In Julia van Gorder's novel Cyclone (Coteau 1998), the 1912 Regina cyclone brings turmoil to a working class family from Manchester as they begin their life in Canada. van Gorder is a retired social worker and high school counsellor who spent the early part of her life in Regina. She has published a great deal of poetry and some non-fiction and fiction in various publications.

CITY/TOWN: Vancouver

DATE OF BIRTH: 1923

PLACE OF BIRTH: Regina

ARRIVAL IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: 1938

EMPLOYMENT OTHER THAN WRITING: social work, high school counselling

BOOKS

Cyclone, (Coteau Books, 1998 (The first in a family saga)

AWARDS:

National Magazine Awards Competition, finalist for poetry, 1998
Burnaby Writers' Competition, 1996--finalist for poetry
Fed of BC Writers' fiction competition, 1994--finalist for fiction
Surrey Writers' Conference, 1994--second prize for fiction
Burnaby Writers' Competition, 1998--short list for poetry

[BCBW 2003] "Fiction"