Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Bird, William Richard
Parallel form(s) of name
- Will R. Bird
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1891-1984
History
William Richard Bird was born at East Mapleton, Nova Scotia May 11, 1891. Bird had a diverse career while at the same time publishing almost annually for 4 decades. He homesteaded in Alberta, served with the 42nd Royal Highlanders in the First World War, and was a touring lecturer before settling into a Nova Scotia bureau of information position from 1933 to 1950.
He first published in 1928 with the nonfiction "A Century at Chignecto". Other nonfiction works include books about the Maritimes. Two of his most popular novels, "Here Stays Good Yorkshire" (1945) and "Judgement Glen" (1947) which won the Ryerson fiction award.
From 1949 to 1950 Bird served as president of the Canadian Authors Association. During his long career he was awarded the Queen's Coronation medal, a DLitt from Mount Allison U (1949), a Canada Council Fellowship (1961-62) and a national award in letters from U of Alberta (1965).
He died at Sackville, New Brunswick on January 28, 1984.