Skip to content

Novelist recalls days at Sault Star

Former Saultite Morley Torgov was featured today in a National Post article about lawyers who write novels in their spare time.
MorleyTorgov

Former Saultite Morley Torgov was featured today in a National Post article about lawyers who write novels in their spare time.

Torgov (shown accepting the first TORGI Talking Book of the Year Award in 1984) is a 74-year-old Toronto lawyer who moonlights as an author.

Torgov's memoir, A Good Place to Come From, and his second novel, The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick, have both been recognized with Stephen Leacock Awards for Humour.

His memoir was adapted as a mini-series for television and theatre, and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind's annual TORGI awards are named after him.

Accordimg to the Post article, Torgov still derives most of his income from the practice of dry-as-dust business and corporate law.

Olivetti Lettera "But there is another Morley Torgov, who every night climbs behind his portable manual Olivetti Lettera and pounds out novels," the Post reports.

Torgov didn't learn to write in law school. That skill he picked up working as a reporter for the Sault Daily Star, the Post said.

According to Torgov, lawyers can achieve a certain relief in writing novels.

Wannabe writers

Torgov says he was quite surprised by the number of lawyers who showed up to hear him and others speak at a Law Society of Upper Canada workshop on novel-writing.

"I knew a lot of lawyers were frustrated novelists but I didn't know there were that many -- from fresh out of law school to retired judges," he told the Post.

Torgov's sixth novel, Stickler and Me, was recently released.

To read the National Post article, click here.

To receive free, real-time Email updates of SooToday.com's exclusive coverage of local news, just send an Email with "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line to [email protected].

This free service is provided courtesy of the community-minded businesses whose advertisements appear on these pages.


What's next?


If you would like to apply to become a Verified reader Verified Commenter, please fill out this form.




David Helwig

About the Author: David Helwig

David Helwig's journalism career spans seven decades beginning in the 1960s. His work has been recognized with national and international awards.
Read more