Douglas Durkin

Canadian writer Douglas Leader Durkin was born on 9 July 1884 in the small town of Parry Sound on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay, an inlet of Lake Huron in south central Ontario. Early in life he abandoned the notion of becoming a missionary after acquiring an appreciation for literature and in time taught literature at Brandon College, the University of Manitoba and Columbia University.

In 1918 Durkin published a book of poetry entitled "The Fighting Men of Canada".

His first two novels, "The Heart of Cherry McBain" (1920) and "The Lobstick Trail" (1921), were dramas set in the rugged terrain of Northern Manitoba.

In 1921, after moving to New York, Durkin left his wife and sons and discarded his academic career.

It was during this period that he wrote "The Magpie" (1923), a story set in post-war Winnipeg that is considered by some to be his best work.

She later followed Durkin to New York and in time collaborated with him on the writing of her award-winning novel, "Wild Geese" (1925). An earlier work by Durkin was very similar to "Wild Geese" and it is thought that Durkin and Ostenso were afraid that the Dodd Mead First Novel Award committee might have disqualified the book if he was listed as co-author. Durkin and Ostenso married after his first wife passed away. By then the couple had collaborated on a dozen or so novels and a number of short stories. Durkin and Ostenso lived and worked primarily in Brainerd, Minnesota and in Hollywood, California, where they became friends with such stars as 'Douglas Fairbanks Jr.' Mary Pickford' and Henry Fonda.

In 1944, he married his long-time companion; Norwegian-American author Martha Ostenso, whom he had known since she was a high school student in Manitoba. Durkin early on saw her potential as a writer and began to work as her mentor.

Douglas Durkin passed away on 4 June, 1967 at Seattle. He was survived by two sons from his first marriage.