McClelland & Stewart Mourns the Loss of Long-Time Author Kurt Palka
TORONTO, Sept. 22, 2025 /CNW/ - McClelland & Stewart is deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of acclaimed Austrian-Canadian novelist Kurt Palka (1941–2025), a cherished member of the Penguin Random House Canada publishing family whose work has touched readers across Canada and around the world. Known for his lyrical prose and richly researched historical fiction, Palka died on September 18 in Port Hope, Ontario. He was 83 years old.
Born in Austria, Palka pursued a career in journalism. Before devoting himself fully to fiction, he began his working life in Africa, writing for the African Mirror and also making wildlife films in Tanzania and Kenya, experiences that honed his deep attentiveness to character and atmosphere.
Palka's novels are renowned for blending quiet emotional depth with sweeping historical backdrops. His debut novel, Rosegarden (1982), introduced readers to his signature style. Palka went on to publish eight additional novels, including the bestselling works Clara (previously published as Patient Number 7; 2012), a finalist for the Hammett Prize and The Piano Maker (2015); The Hour of the Fox (2018), praised for its elegiac prose and moral clarity; and, most recently, The Orphan Girl (2022), which became a national bestseller.
His books have been translated into nine languages, published throughout the Commonwealth and in nine countries across Europe and Asia, and praised for their compassion, humanity, and timeless relevance.
When asked about his writing journey by a fellow writer for a CBC Books piece in 2018, Palka responded: "I have been wanting to be a writer, and working on becoming one, ever since high school. Writing seemed like the perfect way to deal with the world, not to be overwhelmed by it but to slow down and take it apart and look at it and understand it and put it back together in the way I saw it."
It's this outlook that readers have felt on each page for more than forty years and which endures. In 2026, McClelland and Stewart will publish Palka's ninth and final novel, The Autumn of Madame Hélène, bringing back a beloved character from The Piano Maker and returning readers to the small town of St. Homais, Nova Scotia, with a heart-wrenching story of family and enduring friendship.
In his many years publishing with McClelland & Stewart, Palka formed unique and enduring partnerships with many publishers and editors at the imprint—always built on kindness and mutual respect. McClelland & Stewart will continue to celebrate Palka's works, including his final novel, which he described as "a story of courage, love, and acceptance."
Beyond his literary achievements, Palka will be remembered for his generosity of spirit, his mentorship of younger writers, and his dedication to his craft. He will be deeply missed by his partner Heather Chisvin, his daughters Melanie and Christina Palka, his four granddaughters Aviana, Kalina, Annie, and Emily, as well as Heather's daughter Elena and her two children Hazel and Kayden, McClelland & Stewart, Penguin Random House Canada, and readers everywhere.
ABOUT McCLELLAND & STEWART:
For more than 100 years, McClelland & Stewart has helped to shape and champion Canada's cultural conversation. We played an essential role in catapulting Canadian literature onto the international stage with the publication of Margaret Atwood, Leonard Cohen, Rohinton Mistry, Michael Ondaatje, and Margaret Laurence, to name a few. It is now our priority and responsibility to do the same for the 21st century by pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a global citizen, interrogating a complicated history here in Canada, and centering and amplifying underrepresented narratives with writing of the highest quality. As Canada's oldest publisher, we continue to assert our independent spirit by taking bold risks that push the boundaries of literary excellence, challenge the status quo, and reflect the rich and diverse range of voices in our country and from around the world.
ABOUT PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA:
Penguin Random House Canada aims to nourish a universal passion for reading by connecting authors and their writing with readers everywhere. We are the Canadian arm of Penguin Random House, whose publishing lists include more than 80 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world's most widely read authors, and who employs more than 10,000 people worldwide. From politics to poetry, board books to biography, award-winning fiction to non-fiction classics, the country's cultural conversation begins at Penguin Random House Canada. Visit PenguinRandomHouse.ca for more information and follow us at @PenguinRandomCA.
SOURCE McClelland and Stewart
For more information please contact: Martha Leonard at 416-919-1229 or [email protected]
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