Michelle Berry

Michelle Berry
Born	(1968-05-19) May 19, 1968 San Francisco, United States
Occupation(s)	Writer, bookseller, teacher
Years active	1997–present
Known for	Short story collections and novels; founder of The Hunter Street Bookstore

Michelle Berry (born May 19, 1968, in San Francisco) is a Canadian writer known for three collections of short stories—How to Get There from Here, Margaret Lives in the Basement, and I Still Don't Even Know You—as well as six novels: What We All Want, Blur, Blind Crescent, Interference, This Book Will Not Save Your Life, and The Prisoner and the Chaplain. In October 2016, she inaugurated The Hunter Street Bookstore in Peterborough, Ontario. Although the physical shop closed in June 2020, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Berry continues to operate through a space within Meta4 Contemporary Craft Gallery and an online ordering platform.

Personal life and education

Born to Edward and Margaret (née Eisenhardt) Berry, she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Toronto in 1986, followed by a Master of Arts from the University of Guelph. In 1990, Berry married Stuart Baird; together they have two daughters, Abigail and Zoe.

Career

Berry's literary debut came in 1997 with the short story collection How to Get There from Here. Since then, she has released numerous works and also contributed book reviews for The Globe and Mail over several years.

In 2016, she established The Hunter Street Bookstore in Peterborough, Ontario. Although the storefront closed in June 2020 due to pandemic-related challenges, Berry sustains her presence by leasing space at Meta4 Contemporary Craft Gallery and managing an online book service.

In addition to her writing career, Berry teaches at the University of Toronto and provides mentorship to emerging writers at Humber College.

This Book Will Not Save Your Life (2011)

Moira Dann of The Globe and Mail commended Berry’s 2011 novel This Book Will Not Save Your Life, describing it as "a skillfully crafted narrative that transitions from quirky (an intriguing offbeat family; darkly humorous) to somber (persistent dysfunction and despair with challenging characters), all while maintaining reader engagement... The pacing remains effective despite Rashomon-like repetition, and the characters leave a lasting impression."

Interference (2014)

Berry’s 2014 novel Interference garnered varied critiques. Emily M. Keeler from the National Post acknowledged Berry’s adept handling of multiple viewpoints, portraying Parkville as an accessible Canadian locale seen through a comic noir perspective blending humor with anxiety. On the other hand, Emily Donaldson of The Globe and Mail criticized the book for its underdeveloped characters whose mundane issues hinder reader connection.

The Prisoner and the Chaplain (2017)

Released in September 2017, Berry’s sixth novel, The Prisoner and the Chaplain, received attention from Quill & Quire, where reviewers emphasized the enduring emotional resonance of its concluding sections beyond mere plot dynamics.

Awards and honours

Berry has been awarded grants from both the Ontario Arts Council (1995, 1999, 2000) and the Canada Council (1998).

Recognition for Berry's literary achievements

Year	Work	Award	Outcome
2010	This Book Will Not Save Your Life	Colophon Award	Winner
2011	I Still Don’t Even Know You	Mary Scorer Award for Best Book Published by a Manitoba Publisher	Winner
2011	I Still Don’t Even Know You	ReLit Award for Short Fiction	Shortlisted
2018	The Prisoner and the Chaplain	ReLit Award for Novel	Shortlisted

Publications

• How to Get There from Here (Turnstone Press, 1997)
• Margaret Lives in the Basement (Somerville House Pub, 1998)
• What We All Want (Vintage Canada, 2001)
• Blur (Random House Canada, 2002)
• The Notebooks: Interviews and New Fiction from Contemporary Writers, co-edited with Natalee Caple (Anchor Canada, 2002)
• Postcard Fictions (Key Porter Books, 2002)
• Blind Crescent (Penguin Canada, 2005)
• Heaven's Ridge (PublishAmeric, 2008)
• I Still Don't Even Know You (Turnstone Press, 2010)
• This Book Will Not Save Your Life (Enfield & Wizenty, 2010)
• Interference (a misFit book, 2014)
• The Prisoner and the Chaplain (Wolsak and Wynn Publishers, 2017)
• Everything Turns Away (Buckrider Books, 2021)