Dennis Foon's plays, films, books and television scripts have won awards and honors throughout the world. As artistic director of Green Thumb Theatre for twelve years, he produced a body of plays that continue to be produced internationally in numerous languages, mainly for school age audiences. Most of his fiction concerns serious issues, for teenagers. He lives in Vancouver, where he increasingly writes for the film and television industry. He has edited numerous screenplays as well as written them. His list of theatre production credits as a director, playwright and director is extensive. His Longlight Legacy trilogy for ages 11+ includes The Dirt Eaters, Freewalker and The Keeper's Shadow.

Foon has received a Gemini Award, a Writers Guild of Canada Top Ten Award, and a B.C. Leo Award for his screenplay of the CBC movie Little Criminals, which also garnered a Critics' Prize at the Monte Carlo Film Festival and a Grand Prize at the Geneva Film Festival. White Lies, starring Sarah Polley and Lynn Redgrave, received an International Emmy nomination for Best Production, and earned Best Screenplay at the Columbus International Film Festival. Among his other accomplishments, he has scripted Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story for CTV (Gemini winner for Best Movie, WGC Top Ten Award) and Society's Child for CBC (Blizzard Award, Best Movie, Gemini nominee, Best Movie). He co-wrote Mina Shum's feature Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity (starring Sandra Oh), and he served as story editor for Shum's first feature Double Happiness. He was story editor on In God's Country for Shaftesbury/CTV/Lifetime and he adapted Michael Ignatieff's Booker Prize finalist novel Scar Tissue. His Shaftesbury/CTV film about Terry Fox, simply called Terry, has been widely distributed.

DATE OF BIRTH: November 18, 1951

PLACE OF BIRTH: Detroit

ARRIVAL IN CANADA: 1973

PUBLICATIONS

Kindness (Playwrights Canada Press, 2009)
The Shadow's Keeper (Novel), Annick Press, 2006
Freewalker (Novel), Annick Press, 2005
The Dirt Eaters (Novel), Annick Press, 2003
Skud (Novel), Groundwood Books, 2003
Double or Nothing (Novel), Annick Press, 2000
Chasing the Money, Blizzard Publishing, 2000
The Short Tree and The Bird that Could Not Sing (The Play), Blizzard, 1998; Groundwood, 1986 (paperback 1990). Illustrated by John Bianchi
Little Criminals, Blizzard Publishing, 1996
War, Blizzard Publishing, 1995
Seesaw, Blizzard Publishing, 1993
Mirror Game, Blizzard Publishing, 1992; Playwrights Press 2002
New Canadian Kid & Invisible Kids,Arsenal Pulp Press, 1989
Skin & Liars, Playwrights Canada, 1988
Am I the Only One? A Child's Book on Sexual Abuse (with Brenda Knight), Douglas and McIntyre, 1985
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Playwrights Press, 1983
Trummi Kaput, Canadian Theatre Review 37, Spring 1983
The Windigo, Talonbooks, 1979
Heracles, Talonbooks, 1979
Raft Baby, Talonbooks, 1979
The Last Days of Paul Bunyan/The Windigo, Playwrights Press, 1977

AWARDS

Sheila A. Egoff Prize for Children's Literature, 2004 (for "Skud")
Writers Guild of Canada: Top Ten Award "Torso", 2003
Robert Wagner Award, best screenplay, "White Lies" Columbus Int'l TV Festival 1998
Career Achievement Award, Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance 1998
Gemini Award, best writing in a Dramatic Program "Little Criminals" 1997
Writers Guild of Canada: Top Ten Award "Little Criminals" 1997
British Columbia Film Award "Leo" for best screenplay "Little Criminals" 1996
Chalmers Award for "The Short Tree" 1995
Scott Newman Award for "Maggie's Secret" 1990
AYA (International Arts for Young Audiences) Award, 1989
Chalmers Award, 1987, for "Skin"
British Theatre Award, 1986, for "Invisible Kids"
Jesse Awards: director of four plays receiving "Best Production for Young Audiences" at the Vancouver Theatre Awards. 1984: One Thousand Cranes; 1985: Not So Dumb; 1986: Skin; 1987: Night Light.
CBC Literary Award, 1985, for "The Short Tree and the Bird That Could Not Sing."
Hopwood Award, Fiction. University of Michigan, 1972
Writers Digest Award, 1973

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts (Honors), Religious Studies and Creative Writing, University of Michigan's Residential College, 1973.
Master of Fine Arts, Playwriting (Creative Writing and Theatre) University of British Columbia, 1975.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY/AFFILIATIONS

1988-1992, Consultant, Sesame Street Canada
1975-88, Co-founder and Artistic Director, Green Thumb Theatre for Young People, Vancouver.
1983-4, Playwright in Residence, Young People's Theatre, Toronto.
1974-79, Instructor of Playwriting, UBC Centre for Continuing Education
Board member, PACT (Professional Association of Canadian
Theatres) 1978-9.
Member: WGC, PUC, CAPAC, CAEA

[BCBW 2009] "Kidlit"