Marian Fowler (née Little; October 15, 1929 – June 12, 2020) was a Canadian literary scholar and biographer who was best known for writing women's biographies.

Early life

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Fowler was born in Newmarket, Ontario, to Dorothy and Robert Little on October 15, 1929.[1] After attending the University of Toronto, Fowler worked as a copywriter before marrying in 1953.[1]

Career

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Fowler returned to the University of Toronto where she earned an MA (1965) and a PhD (1970) which dealt with Jane Austen's novels.[2] She worked as a professor of English literature at York University from 1971 to 1982.

Fowler won the 1983 Canadian Biography Award from the Association for Canadian Studies for her second published biography, Redney: A Life of Sara Jeannette Duncan (1983).[3]

In a Gilded Cage: From Heiress to Duchess, a group biography, was nominated for the 1993 Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction. In a Gilded Cage explores the lives of five American heiresses who married British artistocrats, specifically Consuelo Vanderbilt, Lily Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Consuelo Montagu, Duchess of Manchester, Helena Keith-Falconer, Countess of Kintore, and May Goelet.

Personal life

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In 1953, she married Rodney Fowler, a cardiologist. They had two children before divorcing in 1978.[1]

Fowler died in Toronto, Ontario on June 12, 2020.[4][5]

Works

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  • The Embroidered Tent: Five Gentlewomen in Early Canada (1982, Anansi)
  • Redney: A Life of Sara Jeannette Duncan (1983, Anansi)
  • Below the Peacock Fan: First Ladies of the Raj (1987, Viking)
  • Blenheim: Biography of a Palace (1989, Viking)
  • In a Gilded Cage: From Heiress to Duchess (1994, St. Martin's)
  • The Way She Looks Tonight: Five Women of Style (1996, St. Martin's)
  • Hope: Adventures of a Diamond (2002)

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Fowler, Marian (Elizabeth) 1929-". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  2. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (September 1, 2022). "Item – Theses Canada". library-archives.canada.ca.
  3. ^ "REDNEY: THE LIFE OF SARA JEANNETTE DUNCAN". www.cmreviews.ca.
  4. ^ "One could easily imagine biographer Marian Fowler penning her work with a quill". December 13, 2020 – via www.theglobeandmail.com.
  5. ^ "Marian FOWLER Obituary (2020) - The Globe and Mail". Legacy.com. Archived from the original on 2024-06-15. Retrieved 2024-07-03.