Ian McLachlan | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Playwright, novelist, academic, art collector. |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. |
| Period | 1960 - present |
| Notable work | The Seventh Hexagram |
Ian McLachlan is a Canadian writer and academic fromPeterborough, Ontario. He is best known for his novelThe Seventh Hexagram, which was co-winner withMichael Ondaatje'sComing Through Slaughter of the inauguralBooks in Canada First Novel Award in 1976[1] and a finalist for theGovernor General's Award for English-language fiction at the1976 Governor General's Awards.[2]
After earning aMaster of Arts atOxford University in 1960,[3] McLachlan established the department of comparative literature at theUniversity of Hong Kong before joining the faculty ofTrent University in 1970.[3] Before his retirement, McLachlan served as the chair of Cultural Studies department for over 14 years. AfterThe Seventh Hexagram, he published a second novel,Helen in Exile, in 1980.[4]
He has been a prominent figure in the arts and culture ofPeterborough,Ontario.[3] His activities have included founding the local publishing company Ordinary Press,[3] serving on the boards of the city's Artspace andUnion Theatre,[3] and founding and programming for the Canadian Images Film Festival.[3] With the film festival, he was fined in 1983 for screeningA Message from Our Sponsor, a documentary film aboutsubliminal advertising, without approval from theOntario Censor Board.[5]
As a playwright, his works have includedPioneer Chainsaw Massacre,Postscript,Lear One/One,Frankenstein Meets the Recession,The Orchard,[6]Doctor Barnardo's Children[7] andWounded Soldiers.[7] His non-fiction works have includedShanghai 1949 andIn the Margins of the Empire: Reading Cambodia.