Mary Alice Downie

Mary Alice Downie was born in Alton, Illinois (on Abraham Lincoln's birthday) to Canadian parents. They returned to Canada and she grew up in Toronto, graduating from U of T despite spending most of her time at 'The Varsity'. Afterwards, the usual range of jobs for an English grad - steno pool at MacLean-Hunter, editorial assistant for a medical journal, publicity manager for the Canadian branch of Oxford University Press. In 1959, she married John Downie; they moved to Pittsburgh where she produced film, play and book reviews and two daughters, Christine and Jocelyn. In 1962 they came to Kingston where they have lived ever since, apart from three memorable sabbaticals in Cambridge. Alexandra, their centennial project, was born in 1967. The Wind Has Wings: Poems from Canada (with Barbara Robertson), Mary Alice's first book, appeared in 1968. Now she writes and edits in the city, watches trees fall down in the woods on an island on the Rideau. and travels whenever possible. These days she and her husband make frequent trips to Halifax to visit a daughter; son-in-law; Sam, aged thirteen; and Nick, six.

Mary Alice has received grants from the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Laidlaw Foundation, Explorations, Ontario Heritage Foundation and the Multicultural Directorate.

Selected List of Publications

Alison's Ghosts. By Mary Alice and John Downie. James Lorimer & Company, 2008. ISBN 978-1-55277-013-9.
Earlier edition Nelson Canada, 1984.

A Pioneer ABC. Illustrated by Mary Jane Gerber. Tundra Books, 2005. ISBN o-88776-688-9.

A Song for Acadia. With George Rawlyk, illus. by Ron Berg. Nimbus Publishing, 2004. Translation Une Chanson Pour l'Acadie by Jacques Loic Lorioz, 2004. ISBN 1-55109-474-6 (English). ISBN 1-55109-476-2 (French).
     For WFNS' description of this book, click here.
Earlier edition: A Proper Acadian. With George Rawlyk, illus. by Ron Berg. Kids Can Press, Kids Canada Series, 1981. Translation Acadien Pour de Bon by Jacques Loic Lorioz, 1982.

The Well-Filled Cupboard: Everyday Pleasures of Home and Garden. With Barbara Robertson. Re-issued by Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2003. ISBN 1-55041-748-7.
Earlier Edition: The Canadian Treasury of Cooking and Gardening. With Barbara Robertson. Key Porter Books, 1997. ISBN 1-55013-828-6.

Scared Sarah. Illustrated by Muriel Wood. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2003. ISBN 1-55041-712-6 (hc); 1-55041-714-2 (pb).

Danger in Disguise. Montreal: Roussan Publishers Inc., 2000. ISBN 1-896184-72-3.
     Click here for WFNS' description of this book.

Bright Paddles. Illustrated by Martin Springett. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2000. ISBN 1-55041-5166.
     Click here to read WFNS' description of this book.

SnowPaws. Illus. by Kathryn Naylor. Stoddart Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0-7737-2968-2.

The Cat Park. Illus. by Kathryn Naylor. Quarry Press, 1993. ISBN 1-55082-058-3 (hc). ISBN 1-55082-059-1 (pb).

Honor Bound. With John Downie, illus. by Wesley Bates. Quarry Press, 1991. ISBN 1-55082-026-5 (hc). ISBN 1-55082-027-3 (pb).

SnowPaws, Earlier edition: illus. by Joan Huffman. Oxford University Press, 1971.

Cathal the Giant Killer & the Dun Shaggy Filly. Illus. by Jillian Gilliland. Kingston: Quarry Press, 1991. ISBN 1-55082-008-7 (hc). ISBN 1-55082-009-5 (pb).

The Buffalo Boy and the Weaver Girl. With Mann Hwa Huang-Hsu, illus. by Jillian Gilliland. Quarry Press, 1989. ISBN 0-919627-31-5 (hc). ISBN 0-919627-33-1 (pb).

Stones and Cones. With Jillian Gilliland. Scholastic-TAB Publications, 1984. Translation Artisan de la Nature by Martine Connat, 1984.

Alison's Ghosts. With John Downie, illus. by Paul McCusker. Nelson Canada, 1984.

Jenny Greenteeth. Illus. by Barbara Reid. Kids Can Press, 1984.
Earlier edition: Illus. by Anne Powell. Rhino Books, 1981. Translation Sophie Vertdents by Christiane Duchesne. Scholastic-TAB Publications, 1989.

You can send mail to Mary Alice Downie
c/o Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia