Born and raised in Bowness, Alta 1956, Clem Martini was a child who enjoyed the company of animals and spent most of his time running outdoors and reading. In high school, he began writing short fiction and
won several awards and contests. Later on, he got into play writing and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in play writing at the
University of Calgary.
Clem Martini is a three time
winner of the Alberta Writer's Guild Drama Prize, a Governor General Drama
Nominee for his anthology "A Three Martini Lunch", a Seminovitch
Prize Nominee, a National Play writing Competition winner for "The
Life History of the African Elephant" and is the Past President of
the Playwrights Guild of Canada. His trilogy of novels for young adults,"Feather and Bone: The Crow
Chronicles" have been translated
into French, German, Dutch, Swedish, and Japanese. He currently serves as the
Head of the Department of Drama at the University of Calgary and is immersed in writing plays for live theater, film and television.
Clem’s characters are often praised for their unique perspectives and lively narrations, not limited to people, but also animals and the bond between the two kinds. The Life History of the African Elephant
(1989) features an elephant keeper who balances a new romantic interest
with his commitment to his beloved animal. Secret Life of the Octopus (2005) features a protagonist who befriends a depressed octopus. His other young novels, Feather and Bone: The Crow Chronicles, is narrated by crows.
I think it's quite awesome how Clem's The Life of the African Elephant and Secret Life of the Octopus, were influenced by a Calgary zookeeper interview. I managed to find an article on the University of Calgary website about the Secret Life of the Octopus, and how it's a sold-out production on the Sask Tel Tour 2011.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ucalgary.ca/alumni/stories/secretlife