About Kevin Major

Born in Stephenville, Kevin Major began his writing career after noticing, as a teacher, that there were too few books for his students that featured their own place and culture.

His first novel, Hold Fast, won several awards in Canada and was placed on the Hans Christian Andersen Honour List. The second, Far From Shore, was the winner of the Canadian Young Adult Book Award. His novels and plays garnered wide acclaim and many were translated into other languages.

In 1995, Major released his first book aimed at an adult audience: No Man's Land. A classic war novel, it captures the last hours of the Newfoundland Regiment as it marches toward the Somme and The Battle of Beaumont-Hamel. In 2001, he adapted the book for Rising Tide Theatre. It continues to be staged at the Trinity Festival each summer. In 2007 Rising Tide toured it to Atlantic Canada and Ontario to great success, with final performances at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

In 2001 Major released As Near to Heaven by Sea: A History of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was nominated for the Pearson Writers' Trust Prize. His 2003 book, Ann and Seamus, told the story of Ann Harvey, one of the great unsung heroes of maritime history. The book was nominated for a Governor General's Award and became the basis for an opera, performed by Shallaway choir. It toured in 2007 to three cities in Ontario and to Washington D.C.

In 1997, Major, who graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1973, was named its Alumnus-of-the-Year. He has also been honoured as Newfoundland and Labrador Artist-of-the-Year. He lives in St. John's with his wife, Anne Crawford Major B.Ed.('71), M.Ed ('94). They have two children.