Don Sawyer

An educator and writer, I grew up in Michigan and came to Canada in the 1960s, where I more or less flunked out of a PhD program in Modern Chinese History . This turned out to be a blessing as it opened up a world of opportunity and experiences I never contemplated. From teaching in a small Newfoundland outport to training community workers in West Africa to teaching adults on a First Nations reserve in British Columbia to designing a climate change action course for Jamaican youth, I have worked with youth and adults from many cultural backgrounds and in a variety of locales.

Inevitably, these experiences have made their way into my writing. I have authored over 12 books, including two Canadian bestsellers: the YA novel Where the Rivers Meet (Pemmican) and the adult non-fiction Tomorrow Is School and I Am Sick to the Heart Thinking about It (Douglas and McIntyre). The first book in his Miss Flint series for children, The Meanest Teacher in the World (Thistledown) was translated into German by Carlsen (hardback) and Ravensburger. My articles and op-eds have appeared in many journals and most of Canada’s major dailies

I was never a very good boxer, but I continue to train in the ring and walk in the woods whenever my hips don’t hurt too much. I currently live in St Catharines, Ontario, with Jan Henig Sawyer, my very tolerant wife of 54 years.