Mark is a winner of Canada’s National Newspaper Award and a double recipient of the Mark Harrison Prize for excellence in journalism. On this page you’ll find links to a few interviews and some of his writings that have not appeared in book form. Happy browsing!
A major essay on language issues and policies in Canada appeared in the June 2018 issue of The Walrus, as the O’Hagan Annual Essay in Public Affairs. See: https://thewalrus.ca/beyond-bilingualism
In the same magazine, Mark’s heartfelt obituary for Leonard Cohen in November 2016:
https://thewalrus.ca/try-to-say-the-grace
To listen to an excellent 2014 interview with Shelagh Rogers, please go to: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thenextchapter/shelagh-s-extended-conversation-with-mark-abley-encore-1.2842627
A 2013 interview with Mark, in which he talks about creative non-fiction, literary contests and his favourite childhood book, can be found at http://malahatreview.ca/interviews/mark_abley_interview.html
His contribution to Beau Beausoleil’s landmark anthology of writings honouring al-Mutanabbi, the ruined street of booksellers in Baghdad, was (and maybe still is) available here: http://www.al-mutanabbistreetstartshere-boston.com/uploads/9/4/3/0/9430258/mark_abley_1..pdf
For many years Mark wrote a column about words and language in the Montreal Gazette. To read a few of his columns, please go to: http://montrealgazette.com/author/mark-abley-special-to-the-montreal-gazette
His travel article about the fragile, ecologically unique landscape south of Lake Athabasca in northern Saskatchewan appeared in Canadian Geographic Travel. Here’s the online version: http://canadiangeographic.ca/travel/travel_magazine/mar09/athabasca_sand_dunes.asp
For his wry and surprising look at Jack Kerouac as a French-Canadian writer manqué, read this article from The Walrus: http://thewalrus.ca/jean-louis-kerouac
To read Mark’s take on Quebec City as written for a largely British audience, go to: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/jun/09/canada.quebec
His feature article about the death of Marie Smith Jones, the last native speaker of the Eyak language, also appeared in the English newspaper The Guardian. Here is the link: www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jan/28/usa.features11
Mark had the honour of reading his poem “Glasburyon” at the United Nations. It was (and may still be) available at: http://citylore.dreamhosters.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/UN_Program_Book_For_Web1.pdf
In 2006 the novelist Ian McGillis, an editor of Montreal Review of Books, interviewed Mark about his work. You can find the interview here: http://aelaq.org/mrb-archives/feature.php?issue=18&article=537&cat=1
Mark’s article about the extraordinary manuscripts and ancient books in the library of Notre Dame College, located in the small town of Wilcox, Saskatchewan, appeared in The Walrus. You can read it by going to:
http://thewalrus.ca/the-wilcox-manuscripts/.php”>
Many years ago Mark inaugurated the series of “virtual chapbooks” on the website of Véhicule Press, an excellent literary publisher in Montreal. This link will take you to his essay “In a Cloud Forest”: www.vehiculepress.com/chapbook/abley/cover.html
