Magazine writer, novelist, musician Paul Quarrington dies at the age of 56

There's a great sense of loss in Canadian arts and letters about the death early this morning of Paul Quarrington, who died of lung cancer at the age of 56. Quarrington was a man of many talents, starting off studying film then gaining attention in music, moving on to writing and novels and winning three National Magazine Awards as well as the 1989 Governor General's Award for his novel Whale Music and the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour in 1988 for his novel King Leary.His work rattled back and forth between music-making and writing for his whole, too-short life.

For his magazine writing, he won or shared in four golds and a silver award and was nominated 15 times between 1999 and 2007. The list can be found here.

There's an excellent story about Quarrington's life provided on the CBC website.  [Photo by Frank Gunn/Canadian Press]