---
name: "Mordecai Richler"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/mordecai-richler"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "27 January 1931"
died: "3 July 2001"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-20T03:40:36.818450+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Mordecai Richler

Writer. Born 27 January 1931 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Died 3 July 2001.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 27 January 1931, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- **Died:** 3 July 2001
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordecai_Richler, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q452282, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0725006/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/137476

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Room at the Top*](https://film.one/film/room-at-the-top.md) (82)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Mordecai Richler was a Canadian writer, novelist, screenwriter and essayist. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he lived in London from 1954 to 1972, where he wrote for film and television, and later returned to Montreal.

He contributed uncredited work to the screenplay for the 1959 film *Room at the Top*, adapted from John Braine's novel. His credited screenplays include *Life at the Top* (1965) and *Fun with Dick and Jane* (1977). Richler's novels include *The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz* (1959), *St. Urbain's Horseman* (1970), *Solomon Gursky Was Here* (1989) and *Barney's Version* (1997). He also wrote the *Jacob Two-Two* series for children.

Richler received the Order of Canada and won two Governor General's Awards. He died in Montreal in 2001.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, theguardian.com, thecanadianencyclopedia.ca, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Room at the Top* (1958), Fi1m 82, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/room-at-the-top.md)

## Complete filmography (18)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Barney's Version* (2010), Novel
- *St. Urbain's Horseman* (2007), Novel
- *Jacob Two-Two* (2003), series, Creator
- *Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang* (1999), Original Story
- *Joshua Then and Now* (1985), Novel, Screenplay
- *The Wordsmith* (1979), Writer
- *Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang* (1978), Novel
- *The Street* (1977), Author
- *Fun with Dick and Jane* (1977), Screenplay
- *The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz* (1974), Novel, Screenplay
- *Life at the Top* (1965), Screenplay
- *The Wild and the Willing* (1962), Writer
- *Tiara Tahiti* (1962), Additional Dialogue
- *No Love for Johnnie* (1961), Screenplay
- *Room at the Top* (1958), Writer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/room-at-the-top.md)
- *Insomnia is Good for You* (1957), Writer
- *Dearth of a Salesman* (1957), Writer
- *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, Writer

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1975: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz*

### Other awards — 7 won, 2 nominated

- Canada's Walk of Fame 2011: Canada's Walk of Fame (won)
- Companion of the Order of Canada 2001: Companion of the Order of Canada (won)
- Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour 1998: Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour (won)
- Giller Prize 1997: Giller Prize (won), for *Barney's Version*
- Booker Prize 1990: Booker Prize (nominated), for *Solomon Gursky Was Here*
- Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award 1976: Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award (won)
- Booker Prize 1971: Booker Prize (nominated), for *St. Urbain's Horseman*
- Governor General's Award for English-language fiction 1971: Governor General's Award for English-language fiction (won), for *St. Urbain's Horseman*
- Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction 1968: Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/mordecai-richler