Woman in green puffer coat in front of fence with snow

Dr. Suzette Mayr

Pronouns: she/her/they/them

Positions

Contact information

Phone number

Office: +1 (403) 220-4659

Location

Office: SS1048

Preferred method of communication

I prefer email for all correspondence.

Background

Educational Background

PhD Creative Practice, University of New South Wales, 2016

M.A. English, University of Alberta, 1992

B.A. English (Hons.), University of Calgary, 1990

Biography

Dr. Mayr received a Killam Annual Professor Award in 2023. She is the author of six novels, including her most recent book The Sleeping Car Porter, winner of the 2022 Giller Prize, the Georges Bugnet Award, and the City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Award. The Sleeping Car Porter was also shortlisted for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award, nominated for the 2023 Governor General's Award for Fiction, and shortlisted for the inaugural Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and the Republic of Consciousness Prize (US and Canada). Her novel Monoceros won the ReLit and the City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Awards, and was nominated for the 2011 Giller Prize, the Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBT Fiction, and Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction. Her novel The Widows was a finalist for the Commonwealth Prize for Best Book in the Canada-Caribbean region. Dr. Mayr is a former president of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, and has been teaching creative writing at the University of Calgary since 2003. Dr. Mayr's research interests include: Creative Writing, Canadian Literature, Haunted House / Horror Literature, and Australian Literature.

Research

Areas of Research

Creative Writing, Contemporary Canadian Literature, Haunted House / Horror Literature, Australian Literature

Courses

Course number Course title Semester
ENGL 387 The Harlem Renaissance Fall 2022
ENGL 594 Creative Writing: Popular Genre Fall 2022
ENGL 694 Topics in Creative Writing: Popular Genre Fall 2022

Projects

The Sleeping Car Porter (novel)

Published Sept. 2022. Funded by a SSHRC Insight grant (2013-2017)

Awards

  • Shortlist, Dublin Literary Award, Dublin City Council (Dublin City Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature). 2024
  • Finalist, Governor General's Award for Fiction, Canada Council. 2023
  • Giller Prize ($100,000), Scotiabank / Giller Foundation. 2022
  • Killam Annual Professor Award, Killam Program. 2023
  • George Bugnet Award for Best Novel ($1500) for The Sleeping Car Porter, Writers' Guild of Alberta. 2023
  • City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Award ($5000) for The Sleeping Car Porter, 2023
  • ReLit Award for Monoceros, 2012
  • Faculty of Arts Distinguished Research Award, 2012
  • SSHRC Insight grant, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. 2013
  • City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Award ($5000) for Monoceros, 2012
  • Shortlist, Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for The Sleeping Car Porter, 2023
  • Shortlist, Republic of Consciousness Prize for The Sleeping Car Porter , 2023
  • Finalist, George Bugnet Award for Best Novel for Dr. Edith Vane and the Hares of Crawley Hall, Writers' Guild of Alberta. 2018
  • Longlist, Giller Prize , Scotiabank / Giller Foundation. 2011
  • Finalist, Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBT Fiction, 2012
  • Nomination, Supervisory Excellence Award , University of Calgary. 2013
  • Toronto Public Library Book of the Month, 2012
  • Globe and Mail's "Best 100 Books of 2011" List, 2011
  • Maisonneuve's "Maisy's Best Books of 2011" List, 2011
  • Vancouver Sun's "2011's Top 10 Books" List, 2011
  • Finalist, Commonwealth Prize for Best Book for in the Canadian-Caribbean Region, 1998
  • Finalist, Georges Bugnet Award for Best Novel for Moon Honey, Writers' Guild of Alberta. 1996
  • Finalist, Henry Kreisel Award for Best First Book for Moon Honey, Writers' Guild of Alberta. 1996

Publications