in England, and by Lipper/Viking
in the USA in the Penguin Lives series of biographies
edits (with
Marjorie Anderson) Dropped Threads: What We Aren't Told
film Life
and Times of Carol Shields airs on Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation television
named one
of McLean's Magazine's "Acclaimed Persons of the Year". |
| 2002 |
elevated
to Canada's highest honour, Companion of the Order of Canada
awarded
the Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Medal
wins The
Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction for Jane
Austen
novel Unless
is published by Random House Canada in Canada, and by Fourth
Estate in the United Kingdom
and the USA
Unless
is short-listed for the Man Booker Prize
Unless
is short-listed for the Scotia Bank/Giller Prize
Unless
wins Ethel Wilson Prize for best British Columbia fiction
of the year
film Dressing
Up for the Carnival: A portrait of Carol Shields broadcast
on British
Broadcasting Corporation
television
awarding
of the first Carol Shields Creative Writing Award to a Red
River College
student (co-sponsored by the
Manitoba Writers Guild) |
| 2003 |
edits
(with Marjorie Anderson) Dropped Threads 2: More of What
We Aren't Told
awarded
the Libris Author of the Year Award by The Canadian Booksellers
Association
Unless
is short-listed Fiction Book of the Year, Canadian Booksellers
Association
Unless
is short-listed for the Orange Prize
awarded
Honourary Doctorates by The University of Manitoba (Letters),
and Malaspina
University and College (Letters)
Carol
Shields: The Arts of a Writing Life, a collection of essays,
memoirs and interviews
by Neil Besner (Ed.), published
by Turnstone Press
Prairie
Fire Magazine Special Issue: Carol Shields: The Arts of
a Writing Life
dies at
home in Victoria on July 16 |
| Posthumously |
| 2003 |
movie
based on The Republic of Love launched at Toronto Film
Festival
academic
essays on Carol and her work are published: Carol Shields,
Narrative
Hunger and Possibilities of
Fiction, ed. Dee Goertz and Edward Eden, University
of Toronto Press |
| 2004 |
six
short films based on six of Carol's short stories (Hazel,
Windows, Various
Miracles, A Wood,
The Harp and Dolls, Dolls, Dolls, Dolls) are
released |
| 2004 |
a
tree is planted between the Oak Park Public Library and Scoville
Park in honour
of Carol Shields |
| 2005 |
Unless
adapted into a stage play by Carol and daughter Sara Cassidy;
is performed
in Toronto, Vancouver and Scarborough,
England |
| 2006 |
Unless:
The Play is performed in Victoria |
| 2007 |
initial
awarding to an Oak Park and River Forest High School student
of Class of
1953 Award in Memory of Carol Warner
Shields
academic
essays on Carol and her work are published: Carol Shields
and the
Extra- ordinary, Ed. Marta
Dvorak and Manina Jones, McGill-Queen's University Press
a compendium
of emails and letters between Blanche Howard and Carol Shields
is published: A Memoir of
Friendship: Letters Between Carol Shields and
Blanche Howard, ed. Blanche
Howard and Allison Howard, Penguin Canada
a memoir
is published by Eleanor Wachtel: Random Illuminations,
Conversations
with Carol Shields, Goose
Lane Publishers
a compendium
of emails is published: The Staircase Letters, Arthur Motyer
with Elma Gerwin and Carol
Shields, ed. Arthur Motyer, Random House Canada |
| 2008 |
Liminal
Spaces: The Double Art of Carol Shields, by Alex Ramon
is published by
Cambridge Scholars Publishing
|
| 2009 |
Unless
is on Times of London's 100 Best Books of the Decade list.
Carol
Shields: Evocation and Echo, a collection of literary
responses from critics,
friends and fellow writers,
by Conny Steenman-Marcusse (Ed.) and
Aritha van Herk (Ed.)
published by Barkhuis
|
| 2014 |
23
contributors offer new insights, theories, and perspectives
about Shields'
illuminating career
in The Worlds of Carol Shields, edited by David Staines,
published by University
of Ottawa Press |
| 2016 |
Carol
Shields and the Writer-Critic by Brenda Beckman-Long,
a reappraisal
of Shields' work contributes to the scholarship on life writing and autobiography,
literary criticism andfeminist and critical theory, published by University of Toronto
Press
The film
version of Unless debuts at the Toronto International Film
Festival
Commemorative
bust to honour Carol Shields unveiled at the University of
Manitoba |
| 2017 |
Thirteen
Hands produced at the Alumnae Theatre in Toronto |
| 2019 |
Unless
on BBC list of 100 Novels that Shaped Our World |
| 2020 |
Carol
Shields Literary Prize for Fiction launched |
| 2022 |
inducted
to the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame |
|
|
