Joseph Kertes founded Humber College's Creative Writing and Comedy Programs. He was until recently Humber's Dean of Creative and Performing Arts and is a recipient of numerous awards for teaching and innovation. His first novel, Winter Tulips, won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour. Boardwalk, his second novel, and two children's books, The Gift and The Red Corduroy Shirt, met with critical acclaim. His novel, Gratitude, won a Canadian National Jewish Book Award and the U.S. National Jewish Book Award for Fiction. His latest novel, The Afterlife of Stars, has been described by Miriam Toews as his "masterpiece" and was named a notable book by the NY Times Book Review. Kertes is the 2017 recipient of the Harbourfront Festival Prize.
