Don Bailey

Writing

Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Novelist, Poet, Storyteller, Television and Film Writer. Donald Gilbert Bailey, a Toronto native raised in foster care, left school after eighth grade. His writing journey began during a 1960s prison sentence for bank robbery, where he studied journalism. Post-release, Bailey excelled as a versatile writer—novelist, poet, playwright, and screenwriter. He formed a lasting friendship with renowned Canadian author Margaret Laurence until her 1987 passing. Committed to rehabilitation, Bailey managed halfway homes in Winnipeg and Peterborough, advocating for inmates' support upon release and family unity. He wrote several radio & television plays, among them Nightfall (CBC, 1980); Shared Accommodation (CBC, 1980), All Sales Final (played at the St. Lawrence Centre in Toronto). He authored over 15 books, earning accolades like the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction for "A Stranger to Myself." His memoir "Memories of Margaret" was a 1990 Toronto Book Award finalist, while "Homeless Heart: Persona Poems" won the Canadian Authors Association's silver medal for best poetry in 1990.