Mark Frutkin has published nineteen books of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and essays. His most recent book is a collection of short and medium-length essays on a variety of subjects titled The Walled Garden (Guernica Editions). His most recent novel, The Artist and the Assassin (Porcupine’s Quill, 2021), is based on the life of Italian artist, Caravaggio. His recent collection of poetry, Hermit Thrush (Quattro), was shortlisted for the Ottawa Book Award. His novel, Fabrizio’s Return (Knopf Canada), won the Trillium Award and the Sunburst Prize, and was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize (Canada/Caribbean region). A French translation of Fabrizio’s Return was published by Alto Editions of Quebec City in 2017 (under the title Le Saint Patron des Merveilles). His novel, Atmospheres Apollinaire, was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for fiction.
He has taught creative writing at Carleton University and University of Ottawa, and at various grade schools. He has received numerous grants from the Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Ottawa. His work has been translated and published in French, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Hindi and Korean, and is soon to appear in Italian. His coffee table book, Where Angels Come to Earth: an evocation of the Italian piazza (Longbridge, Montreal), is a work of lyrical text and photography (with Toronto photographer, Vincenzo Pietropaolo.)