Kay Hill
Kay Hill | |
---|---|
Born | Kathleen Louise Hill 7 April 1917 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
Died | 14 March 2011 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | (aged 93)
Occupation | Writer |
Notable work | Joe Howe: the Man who was Nova Scotia (1980) |
Kathleen Louise Hill (7 April 1917 – 14 March 2011) was a Canadian author and playwright from Nova Scotia, known for her 13-part television series on Mi'kmaq legends. She was the author of over one hundred stage plays and radio dramas across her career. Her children's book Joe Howe: The Man who was Nova Scotia was the winner of the Evelyn Richardson Award at the Atlantic Book Awards in 1981.
Biography
Kay Hill was born on 7 April 1917 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to parents Henry and Margaret Elizabeth Hill (née Ross).[1] She attended Halifax County Academy for one year, where she earned a business diploma.[1]
After graduating from Halifax County Academy, Hill began working as a freelance fiction writer.[1] She did secretarial work while saving money to write full-time.[2] After several years writing radio and television scripts, she was approached by the Halifax Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in August 1960 to create a pilot for a television series on Mi'kmaq legends.[3] With the success of the pilot, she subsequently wrote the scripts for a 13-part series. The legends detailed in the series established the basis for her first book, Glooscap and his Magic, published in 1963.[3]
Hill was the author of over one hundred stage plays and radio dramas.[4] One of her most popular comedies was Cobbler, Stick to Thy Last, set in 1780s Cumberland County.[5] Her three-part play Three to Get Married was broadcast on CBC Television in 1958.[6]
In 1969, Hill was awarded the Book of the Year award by the Canadian Library Association for her children's book And Tomorrow The Stars. She received the Vicky Metcalf Award in 1971 from the Canadian Authors Association,[7] and in 1981 her book Joe Howe: The Man who was Nova Scotia received the Evelyn Richardson Award at the Atlantic Book Awards.[8]
Hill lived in the historic Mackie House in Ketch Harbour.[9] She made oil paintings in her spare time.[10] She died in Halifax on 14 March 2011, at the age of 93.[1]
Publications
Books
- Hill, Kay (1963). Glooscap and his Magic: Legends of the Wabanaki Indians. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart. OCLC 25449610.
- — (1965). Badger, The Mischief Maker. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. OCLC 8991656.[11]
- — (1968). And Tomorrow the Stars: The Story of John Cabot. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. OCLC 448721.
- — (1970). More Glooscap Stories: Legends of the Wabanaki Indians. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. ISBN 978-0-7710-4090-0. OCLC 81436.[12]
- — (1980). Joe Howe: The Man who was Nova Scotia. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 978-0-7710-4096-2. OCLC 6892735.[13]
Plays
- Hill, Kay (1975). "Cobbler, Stick to Thy Last". In Stevens, John (ed.). Ten Canadian Short Plays. Toronto: Doubleday Canada. pp. 183–208. ISBN 0-4409-5754-0.
- — (1988). "Three to Get Married". In Heide, Christopher (ed.). Maritime Lines. Halifax, NS: Nimbus Publishing. pp. 148–154. ISBN 0-9210-5404-1.
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d Nova Scotia Archives (2011).
- ^ Giller (1965).
- ^ a b Stott (1988); Parkhill (1997).
- ^ Blandford (1966).
- ^ PNI Atlantic News (2010).
- ^ The Toronto Star (1958); The Ottawa Journal (1958).
- ^ Nova Scotia Archives (2011); Stott (1988).
- ^ WFNS (2025).
- ^ Duffus (2004).
- ^ Hill (1980).
- ^ Bawtree (1965).
- ^ Ketzer (1978).
- ^ Hall (1980).
Sources
- Bawtree, Michael (2 October 1965). "Excellent reading for children". Calgary Herald. p. 56. Retrieved 12 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Blandford, Mark (14 April 1966). "The Jaundiced Eye: Writer Kay Hill's considerable charm". The Gazette. Montreal, QC. p. 20. Retrieved 12 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Duffus, Graeme F. (March 2004). "HTNS helps save historic Mackie House" (PDF). The Griffin. Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- Giller, Doris (13 December 1965). "Author attends premiere of her play". The Montreal Star. p. 13. Retrieved 12 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Hall, D. J. (12 July 1980). "Biography fascinates but lacks critical depth". Edmonton Journal. p. 56. Retrieved 12 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Hill, Kay (1980). "Hill, Kathleen Louise". In Commire, Anne (ed.). Something About the Author. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale Research. pp. 116–117. ISSN 0276-816X. Retrieved 12 August 2025 – via the Internet Archive.
- Ketzer, Adrienne E. (1 January 1978). "Hill, "More Glooscap Stories: Legends of the Wabanaki Indians" (Book Review)". Canadian Ethnic Studies. 10 (2). Canadian Ethnic Studies Association. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- [Nova Scotia Archives] (2011). "Kay Hill fonds". Nova Scotia Archives. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- [The Ottawa Journal] (15 February 1958). "'On Camera' to present play by Nova Scotia woman". The Ottawa Journal. p. 59. Retrieved 12 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Parkhill, Thomas (1997). Weaving Ourselves into the Land: Charles Godfrey Leland, "Indians," and the Study of Native American Religions. New York: State University of New York Press. pp. 24–35. ISBN 0-7914-3453-2. Retrieved 12 August 2025 – via the Internet Archive.
- [PNI Atlantic News] (29 January 2010). "Festival shines spotlight on Nova Scotia playwrights". PNI Atlantic News. Postmedia Network. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- Stott, Jon C. (1988). Canadian Books for Children: A Guide to Authors & Illustrators. Toronto: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. pp. 72–73. ISBN 0-7747-3081-1. Retrieved 12 August 2025 – via the Internet Archive.
- [The Toronto Star] (15 February 1958). "Actresses star as daughters". The Toronto Star. Torstar. p. 21. Retrieved 12 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- [WFNS] (2025). "Evelyn Richardson Non-Fiction Award". Halifax, NS: Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
Further reading
- [Alberni Valley Times] (13 July 1970). "More Glooscap Stories". Alberni Valley Times. p. 14. Retrieved 12 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Barker, Dorothy (20 January 1965). "Diary of a Vagabond". Lincoln Post Express. Retrieved 12 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.