Will Ferguson

William Stener Ferguson was born on October 12, 1964, in Fort Vermilion, Alberta, Canada, the fourth of six children. He completed his high school education at Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School in Red Deer, Alberta, where he received the Alexander Rutherford Scholarships in all available categories. His early experiences included participation in Canadian government-funded programs such as Katimavik and Canada World Youth, which sent him to Ecuador in South America. Ferguson pursued higher education at York University in Toronto, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Special Honours) in film production and screenwriting in 1990. Following his university studies, he joined the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme, spending five years in Asia, primarily based in Kyushu, Japan, where he taught English. During this period, he traveled extensively throughout China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Malaysia. He married Terumi Matsumoto in Kumamoto, Japan, in 1995. Upon returning to Canada, he experienced reverse culture shock, which influenced his first book, ‘Why I Hate Canadians’.

Ferguson’s literary career is marked by numerous accolades and a diverse body of work, encompassing travel memoirs, novels, and humorous non-fiction. He won the prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2012 for his novel ‘419’, a literary thriller spanning continents. He is also a three-time recipient of the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, awarded for ‘Happiness’, ‘Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw’, and ‘Beyond Belfast’. His travel writing has garnered recognition, including a Northern Lights Award for Travel Writing in 2004 for “Polar Bear Haven: an Arctic Journey.” In 2021, he received the Arthur Ellis Award for Crime Fiction for his novel ‘The Finder’.

Beyond his literary achievements, Ferguson has contributed to other creative fields. In 2010, he served as the head writer for the Vancouver Winter Olympics Closing Ceremonies, penning material for notable figures like William Shatner and Michael J. Fox. His writings have appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Esquire UK, Flare, Zoomer, Globe & Mail, National Post, and Canadian Geographic. He currently resides in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife and their two sons, and also serves on the board of The Chawkers Foundation, which supports literary, artistic, environmental, and educational initiatives. In 2016, Mount Royal University awarded him an honorary degree in English, recognizing his significant contributions to Canadian literature. Most recently, in 2024, Ferguson was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence.