Elisabeth Vonarburg

"Born to life in 1947 (France), to reading in 1952 (myths, fairy tales, comics, adventure), to writing in 1958 (poetry) and to science-fiction in 1964 (at last!). Likes reading, music, movies, cats, skiing, good food and bad puns. Has taught literature on and off at various universities in Québec (since immigration, in 1973). Did and is still doing a lot of SF translations from English to French (more recent one: Guy G.Kay's The Fionavar Tapestry .)

"Despite a PhD. in Creative Writing (1987), gave SF Writing Workshops during ten years, has been the literary editor for the SF & F Quebecois magazine Solaris from 1979 to 1990 (is still a contributing editor), and is now a full-time writer.

"Is guilty of organizing the first Quebecois SF convention in 1979, and of recidiving twice after that.

"Three short stories collections published in French, (two in Québec, L'Oeil de la nuit , Ailleurs et au Japon , one in France, Janus ), several more stories in various SF magazines (idem). More than half a dozen stories translated into English (Canada). Several stories published in the States (in Amazing and in Tomorrow ).

"Three Canadian Casper Awards (now 'Aurora Awards') for Best Short Story in French (1987: "La carte du Tendre", 1990, "Cogito", in the Canadian SF anthology Tesseracts 3 , and "Ici des Tigres", 1991), three for Best Book in French (Histoire de la Princesse et du Dragon , 1991, Ailleurs et au Japon , 1992, Chroniques du Pays des Mères , 1993).

"Is editor, with translator Jane Brierley, of Tesseracts Québec , an anthology of Quebecois SF to be published in 1996.

"First novel published in France in 1981, (Le Silence de la Cité ), received several awards in 1982, among which le Grand Prix de la SF Française. As The Silent City , it has been published in Canada in 1986 (Press Porcépic), in the UK in 1990 (Women's Press), and in the States (1992, Bantam).

"In the Mothers' Land , another SF novel, has been published simultaneously in French (Chroniques du Pays des Mères ) and in English (Bantam, 1992, as In the Mothers' Land ; Beach Holme, Canada, 1993, as The Maerlande Chronicles ); it has received the 1993 Philip K. Dick Special Award and was a finalist of the Tiptree Award (USA), as well as being the 1993 winner of the Grand Prix Logidec de la SF québécoise and other Québécois and Canadian awards (Boréal, Aurora).

"A third SF novel, The Reluctant Voyagers , has been published in the States by Bantam and in Canada in 1996 by Tesseract Books, (in French, 1994, Les Voyageurs malgré eux ) it was a finalist of the 1995 Philip K.Dick Award.

"Tyranaël , a five-book SF saga, is in the works (first two books in the Fall of 1996), as well as two short story collections. One fantasy novel for young adults in Québec in 1993, Les Contes de la Chatte Rouge (The Red Cat's Tales ) and one science fiction and fantasy book in 1994, Contes & Légendes de Tyranaël (Tales from Tyranaël)." [biography supplied by Elisabeth Vonarburg, 12 May 1996]

"Elisabeth Vonarburg is the author of The Silent City and the Philip K. Dick Special Award-winning novel, In the Mothers' Land , for which she was also a James Tiptree Award runner-up. She works with her translator [Jane Brierley] when her novels are translated, making her work in English a true collaborative effort. She has published numerous SF stories and has worked tirelessly to encourage the genre in Canada. She has attended many SF conventions in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and several international conventions of SF writers held in Chicoutimi. She has received various awards for her work in both France and Canada. She lives in Chicoutimi, Quebec." [publisher's bumpf in Reluctant Voyagers , US pbk, 1995]

"Vonarburg's work has a seriousness of purpose that much American science fiction, even some of the best, lacks; moral issues and intellectual debates are an important (and exciting) part of her novels." --Pamela Sargent.

Elisabeth Vonarburg -- L'auteure et son Oeuvre
(une page non officielle... french language... a single page listing of her work, including her translations of other books)

The Unofficial Elisabeth Vonarburg Page
(english language... maintained by Laura M.Quilter, e-mail: lauramd@uic.edu)