Roy Blomstrom was born in Port Arthur, Ontario, one of the cities that amalgamated in 1970 to become Thunder Bay. The son of Finland-Swede immigrants to Canada, he taught English (among other subjects) at high schools in Thunder Bay.
He has published short fiction, poetry, and essays, and wrote an education column for the Kitchener-Waterloo Record. He has had five ten-minute plays produced as part of Thunder Bay's 10x10 Play Showcase. Two were also performed in Finland and at the Brighton Fringe Festival.
His new novel, SILENCES: A NOVEL OF THE 1918 FINNISH CIVIL WAR, draws heavily on the experiences of his parents, both of whom lived through those destructive, tense days in Finland. SILENCES received support from the Ontario Arts Council. It is published by Shuniah House Books.
Roy lives and writes in Shuniah, Ontario, where he spends quality time with snowblowers and chainsaws. He plays violin (badly) and banjo (somewhat less badly), though with great enthusiasm. He is working on, among other things, a companion novel to SILENCES.
