David Day (Canadian writer)
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David Day (born 1947, Sooke, British Columbia) is a Canadian author most notable for his biographical books about J. R. R. Tolkien and his works.
After finishing school in Victoria, British Columbia, he worked as a logger for five years on Vancouver Island. After that he travelled to Europe, especially to Greece where he wrote a first book with his poems called "The Cowichan". He has also lived in London. Besides several children's books and non-fiction books about ecology, extinct and endangered species his main interest was the life and work of Tolkien which included books like The Tolkien Bestiary (1978), The Tolkien Companion (1993), Tolkien's Ring (1994), The Hobbit Companion (2000), Tolkien: The Illustrated Encyclopedia (2000), and The World of Tolkien (2003). In The Doomsday Book of Animals (1981) he described several hundred extinct species and many of them where illustrated for the first time in color. His book Eco Wars (1989) is a sad account about activists like Dian Fossey or Chico Mendes who lost their lives during their fight for the environment. His book The Whale War became the basis for a BBC documentary.
[edit] Works
Poetry : THE COWICHAN MANY VOICES: CANADIAN INDIAN POETRY (Editor) THE SCARLET COAT SERIAL THE ANIMALS WITHIN
GOTHIC VISIONS OF ST LOUIS THE METIS JUST SAY `NO' TO FAMILY VALUES Natural History and Ecology: THE DOOMSDAY BOOK OF ANIMALS THE WHALE WAR THE ECO WARS THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF VANISHED SPECIES TRUE TALES NOAH'S CHOICE GREEN PENGUIN BOOK GUIDE THE COMPLETE RHINOCEROS
Fantasy and Mythology: THE BURROUGHS BESTIARY A TOLKIEN BESTIARY CASTLES TOLKIEN: THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA TOLKIEN'S RING THE TOLKIEN COMPANION A to Z of TOLKIEN THE QUEST FOR KING ARTHUR THE HOBBIT COMPANION TOLKIEN’S WORLD
History: HISTORY & LITERATURE: HERITAGE ANTHOLOGY (Editor) MYTH AND MOUNTAINS: HERITAGE ANTHOLOGY (Editor) MEN OF THE FOREST: HERITAGE ANTHOLOGY (Editor)
Children's Fiction and Poetry: THE EMPEROR'S PANDA THE SWAN CHILDREN THE SLEEPER ASKA'S ANIMALS THE BIG LIE THE WALKING CATFISH ASKA'S BIRDS THE WOLF CHILDREN THE KING OF THE WOODS TIPPU ASKA'S SEA CREATURES
Television, Radio, Film and Theatre: THE SCARLET COAT - THEATRE THE LOST - RADIO GOTHIC - THEATRE THE EMPEROR'S PANDA - THEATRE FIRST STEP - FILM NOAH'S CHOICE - TELEVISION STILL LIFE AT THE PENGUIN CAFE - BALLET THE WHALE WAR - TELEVISION LOST ANIMALS – 100 PART TELEVISION SERIES JUST SAY `NO' TO FAMILY VALUES - POETRY AND JAZZ ARTHUR I & ARTHUR II – BALLET
BOOKS BY DAVID DAY
Author of over thirty other books of poetry, ecology, history, fantasy, mythology and fiction, David Day’s books – for both adults and children – have sold over 4 million copies and have been translated into twenty languages. He has been published in newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has also written for the threatre and television.
PUBLISHING HISTORY THE COWICHAN (poems) 1975, 1976 - Oolichan Books, Canada; (Broadsheet – Marlet Press); Illustrated Edition - Harbour Publishing, Canada.
HISTORY AND LITERATURE - Sound Heritage Anthology Series (history) 1975 - Editor, Queen's Printer's - British Columbia Archives, Canada.
MYTH AND THE MOUNTAINS - Sound Heritage Anthology Series (history) 1976 - Editor, Queen's Printer's - British Columbia Archives, Canada.
MEN OF THE FOREST - Sound Heritage Anthology Series (history) 1977 -Editor, Queen's Printer's - British Columbia Archives, Canada.
MANY VOICES: Contemporary Canadian Indian Poetry Anthology (poems) 1977 (Co-Editor with Marilyn Bowering) – J.J. Douglas / Douglas and McIntyre, Canada; Cannongate Books, U.K.
THE BURROUGHS BESTIARY (fantasy) 1978 - New English Library, U.K., Canada, Australia.
A TOLKIEN BESTIARY (fantasy) 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, l989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 - Mitchell Beazley /Emblem / Artists House / Chancellor Press / Bounty , U.K.; Ballantine / Crescent / Crown / Outlet / Gramercy / Barnes and Noble / Random House, U.S.A.; Random House / Harbour / Crescent / Outlet / Gramercy, Canada; Mitchell Beazley / Colporteur / Emblem, Australia & New Zealand; Moewig / Transgalaxis, Germany; Awe Gebers / Norstedst, Sweden; Rostrum / Helmond, Holland; Soderstrom, Finland; Octopus-Hachette, France; Bompiani, Italy; Szepirodalmi, Hungary; Timun Mas / Grupo Editorial, Spain; Gyldendal, Denmark; Mustang, Czech Republic; Guangzhou Culture Media, China. Also published as GUIDE TO TOLKIEN’S WORLD; CHARACTERS FROM TOLKIEN.
THE SCARLET COAT SERIAL (poems & fiction) 1981 - Press Porcepic, Canada. Adapted for drama in 1984 by Ian C. Nelson, SaskTrust Theatre, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
THE DOOMSDAY BOOK OF ANIMALS (natural history) 1981, 1983 - Ebury Press, U.K.; Studio Books - Viking Press / Penguin Books, U.S.A.; John Wiley, Canada. 1995-6 - Basis for LOST ANIMALS: 100 part British Channel Four and Japanese NHK TV series, written by David Day. Series eventually translated into twenty languages.
THE ANIMALS WITHIN (poems) 1984 - Penumbra Press, Canada. Basis for dramatic reading entitled `The Lost’ on CBC Radio’s ‘Anthology’ Arts Program.
CASTLES (mythology) 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990 - Bantam / McGraw-Hill, U.S.A.; Bantam / McGraw-Hill, Canada; Allen & Unwin / Unwin-Unicorn, U.K., Australia; Timun Mas, Spain.
GOTHIC (poems) 1986 - Exile Editions, Canada. Basis for a mixed media event at the Spirit Quest Festival in 1988 combining poetry, magic, music and visual art and light, Victoria, Canada. Also in 1999, the basis for a mixed media theatre event workshop at the Royal Court Theatre, London, England.
THE EMPEROR'S PANDA (children's novel) 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996 - McClelland & Stewart, Canada; Dodd Mead / Putnum, U.S.A.; Piccadilly, U.K.; Munksgaard, Denmark; Cruilla, Spain; Soderstrom, Finland. Adapted in 1988 as a stage play for the Young Peoples Theatre of Toronto, Canada.
THE WHALE WAR (ecology & politics) 1987, 1992 - Routledge / Grafton, U.K., Australia, N.Z.; Sierra Club, U.S.A.; Douglas & McIntyre, Canada. Basis of 1993, a one hour British ITV television documentary on the whaling industry, entitled ‘WHALE WAR’.
THE ECO WARS (ecology & politics) 1989, 1991 - Harraps / Paladin, U.K., Australia, New Zealand; Key-Porter, Canada; St Martin's Press / Ballantine Books, U.S.A. (US title - 'THE ENVIRONMENTAL WARS')
THE SWAN CHILDREN (children's fiction) 1989, 1990, 1991 - Piccadilly Press, U.K.; Doubleday, Canada; Ideal, U.S.A.; Thodes, Denmark.
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF VANISHED SPECIES (natural history) 1989, 1990 -Universal Books - W.H.Smiths, U.K., Australia, New Zealand; McLaren Books - Classics, Canada; Gallery Books - W.H. Smiths, USA - (U.S. Title: `VANISHED SPECIES'.)
NOAH'S CHOICE (natural history) 1990, 1991 - Viking-Penguin / Puffin, U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand; Hokuseido Shoten, Japan. Basis of a British Channel Four 1990 ‘For Schools’ program, written and hosted by David Day.
THE SLEEPER (children's fiction) 1990, 199l - Piccadilly Press, U.K.; Doubleday, Canada; Ideal, U.S.A.; Thodes, Denmark; Helgas, Sweden.
TRUE TALES OF ENVIRONMENTAL MADNESS (ecology & humour) 1990 -Pelham / Michael Joseph (in co-operation with Punch Magazine), U.K., Australia, & New Zealand.
THE BIG LIE (children's fiction) 1991, 1992 - Piccadilly Press, U.K.; MacMillan, U.S.A., Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Also published as THE WALKING CATFISH.
ASKA'S ANIMALS (children's poetry) 1991 - Doubleday, Canada, U.S.A., Australia, N.Z.
THE WOLF CHILDREN (children’s fiction) 1991 – Piccadilly Press, U.K.
TOLKIEN: THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA (fantasy) 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 - Mitchell Beazley / Emblem / Ted Smart / Octopus, U.K., Australia, New Zealand; Macmillan / Crown / Barnes and Noble / Random House, U.S.A.; Maxwell-Macmillan, Canada; Timun Mas, Spain; Soderstrom, Finland; RVG-Interbook Verlag / Otus Verlag, Germany; Mustang, Czech Republic; Octopus-Hachette, Henamu Korea, Motoyum, Japan; Egmont Russia House Publishing, USSR.
ASKA'S BIRDS (children's poetry) 1992 - Doubleday, Canada, U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand.
GREEN PENGUIN BOOK GUIDE (ecology) 1992, l995, 1998 - Penguin Books, Britain, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Singapore and Hong Kong.
A TO Z OF TOLKIEN (fantasy) 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 – Mandarin, Chancellor Press, Mitchell-Beasley, Reed Books, U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Canada; Barnes and Noble, USA; Timun Mas, Spain; Mustang, Czech Republic. Also published as THE TOLKIEN COMPANION , GUIDE TO TOLKIEN.
TIPPU (children's fiction) 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998 - Piccadilly Press / Pan Books, Macmillan Press, U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa; Barron’s Books, USA.
KING OF THE WOODS (children's fiction) 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002 - Andersen Press / Pan Books, U.K.; Little Brown, Canada; Random-Century, Australia; Four Winds-Macmillan, U.S.A.; Sjostrands Forlag, Sweden; Host & Son, Denmark; Casterman, Belgium & France; Korea; Japan; Taiwan.
ASKA'S SEA CREATURES (children's poetry) 1994 - Doubleday, Canada, U.S.A., Australia, N.Z.
THE COMPLETE RHINOCEROS (ecology and humour) 1994 - EIA Books -Environmental Investigation Agency, UK and USA.
TOLKIEN'S RING (fantasy) 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 - Harper-Collins / Pavilion / Chrysalis U.K.; Harper-Collins / Barnes & Noble / Metro, U.S., Canada; Harper-Collins / Pavilion, Australia, New Zealand; Minotauro, Spain; Bourgois, France; Norsted, Sweden; Glydendal, Denmark, Uitgeverij Het Spectrum, Netherlands; Henamu Korea.
THE QUEST FOR KING ARTHUR (mythology) 1996, 1997, 2000 - De Agostini, Michael O’Mara, UK, Australia, New Zealand; Facts on File, USA, Canada; Bechtermunz Verlag, Gemany. US title: THE SEARCH FOR KING ARTHUR. Basis for author’s appointment as dramaturge for Birningham Royal Ballet twin ballets on King Arthur: ARTHUR I & ARTHUR II – staged 2000, 2001, 2002 at Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, London; National Ballet Theatre at Sadler’s Wells, London; Theatre Royal, Plymouth; Alhambra, Bradford; Empire, Sunderland; Lowry, Salford; Hippodrome, Birmingham.
VISIONS AND PROPHECIES OF ST LOUIS THE METIS (poems and history) 1997 - Thistledown Press, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
JUST SAY `NO' TO FAMILY VALUES (poems) 1997 - Handshake Editions, France and Holland; Exile Editions, Canada. (Exile Press version of JSNTFV - the Felix Topolski Illustrated Edition.) Basis for a jazz-poetry performance with Hugh Fraser Quintet on ‘The Senator’ Jazz stage, 1999, Toronto.
THE HOBBIT COMPANION (fantasy) 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 - Pavilion Books / Cameron-Brown / Chrysalis, U.K.; Turner / Barnes & Noble, USA; Turner / Chapters Books / Barnes & Noble, Canada; Gerstenberg GmbH, Germany; Uitgerverij Het Spectrum, Holland; Editions Glenat, France. (HOBBIT COMPANION CALENDAR 2002 & 2003 – Chrysalis, U.K.; Barnes & Noble, U.S.A. & Canada.)
TOLKIEN’S WORLD (Fantasy) 2002, 2003, 2004 – Octopus-Mitchell-Beasley, U.K.; Random House, USA & Canada; Gyldendal, Denmark; Oceano Ambar, Spain; Arxjovem, Brazil –Portugal; Octopus-Hachette, France; Fontaine Uitgevers, Netherlands; Klett-Cotta, Germany.
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THEATRE, TELEVISION, RADIO BY DAVID DAY
BROADCASTS AND PERFORMANCES THE SCARLET COAT - THEATRE 1984 – Play based on David Day's book `THE SCARLET COAT SERIAL'. Commissioned for Theatre Saskatchewan as a heritage project by SaskTrust. Performed- Saskatchewan, Canada.
THE LOST – RADIO DRAMA 1984 – CBC National Poetry Contest Award-winning dramatized reading of ‘THE LOST’ - a long sequence of poems from David Day’s `THE ANIMALS WITHIN' broadcast on ‘ANTHOLOGY’ the CBC's weekly national arts program.
GOTHIC - THEATRE / FILM 1988 - Stage performances in three day festival: DREAM QUEST - MAGIC, POETRY, SHAMANISM. Performed with magician Simon Drake and Hunt Family traditional Kwaguith (Kwakiutl) Native Indian Dancers, Royal Victoria Museum Theatre, Victoria, B.C., Canada. 2003 - In development by Bulgarian director, Petya Tordova, as a mixed-media theatre and film project, London, U.K.
THE EMPEROR'S PANDA - THEATRE 1988 – Stage dramatization of David Day’s Governor General’s Award Nominated, National Library Award; and IBBY International Award Winning children’s novel . ‘THE EMPEROR’S PANDA’. Directed by Peter Moss as a full-length stage play for the national Young People's Theatre of Toronto, Canada.
NOAH'S CHOICE - TELEVISION 1990 - British ‘Channel Four For Schools’ Television Program on extinction and survival of species based on the Kestrel/Puffin book of the same name. Narrated and hosted by author David Day.
DOOMSDAY BOOK OF ANIMALS – BALLET – FILM/TELEVISION. 1993 – David Day’s book is acknowledged inspiration for the British Royal National Ballet's `STILL LIFE AT THE PENGUIN CAFE'. Choreographed by David Bintley and first performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera, New York . 1994, 1995, 1996 - World Tour with Royal National Ballet . 1996 - Filmed version at Royal Opera House Covent Garden first televised on BBC TWO Television, UK - Christmas Day. 1997-8 became available on BBC Film Video - General Release.
THE WHALE WAR - TELEVISION / FEATURE FILM
1993 - One hour British ITV undercover documentary on the whaling industry entitled `THE WHALE WAR' based on David Day’s book of the same title. Produced by ITV in co-operation with the Environmental Investigation Agency. 1995 - `THE WHALE WAR’ - Feature Film option bought by 20th Century Fox.
LOST ANIMALS – TELEVISION SERIES 1995-6 – Series of 100 short films, originally created for Britain's CHANNEL FOUR and Japan’s NHK TELEVISION NETWORKS. Produced by CLARK TV, London, and WALK PRODUCTIONS, Tokyo. SERIES OF 100 SHORT TV FILMS - one hundred individual stories of animal species that have become extinct in the 20th century. All scripts by David Day. Series is based on David Day's DOOMSDAY BOOK OF ANIMALS.
‘LOST ANIMALS’ Narration of English language versions by Greta Scacchi. Multiple screenings on Japanese and British prime-time television and now frequently rerun by American Knowledge Network, and Japanese and British schools programing . Channel Four Videos with accompanying booklets and learning aids for students.
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 – ‘LOST ANIMALS’ SERIES – in translated formats have been broadcast in twenty languages and networks worldwide: Australia, Italy, Germany, Spain, Holland, France, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, USA, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Iceland, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, India, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Pakistan, South Korea, China, Hungary, Indonesia.
JUST SAY `NO' TO FAMILY VALUES – JAZZ AND POETRY 1998 - SENATOR, TORONTO, CANADA Poetry and Jazz performance with the Juno-award winning Hugh Fraser Quintet. Poetry performed to jazz accompaniment. Also original lyrics written by David Day for Hugh Fraser's compositions
QUEST FOR KING ARTHUR - BALLET. 2000, 2001, 2002 - David Day's book, `QUEST FOR KING ARTHUR' is the reference for the Royal Birmingham Ballet’s ARTHUR I & ARTHUR II. David Day was commissioned by Royal Birmingham Ballet as dramaturge under direction of David Bintley for two full-length ballets in the King Arthur Cycle:
ARTHUR – PART 1 and ARTHUR – PART 2. These ballets also have linking texts to accompany the performances. These are the longest ballets ever staged. Premiering at the Royal Opera House and Covent Garden and the National Ballet Theatre at Sadler’s Wells, ARTHUR I & ARTHUR II was the flagship arts project for the Royal Birmingham Ballet and the City of Birmingham’s Millenium Commission.
ttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Day_%28Canadian_writer%29&action=edit*1976: The Cowichan
- 1977: Men of the Forest
- 1977: An Anthology of Contemporary Canadian Indian Poetry
- 1981: The Doomsday Book of Animals
- 1987: The Whale War
- 1989: The Eco Wars: True Tales of Environmental Madness
