Donna McFarlane

Donna McFarlane
Born 1958
Quebec, Canada
Occupation novelist
Nationality Canadian
Period 1990s
Notable works Division of Surgery

Donna McFarlane (born 1958)[1] is a Canadian writer, who was a shortlisted nominee for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction at the 1994 Governor General's Awards for her novel Division of Surgery.[2] Published by Women's Press of Canada, Division of Surgery was an autobiographical novel about McFarlane's own experience in the medical system after being diagnosed with Crohn's disease.[3]

Born in Quebec and raised in Ottawa,[3] McFarlane graduated from York University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts,[1] and was working as a librarian at the time of her Crohn's diagnosis.[3] The novel began life as a journal that she kept during her hospital stays,[3] and later submitted to CKLN-FM after Arnie Achtman's documentary series Life Rattle broadcast a story about another woman battling chronic illness.[3] Achtman helped McFarlane organize her notes into a novel,[3] and later became McFarlane's partner.[4]

The doctor in the novel, known only by the name "The Prophet", was based on Mount Sinai Hospital surgeon Zane Cohen.[5]

At the time of her award nomination, she was working as a program coordinator for Windfall, a charity organization that distributed clothing to needy women.[3] She subsequently published a number of short stories in literary magazines, but has not published any further books.

References

  1. 1 2 "Life Rattle Authors and Stories".
  2. ↑ "Munro, Atwood lead familiar names in race for Governor General's award". Kingston Whig-Standard, October 28, 1994.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Author's battle with disease inspired honored novel", Ottawa Citizen, December 27, 1994.
  4. ↑ "Who Was Arnie Achtman? Now We Know!". Friends of Roxton Road Parks, March 21, 2014.
  5. ↑ "The zany side of Zane, Rob Ford's doctor: Eminent surgeon cut a rug in charity dance video and inspired a fictional character". Toronto Star, September 19, 2014.


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