Tom Howell

Lexicographer Tom Howell wrote definitions for the Canadian Oxford Dictionary and thesaurus entries for the Canadian Oxford Thesaurus before abandoning serious work. He became the in-house word nerd on CBC Radio’s language show, And Sometimes Y, which involved rewriting Fowler’s Modern English Usage as an opera, composing the “Phoenician Alphabet Song,” and other important cultural tasks. Then he took a job as poetry correspondent for CBC’s The Next Chapter. His new book, The Rude Story of English (McClelland & Stewart), offers an uncensored account of our language that is both knowledgeable and hilarious. Originally from London, England, Howell currently lives in Toronto ON.