EDUCATION
Recipient of honorary Doctorate of Laws, Mount Allison University, May 15, 2022
D. Litt, University of New Brunswick, honorary, 2014
Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for High Achievement in English Literary Arts, 2010
BA Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY 1972
MAJOR PUBLISHED WORKS
The Sister’s Tale, Knopf Canada, 2021
A Measure of Light, Knopf Canada 2015, Random House USA 2015
The Sea Captain’s Wife, Knopf Canada 2010, Penguin/Plume (US) 2011, paperback Vintage Canada 2011
The Hatbox Letters, Knopf Canada 2004, St. Martin’s Press (US) 2005, paperback Vintage Canada 2005
Edge Seasons, Knopf Canada 2005, paperback Vintage Canada 2006
Shadow Child, Penguin Canada 1999, Carroll and Graf (US) 1999, paperback Vintage Canada 2006
Home: Chronicle of a North Country Life, Penguin Canada 1996 (as Seeds of Another Summer); Stewart, Tabori and Chang, NY, 1996; Sierra Club, San Francisco, 1999; Goose Lane Editions, Fredericton, NB, 2014
Hardy Apples, Firefly Books 2022, by Bob Osborne with photography by Beth Powning
Hardy Trees and Shrubs, Key Porter Books 1996, by Robert Osborne, photographs by Beth Powning
Roses for Canadian Gardens, Key Porter Books 1991, by Robert Osborne, photographs by Beth Powning
AWARDS
Winner of the 2022 Mrs. Dunster’s Award for Fiction at the N.B. Book Awards for The Sister’s Tale.
Winner, N. B. Book Award 2016, A Measure of Light
Longlisted for Dublin IMPAC International Literary Award – The Hatbox Letters, The Sea Captain’s Wife, A Measure of Light
Globe and Mail “Best Book”-The Hatbox Letters, Edge Seasons, A Measure of Light
Shortlisted – Atlantic Booksellers Choice Award – The Hatbox Letters
Shortlisted – Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award – The Sea Captain’s Wife
Shortlisted – Edna Staebler Award for Literary Non-Fiction – Shadow Child
COSTCO’s Buyer’s Pick – The Sea Captain’s Wife
Barnes and Noble Discovery Award Book – The Sea Captain’s Wife
APPEARANCES
May 6, 2024 – Early Childhood Centre U.N.B., guest author, “Forms of Literacy”
March 23, 2024 – 43rd Annual Undergraduate Atlantic English Conference, Université de Moncton – Featured author
March 16, 2024 – Taught Writer’s Federation of New Brunswick sponsored workshop, “Literary Novel and Memoir”
Oct 19, 2023 – Woodstock Reads, Best Western Hotel, Woodstock, NB, guest author with The Sister’s Tale
Lorenzo Society in partnership with UNB Alumni Book Club presents Beth Powning and The Sister’s Tale, moderated by Dean Heidi Macdonald. In-person, Hazen Lecture Hall; on-line, Microsoft Teams. May 11, 2022.
Keynote speaker, Provincial Library Conference “Reconnect 2021: NBPLS Goes to Camp Virtual Conference.” March 19, 2021
Vancouver International Writer’s Festival, Vancouver, B.C., October 2015 and October 2004
Blenheim Palace International Literary Festival, Woodstock, U.K., September, 2015 (upcoming)
Ottawa International Literary Festival, Ottawa, Ont., April, 2015 and April 2004
Lorenzo Society Reading Series, N.B, April 2015, March 2010, April 2004
West Cork Literary Festival, West Cork, Ireland, July 2013
Parry Sound Reading Series, ON., Sept. 2012
Port Medway Reading Series, N.S., July, 2012
Harbourfront International Reading Series, February 2010
Shelburne Literary Festival, N.S., August 2010
Festival by the Marsh, Sackville, N.B. July 2010 and 2008
The Frye Festival, Moncton, N.B. April 2015, 2010 and 2006
Word on the Street, Halifax, N.S. 2006
Read by the Sea, River John, N.S, 2004
WordFest, Calgary, AB. 2004
JURIES – NOTABLE
PEI Book Awards, 2022
Numerous inclusions in anthologies such as When the Wild Comes Leaping Up, Northern Wild, Dropped Threads 3, The Sea’s Voice, In the Fullness of Time, Earth and Eros and others.
Numerous publications in magazines such as Chatelaine, Canadian Home and Country, Harrowsmith, Atlantic Books Today, etc.
Numerous writing workshops, appearances, speaking engagements, and residencies including The Great Blue Heron Literary Workshop (Antingonish, NB), The Maritimes Writer’s Workshop (Fredericton, NB), Writer’s Federation of New Brunswick (numerous), Charlottetown Writer’s Workshop, The Banff Centre for the Arts Leighton Artist’s Colony (1992, 2001, 2005, 2012), as well as many presentations to service organizations, high schools, libraries and book clubs.