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Photo of Irene Morck

Irene Morck

Author

Phone: (250) 379-2066

Born: September 20th. St. John, New Brunswick.
Spouse: Mogens Nielsen.

Biography

Irene Morck was born in St. John, New Brunswick. She has lived in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Caribbean. Her B.Sc. (Honours in Biochemistry) is from the University of Alberta, her teaching certificate from the University of Calgary. Irene taught science at boys' schools in Barbados and Jamaica. She did two years of biochemistry research at the University of the West Indies.

Irene now lives with her husband Mogens Nielsen on their farm near Spruce View, Alberta, where they raise hay and grain. Irene is also involved in substitute teaching and freelance photography--she has sold photos for travel posters, magazines, and calendars. Irene and Mogens love trail riding their mules in the mountains, travelling, learning Spanish, snorkelling, hiking, and cross-country skiing.

Published Works

Tough Trails, Orca Book Publishers (Rewritten and re-released with Orca Soundings Series), 2003.
Old Bird, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2003
Apples and Angel Ladders: A Collection of Pioneer Christmas Stories, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2001.
Five Pennies. A Prairie Boy's Story, Fifth House / Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1999.
Tiger's New Cowboy Boots, Red Deer College Press, 1996 (Illustrated by Georgia Graham), now available from Fitzhenry & Whiteside. In the USA, Tyler's New Boots, Chronicle, 1998.
Tiger's New Cowboys Boots has been reprinted in Cornerstones Canadian Language Arts Anthology, Gage, 1999.
Tough Trails, Maxwell Macmillan, 1994. In French Une jument dans la tempête, Flammarion (Paris), 1999.
Between Brothers, Stoddart, 1992.
A Question of Courage, Western Producer Prairie Books, 1988. In French Un véritable courage, Flammarion (Paris), 1993, and in Danish Bare Jeg Turde, Forlaget Thorup (Copenhagen), 1989.
Stories in anthologies: On Common Ground, Oxford University Press, 1995.
Numerous magazine articles and stories in Canada and the USA.
Short stories on radio, including on CKUA (Edmonton) and CBC "Alberta Anthology".

Awards

Finalist for Grant MacEwan Award, 2002, for Apples and Angel Ladders.
Finalist for Norma Fleck Award, 2000, for Five Pennies.
Canadian Children's Book Centre "Our Choice" for: Apples and Angel Ladders: A Collection of Pioneer Christmas Stories (2002), Five Pennies: A Prairie Boy's Story (starred, 2000), Tiger's New Cowboy Boots (starred, 1996), and A Question of Courage (1988).
Canadian Authors Association (CAA) Children's Short Story Award (formerly Vicky Metcalf award), 2002, for "Riches This Christmas" in Apples and Angel Ladders. CAA, Alberta Branch, "Exporting Alberta Award", 2002, for Apples and Angel Ladders.
The Alberta Book Publishers' Children's Book Award for Tiger's New Cowboy Boots (1997).

Other Memberships

The Writers Guild of Alberta, Canadian Authors Association

Available For

Readings, talks, and workshops for teachers, librarians, and students.