Biographical sketch: Andreas Schroeder

Andreas Schroeder has made his living as a freelance writer for over 40 years, writing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, translations, journalism and literary criticism. His 22 books include SHAKING IT ROUGH (nonfiction), DUST-SHIP GLORY (novel), FILE OF UNCERTAINTIES (poetry), THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT (translation) and THE MENNONITES IN CANADA (history).

Schroeder has also published 5 popular collections of outrageous scams and hoaxes, among them SCAMS, SCANDALS & SKULDUGGERY, and CHEATS, CHARLATANS & CHICANERY, all of which were originally broadcast in shorter form on CBC Radio’s BASIC BLACK SHOW. He contributed to this acclaimed Saturday morning show for some 12 years as its “resident crookologist”.

Schroeder has won, or been nominated for, a host of literary awards, including the Governor-General’s Award (nonfiction), the Sealbooks First Novel Award, the Stephen Leacock Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, and the Canadian Association of Journalists’ Best Investigative Journalism Award. His nonfiction books for young adult readers have twice received the Ontario Library Association’s Red Maple Award. Since 1999 he has also held the Maclean-Hunter Chair in Creative Nonfiction in UBC’s Creative Writing Department.

Schroeder’s most recent book is RENOVATING HEAVEN, a fictionalized account of his adolescent years growing up in the Fraser Valley. It was nominated for the 2009 Ethel Wilson Fiction Award in this year’s BC Book Prizes competition.