Photo credit: Sal Mirolla
The author of more than two dozen novels, plays, film scripts and short story and poetry collections, MICHAEL MIROLLA’s publications include a novella, The Last News Vendor, winner of the 2020 Hamilton Literary Award, as well as three Bressani Prize titles: the novel Berlin; the poetry collection The House on 14th Avenue; and the short story collection Lessons in Relationship Dyads. His latest poetry collection, At the End of the World, was short-listed for the 2022 Hamilton Literary Award and took second prize for the Di Cicco Poetry Award. His latest short story collection Becker’s Universe & Other Stories was published in the spring of 2024 (Black Moss Press). In the fall of 2019, Michael served a three-month writers residency at the Historic Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver where he worked on the first draft of a novel, The Second Law of Thermodynamics. A symposium on Michael’s writing was held in Toronto on May 25, 2023. In September of 2023, Michael took part in a writers residency in Olot, Catalonia. While there, he polished a novella, How About This …?, which was published at the end of November 2025 (At Bay Press). In July 2024, Michael participated in a month-long writers residency in Barcelona. From September 2024-June 2025, Michael served as the Writer-in-Residence for the Regina Public Library where he interacted with more than 50 writers—from novices to well-established—seeking help for their writing. From September 1 through October 31, 2025, Michael was the Virtual Writer-in-Residence for the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. Apart from his writing, Michael works as a freelance editor and is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Guernica Editions, a Canadian literary book publisher. Born in Italy and growing up in Montreal, Michael now makes his home on a 30-acre farm (along with five dogs, a cat and sundry humans) outside the town of Gananoque in the Thousand Islands area of Ontario.
from Punk Rocker to Publisher
A Writing Life
Michael Mirolla has made waves in several genres including poetry, fiction, drama and journalism. His work has met with considerable acclaim.
Michael's novella The Last News Vendor won the 2021 Hamilton Literary Award for fiction and his poetry collection At the End of the World was a finalist for the 2022 Hamilton Literary Award in poetry. His collection of short stories Lessons in Relationship Dyads won the 2016 Bressani Literary Prize, a prize he also won in 2014 for his poetry collection The House on 14th Avenue and in 2010 for his novel Berlin, which was also a finalist for the Indie Books and National Best Books Awards in 2009.
His poem "Blind Alley" was shortlisted for the Winston Collins/Descant Best Canadian Poem Award in 2007.
Two of Michael's short stories — "The Sand Flea" and "Casebook: In The Matter of Father Dante Lazaro" — were nominated for Pushcart Prizes, and "A Theory of Discontinuous Existence" was selected for The Journey Prize Anthology 4 for the best short stories appearing in Canadian literary journals in 1991.
Still in his twenties, Michael won the Solange Karsh Medal in the Canadian Playwriting Competition in 1970, and the Macmillan Prize in Creative Writing the following year.
Michael's novella The Last News Vendor won the 2021 Hamilton Literary Award for fiction and his poetry collection At the End of the World was a finalist for the 2022 Hamilton Literary Award in poetry. His collection of short stories Lessons in Relationship Dyads won the 2016 Bressani Literary Prize, a prize he also won in 2014 for his poetry collection The House on 14th Avenue and in 2010 for his novel Berlin, which was also a finalist for the Indie Books and National Best Books Awards in 2009.
His poem "Blind Alley" was shortlisted for the Winston Collins/Descant Best Canadian Poem Award in 2007.
Two of Michael's short stories — "The Sand Flea" and "Casebook: In The Matter of Father Dante Lazaro" — were nominated for Pushcart Prizes, and "A Theory of Discontinuous Existence" was selected for The Journey Prize Anthology 4 for the best short stories appearing in Canadian literary journals in 1991.
Still in his twenties, Michael won the Solange Karsh Medal in the Canadian Playwriting Competition in 1970, and the Macmillan Prize in Creative Writing the following year.
courtesy Brenda Clews
Michael grew up in Canada, but he was born in Ielsi (now Jelsi), Campobasso, Italy. He immigrated to Montreal with his parents and brothers when he was a child. He attended McGill University (BA 1969), and the University of British Columbia where he graduated in 1971 from the first MFA program in Canada.
Michael has worked as an editor on the desks at The Montreal Star and Montreal Gazette and as a freelancer, features writer, theatre and music critic and book reviewer.
Among the many hats he wore while working at The Montreal Gazette, Michael covered the city's punk rock scene, a gig that served as the basis for his post-punk novella The Ballad of Martin B. So, okay, he wasn't a punk rocker; more of an aficionado.
Since 2010, Michael Mirolla has served as vice-president and editor-in-chief of Guernica Editions, publishing around 35 titles a year.
Michael has worked as an editor on the desks at The Montreal Star and Montreal Gazette and as a freelancer, features writer, theatre and music critic and book reviewer.
Among the many hats he wore while working at The Montreal Gazette, Michael covered the city's punk rock scene, a gig that served as the basis for his post-punk novella The Ballad of Martin B. So, okay, he wasn't a punk rocker; more of an aficionado.
Since 2010, Michael Mirolla has served as vice-president and editor-in-chief of Guernica Editions, publishing around 35 titles a year.