The Colony of Unrequited Dreams

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams
AuthorWayne Johnston
LanguageEnglish
PublisherKnopf Canada
Publication date
September 30, 1998
Publication placeCanada
Pages562
ISBN0676971822

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams is a novel by Wayne Johnston, published on September 30, 1998 by Knopf Canada. Johnston's breakthrough work, the novel was a Canadian bestseller, and was shortlisted for the 1998 Giller Prize and the 1998 Governor General's Award for English fiction.[1][2]

In 2003, Justin Trudeau championed the book on CBC Radio's Canada Reads.[3]

A work of historical fiction, the novel presents a fictionalized portrayal of real-life Newfoundland politician Joey Smallwood, the political leader who brought the province into Canadian Confederation in 1949. A major literary device in the novel is the intertwining of his life, since childhood, with (fictional) journalist Sheilagh Fielding.

A stage adaptation by Robert Chafe premiered in February 2015.[4][5] It was nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award in 2017.[6]

  1. ^ "Governor General's Literary Awards, Past Winners and Finalists", Canadian Council for the Arts. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  2. ^ "Scotiabank Giller Prize, Past Winners 1994-1999", Scotiabank Giller Prize. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  3. ^ Adams, James. "And the Canada Reads winner is: Aquin's Prochain Episode", The Globe and Mail, Canada, April 26, 2003. Retrieved on February 24, 2018.
  4. ^ "The Colony of Unrequited Dreams 2017". Retrieved on October 14, 2022.
  5. ^ "Colony of Unrequited Dreams opens tonight in St. John's | CBC News", CBC News, Canada, February 18, 2015. Retrieved on October 14, 2022.
  6. ^ "The Colony of Unrequited Dreams | Playwrights Canada Press". Retrieved on October 14, 2022.