Joan Clark was a prominent Canadian novelist and short story writer whose career spanned several decades and significantly shaped the literary landscapes of both Western and Atlantic Canada. Born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, she spent her youth in the Maritimes and graduated from Acadia University in 1957 with a degree in English. After working as a teacher, she relocated to Alberta in the early 1960s, where she began her writing career in earnest while living in Calgary.
During her two decades in Alberta, Clark became a vital figure in the province's emerging literary community. In 1975, she co-founded the influential literary journal Dandelion alongside Edna Alford, and she later studied under the celebrated author W. O. Mitchell at the Banff Centre. Her leadership in the region culminated in her service as the president of the Writers' Guild of Alberta.
In 1985, Clark returned to Atlantic Canada, settling in St. John's, Newfoundland. There, she continued her advocacy for writers by co-founding the Writers Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador. Over her career, she received numerous accolades for her contributions to Canadian literature, including being named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2010 and serving on the jury for the 2001 Giller Prize. Her acclaimed novel, An Audience of Chairs, was adapted into a feature film in 2018.
