The author of six books, Robert J. Wiersema grew up in a small town in southwestern British Columbia (about an ninety minutes east of Vancouver), which he fled as soon as he could, moving to Victoria where he studied English Literature at the University of Victoria, with a focus on contemporary Canadian writing and post-structuralist literary theory. Wiersema’s first novel Before I Wake (2006) was a bestseller, a Globe and Mail Best Book, and has been published in a dozen countries. His novella, The World More Full of Weeping, was shortlisted for the Aurora Award. A longtime bookseller and prolific freelancer, Wiersema’s reviews, articles and essays have appeared in The Globe and Mail, the National Post, Elle Canada, Maclean’s, The Toronto Star, The Walrus, Quill & Quire, and numerous other periodicals. Wiersema still lives in Victoria, near the Chinatown gates. His most recent book is a collection of short fiction, Seven Crow Stories.
Teaching Statement
I believe, unequivocally, in the power of stories. Far from diversions, stories shape the world, and our understanding of it. My goal in the classroom is to assist students in their understanding of this powerful force, and their role in the ongoing line of stories; to help them understand the stories of others, and to present their own stories in way by which they can best be understood by others. It’s a powerful opportunity, for everyone; I find my own understanding (and the quality of my writing) grows as I get to know each new group of students, their unique voices and singular visions of the world.
Email: Robert.Wiersema@viu.ca
Website: robertjwiersemabooks.com