Ian Brown named to chair Banff literary journalism program

Ian Brown, a frequent contributor to Canadian magazines and an acclaimed broadcaster and author, has been appointed Rogers Communications Chair for the Banff Centre's literary journalism program. Brown, who is a staff writer for the Globe and Mail in Toronto, is the author of the recently published non-fiction book The Boy in the Moon, about his relationship with his son, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder; the book was based on a series Brown did for the Globe.

In June, Brown won his 12th gold award at the National Magazine Awards in the short feature category.

The literary journalism program at The Banff Centre, which has been running for 20 years, brings eight accomplished nonfiction writers to Banff every summer for intensive workshops and mentorship. In many ways it is an amazing commitment to long-form journalism. Each participant spends several weeks refining and polishing a feature story or essay with help from guest writers, and faculty editors. The faculty mentors have included some of the very best Canadian journalists, including Mark Abley, David Hayes, Rebecca Solnit, Taras Grescoe, Charlotte Gill, Myrna Kostash, and Philip Marchand.

Cabin Fever, the latest collection of work done in the program, will be published this fall by The Banff Centre Press and Thomas Allen Publishers to honour the program’s 20^th anniversary.