Mordecai Richler

Born on Saint-Urbain Street in Montreal's immigrant Jewish quarter, Richler dropped out of Sir George Williams University to join the bohemian expatriate literary scene in Paris and London. In 1959, his breakthrough novel, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, brought international fame.

Richler won two Governor General's Awards and the Giller Prize for Barney's Version (1997). A fearless and controversial essayist who took aim at both Quebec nationalism and Canadian smugness, he was also celebrated as the creator of the beloved children's book series Jacob Two-Two.