Joel Thomas Hynes

Joel Thomas Hynes is a Canadian actor, musician, and author from Newfoundland and Labrador. His novel We'll All Be Burnt in Our Beds Some Night (2017) won the Governor General's Literary Award for English-language fiction. Set across Canada, the novel follows Johnny Keough, a young outcast from Newfoundland, in a picaresque journey marked by violence, addiction, and occasional grace. Hynes is well-known in Canada as an actor, starring in the television series Republic of Doyle and other productions. As a writer, he has also published Stray Dog (2007) and Down to the Dirt (2004), the latter of which was adapted into a film. His work draws heavily on the people and landscapes of outport Newfoundland. He is also a musician and has recorded several albums. Hynes is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work consistently engages with working-class Newfoundland life.