Erna Paris (1938‒ ) was born in Toronto, where she earned a B.A. at the University of Toronto in Honours Philosophy and English; she continued her education at the University of Paris. Paris has authored seven literary non-fiction books; she is the recipient of twelve writing awards, both national and international. Particularly influential, her book Long Shadows: Truth, Lies, and History inspired a motion in 2008 for the Canadian House of Commons to apologize to Canadian residential “school” survivors. Paris is a highly successful and influential non-fiction author, and is also a member of the Honorary Council of the Canadian Centre for International Justice, the Canada Committee of Human Rights Watch, a vice-president of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, an executive member of the World Federalist Movement-Canada, and was previously a chair of the Writers’ Union of Canada. Paris was awarded the World Federalist Movement ‒ Canada World Peace Award in 2012, and in 2015 she was appointed to the Order of Canada.
