"A master storyteller, [Charles de Lint] blends Celtic, Native American, and other cultures into a seamless mythology that resonates with magic and truth"

— Library Journal

 
 

Charles de Lint writer, musician, and artist Ontario, Canada		MaryAnn Harris artist, musician, and editor Ontario, Canada

 

Charles de Lint is a Celtic folk musician, folklore scholar, book reviewer, and visual artist—but he is best known as a captivating storyteller, specializing in novels and story collections that bring ancient mythic themes into modern urban life. Much of Charles's fiction is set in the imaginary city of Newford, somewhere in North America. The Newford novels include Memory and Dream, Trader, Someplace to Be Flying, Forests of the Heart, and The Onion Girl; the Newford story collections are Dreams Underfoot, The Ivory and the Horn, and Moonlight and Vines. Other books include Moonheart, Spiritwalk, The Little Country, Svaha, Yarrow, Mulengro,The Wild Wood (with artist Brian Froud), and Medicine Road (with artist Charles Vess). His books for younger readers include Waifs and Strays, The Blue Girl, and Circle of Cats. Though published under a "fantasy" label, Charles and Terri Windling have come up with the term "mythic fiction" to more properly describe books such as these, which fall somewhere between fantasy literature, and mainstream fiction with a magical realist bent.   Charles was born in the Netherlands (of Dutch, Spanish and Japanese heritage), then emigrated to Canada while still an infant. Due to his father's job as a surveyor, the family lived in a number of towns in Canada and spent three years in Turkey and Lebanon. Charles had originally intended to become a full-time musician; storytelling was something he did for his own pleasure. Friends encouraged him to send out his tales, and after selling a few of these and, eventually, a novel, he began to realize that writing was his true calling (although he still plays music). His wife of many years, MaryAnn Harris, is closely involved with Charles's writing career as his business manager, first reader, editor, and muse. She is also an accomplished artist and musician in her own right. The two of them are members of the Celtic band Jump at the Sun in Ottawa, Ontario.   For more information about Charles's fiction, music or art, visit the Charles de Lint Web site. For information on MaryAnn's music and art, visit the MaryAnn Harris Web site.

 
 

	"Our lives are stories, and the stories we have to give to each other are the most important. No one has a story too small and all are of equal stature. We each tell them in different ways, through different mediums—and if we care about each other, we'll take the time to listen."
	— Charles de Lint