Thomas King

Thomas King
Name	Thomas King
Birth date	1943
Birth place	Sacramento, California
Occupation	Writer, novelist, short story writer, essayist, broadcaster, literary critic, professor
Nationality	Canadian (United States-born)
Notable works	The Back of the Turtle; Green Grass, Running Water; The Inconvenient Indian
Awards	Order of Canada, Scotiabank Giller Prize (nominee), Governor General's Award (nominee)

Thomas King is an American-born Canadian author known for fiction, non-fiction, radio broadcasting, and teaching that center on Indigenous peoples of North America, settler-Indigenous relations, and cultural storytelling. His work blends satire, oral tradition, and critical history to interrogate colonial narratives across Canada and the United States. King has been influential in literary, academic, and public-policy conversations, engaging audiences through novels, essays, radio plays, and public lectures.

Early life and education

Thomas King was born in Sacramento, California and raised in a family with ties to Cherokee and Greek ancestry, moving to Canada as a young adult. He attended University of Utah and later pursued studies that connected him with Indigenous communities in British Columbia and the Prairies. Early influences included storytellers and activists such as Gerald Vizenor, Native American Renaissance authors, and critics associated with the Harvard-linked discourse on Indigenous literature. King’s formative years were shaped by cross-border experiences involving locations like California, Alberta, and Ontario and by engagement with institutions such as Simon Fraser University and community cultural programs.

Writing career

King’s literary work spans novels, short fiction, essays, and radio scripts, with major titles including Green Grass, Running Water and The Inconvenient Indian. He emerged as part of a cohort that also featured writers like Thomas McGuane, Louise Erdrich, Linda Hogan, and NoViolet Bulawayo in broader contemporary fiction circles, while more specifically resonating with Indigenous writers such as Lee Maracle, Richard Van Camp, Drew Hayden Taylor, and Joseph Boyden. His novels often reference events and institutions like the Indian Act (Canada), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and historical episodes such as the Fur Trade and the Canadian residential school system through satirical and allegorical means. King’s nonfiction, including The Inconvenient Indian, dialogues with historians and commentators including J.R. Miller, Adele Perry, Wesley-Esquimaux, and journalists from outlets like the Globe and Mail and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

King has written for radio and television, producing work for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and collaborating with producers and hosts from programs such as The Sunday Edition and This American Life-style documentary formats. His short stories and essays appeared in anthologies alongside contributors like Margaret Atwood, Marge Piercy, Martha Nussbaum (in cross-disciplinary collections), and in journals associated with McGill-Queen's University Press and Talonbooks. Literary critics who have engaged King’s oeuvre include scholars from University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, and York University.

Academic and teaching roles

King has held teaching positions and visiting appointments at universities and colleges including University of Guelph, University of Manitoba, University of Lethbridge, and the University of Toronto. He served in roles that connected creative writing and Indigenous studies, collaborating with departments and programs such as Creative Writing Program (University of British Columbia), Indigenous Studies (University of Saskatchewan), and community-based education initiatives sponsored by organizations like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. King’s pedagogical work intersected with scholars and teachers such as Daniel Heath Justice, Sarah Carter, Bonnie Devine, and curriculum developers in provincial ministries like British Columbia Ministry of Education and Manitoba Education.

He participated in residencies and seminars at institutions including Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Harvard University, and Stanford University, contributing to conferences like the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences and gatherings convened by associations such as the Modern Language Association and the Association for Canadian Studies.

Activism and public advocacy

King has been active in public debates about Indigenous rights, cultural representation, and historical memory, engaging with legal and policy episodes involving the Supreme Court of Canada, land claims tribunals, and inquiries like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. He has partnered with advocacy organizations such as Native Women’s Association of Canada, Assembly of First Nations, and community groups tied to the Idle No More movement. King’s essays and public talks often critique cultural appropriation and lobby for reforms in media practices, museums like the Canadian Museum of History, and publishing contexts including the Canadian Publishers Association.

King has participated in panels with figures including Phil Fontaine, Shawn Atleo, Marie Wilson (Indian residential schools commissioner), and historians like John Ralston Saul and Michelle Good. His interventions have informed arts councils and funding bodies such as Canada Council for the Arts and provincial arts organizations in Ontario and British Columbia.

Awards and honours

King’s recognitions include membership in the Order of Canada and multiple literary nominations and awards, having been shortlisted or longlisted for prizes like the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, and the Governor General's Award. He received honorary degrees from universities including University of Alberta, University of Guelph, and Wilfrid Laurier University. Festivals and institutions that have celebrated his work include the Toronto International Film Festival’s literary panels, the Calgary Literary Festival, and the Vancouver Writers Fest.

Category:Canadian novelists Category:Indigenous writers of North America