{{Short description|Canadian writer, film director, and radio producer}} {{about|the Canadian writer|the American entertainer|Andy Kaufman}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}} {{Infobox writer | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1968|04|07}} | birth_place = Wingham, Ontario, Canada | occupation = Writer, director, and producer | citizenship = | education = F. E. Madill Secondary School | alma_mater = | period = | genre = | subject = | movement = | notableworks = | spouse = | partner = | children = Phoenix & Frida | relatives = | influences = | influenced = | awards = ReLit Award (2015) | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | portaldisp = }} '''Andrew Kaufman''' (born 1968) is a Canadian writer, film director, and radio producer, best known for novels which incorporate aspects of genre literature, such as fantasy, superhero and detective novels, with humor.<ref name=arnone>Terra Arnone, [https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/books/book-reviews/id-walk-to-wingham-and-back-for-andrew-kaufman-but-176-pages-later-small-claims-has-been-a-stretch "I'd walk to Wingham and back for Andrew Kaufman, but 176 pages later, Small Claims has been a stretch"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708151036/https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/books/book-reviews/id-walk-to-wingham-and-back-for-andrew-kaufman-but-176-pages-later-small-claims-has-been-a-stretch |date=8 July 2023 }}. ''National Post'', May 17, 2017.</ref>

Born and raised in Wingham, Ontario, Kaufman regularly promotes himself as the second most famous and/or second best writer to come from Wingham, as the town was also the birthplace of Alice Munro.<ref name=arnone/>

==Career== Kaufman was a revolving cast member of the Perpetual Motion Roadshow.<ref name=vice>Katie Heindl, [https://www.vice.com/en/article/chatting-with-andrew-kaufman-about-all-my-friends-are-superheroes/ "Chatting with Andrew Kaufman about 'All My Friends Are Superheroes'"] . ''Vice'', May 15, 2013.</ref>

His debut novella, ''All My Friends Are Superheroes'', was published by Coach House Books in 2003, and is a humorous love story between a normal man and a super-heroine, The Perfectionist. The novella is set in a community of superheroes in Toronto, in which the bizarre characters (The Seeker, The Inverse, BusinessMan etc.) actually personify different human types.<ref name=vice/> A 10th anniversary edition with added bonus material was released in April 2013.

He has since published five more novels. His 2013 novel, ''Born Weird'', was shortlisted for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.<ref name="nofools">[http://www.cbc.ca/books/2013/04/the-authors-on-the-shortlist-for-the-stephen-leacock-medal-are-no-april-fools.html "The authors on the shortlist for the Stephen Leacock Medal are no April Fools"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213151041/http://www.cbc.ca/books/2013/04/the-authors-on-the-shortlist-for-the-stephen-leacock-medal-are-no-april-fools.html |date=13 February 2016 }}. CBC Books, April 2, 2013.</ref> His 2010 novel, ''The Tiny Wife'', won the 2015 ReLit Award for Novel.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=van Koeverden |first=Jane |date=2017-08-30 |title=Andrew Kaufman wins ReLit Award for The Tiny Wife |url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/andrew-kaufman-wins-relit-award-for-the-tiny-wife-1.4268220 |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=CBC Books |archive-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708151038/https://www.cbc.ca/books/andrew-kaufman-wins-relit-award-for-the-tiny-wife-1.4268220 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Small Claims'' and ''The Ticking Heart'' were shortlisted for the same award.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2021-04-07 |title=43 books shortlisted for 2018 Relit Awards, as prize returns after 4-year hiatus |url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/43-books-shortlisted-for-2018-relit-awards-as-prize-returns-after-4-year-hiatus-1.5978269 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408065441/https://www.cbc.ca/books/43-books-shortlisted-for-2018-relit-awards-as-prize-returns-after-4-year-hiatus-1.5978269 |archive-date=2023-04-08 |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=CBC Books}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2021-04-27 |title=38 books shortlisted for 2020 ReLit Awards |url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/38-books-shortlisted-for-2020-relit-awards-1.6004013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530221355/https://www.cbc.ca/books/38-books-shortlisted-for-2020-relit-awards-1.6004013 |archive-date=2023-05-30 |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=CBC Books}}</ref>

==Awards== {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" |+Awards for Kaufman's writing !Year !Title !Award !Result !Ref. |- |2013 |''Born Weird'' |Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour |Shortlist |<ref name="nofools" /> |- |2015 |''{{sort|Tiny Wife|The Tiny Wife}}'' |ReLit Award for Novel |'''Winner''' |<ref name=":0" /> |- |2018 |''Small Claims'' |ReLit Award for Novel |Shortlist |<ref name=":2" /> |- |2020 |''{{sort|Ticking Heart|The Ticking Heart}}'' |ReLit Award for Novel |Shortlist |<ref name=":3" /> |}

==Bibliography==

* ''All My Friends Are Superheroes'' (2003) * ''The Waterproof Bible'' (2010)<ref>Mark Medley, [https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/books/from-the-archives-andrew-kaufman-discusses-the-waterproof-bible "Andrew Kaufman discusses The Waterproof Bible"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708151036/https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/books/from-the-archives-andrew-kaufman-discusses-the-waterproof-bible |date=8 July 2023 }}. ''National Post'', February 23, 2010.</ref> * ''The Tiny Wife'' (2010) * ''Born Weird'' (2013) * ''Small Claims'' (2017) * ''The Ticking Heart'' (2019)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Madden |first=Stacey |date=2019-09-09 |title=The Ticking Heart |url=https://quillandquire.com/review/the-ticking-heart/ |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=Quill and Quire |language=en |archive-date=12 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812183518/https://quillandquire.com/review/the-ticking-heart/ |url-status=live }}</ref> * ''Enjoy Your Stay at the Shamrock Motel'' (2025)

==References== {{reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaufman, Andrew}} Category:Canadian male novelists Category:Film directors from Ontario Category:Living people Category:1968 births Category:Canadian male screenwriters Category:21st-century Canadian novelists Category:People from Wingham, Ontario Category:21st-century Canadian male writers Category:Canadian Film Centre alumni Category:21st-century Canadian screenwriters Category:Screenwriters from Ontario Category:Novelists from Ontario