Richard Harris was born in Toronto, Canada in 1974. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at McGill University in 1996, he moved to South Korea, where he lived for 10 years. He returned to Canada in 2009 and now lives in Toronto, Ontario.
A Father’s Son (2013) is his first novel and was a quarter-finalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. He is also the author of two non-fiction books, Roadmap to Korean (2003) and Faces of Korea (2004), a novella, and a collection of short stories.
He has received literary grants for his fiction from the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, and Canada Council for the Arts. In 2013, he served on the jury of the Toronto Arts Council’s Level II Grant Committee.
Harris recently finished work on a screenplay adaptation of his first novel, A Father’s Son.
Please contact his agent, Katie Hall, at MCH & Associates Literary Agency if you have any inquiries about literary rights.
Click here to access his Facebook fan page, or reach out to him on Twitter @harrisrh88.
Reviews
A FATHER’S SON
“As said by the author Umberto Eco, “I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.” In the same way, a very talented author of this generation, Richard Harris, has tried to portray those true words of Umberto Eco in his book, A Father’s Son through his exquisite words. A Father’s Son is a tale of a son and his estranged father, and how they hold onto each other in the very difficult times of their lives.
This is about a normal 14-year old teenage boy, Justin, a very talented ice-hockey player, whose mother got recently arrested. He moves back in with his estranged dad, who is suffering from alcoholism, and with no means of income. The only common bond they share is Justin’s passion for playing ice-hockey. His father tries hard to stand up to his son in every possible way; he even warms up to Justin’s girlfriend, almost immediately. When Justin had a hard time in his home, with his dad, he used to crash over his friend’s house, who’s mom is like his very own mom and always used to praise him and took care of him. We see Justin’s bravest side, when his father suffers from very terrible situations and how Justin stands up in those situations.
Indeed a very heart-touching story that will grasp you from the very beginning of the son’s painful journey.
The author has spun the story so marvelously and intelligently. This book is set in the 80s in Toronto, Canada and the author has vividly made that time alive in front of our eyes. The book has got every element of history, the then culture of Canada and also a bit of romance, which makes the book a perfect read on the Father’s Day. Also this book deals with the teenage issues and those hard times and complications between a teenager and his father. The characters are very appealing and are quite strong enough to make an impact on our minds, especially, the character of Justin, who is brave, and in a way, insecure and has also got some raw talent. His relationship with his father is what makes this book more interesting as well as compelling.
In a nutshell, a perfect Father’s Day gift and of course a must read, in the honor of the fathers all over the world.”
— goodreads.com
July 19, 2014
“For any expat, or even the lucky, living in Canada, it’s a treat to read this beautifully crafted father and son story. I would liken it to Linklater’s Boyhood, in book format and with references heartwarming to any Canuck.”
— Amazon.com
I’m an emotional wreck right now
“Well, I should start by saying that I hate the author. Why? Because he made me cry so bad towards the end of the book that even after I have completed it, I m still teary eyed and have a empty box of tissues in front of me and in desperate need of another one because the damn tears won’t stop flowing. In my entire reading spree I do not reckon a circumstance where I have actually got emotionally lost in the book that I kept crying and crying even when I m writing the review.”
ROADMAP TO KOREAN
“…just might be the Rosetta Stone to finally crack some of the more difficult nuances and conundrums…”
—Korea Times
“Korean is a notoriously difficult language…Richard Harris…has created a lively written guide…for those attempting the trek.” — Korea Herald
“This is a great text. The first four chapters in Part 1, on the history of the language and culture of Korea are priceless for anyone working with Koreans on a daily basis. I wish that I had read this 34 years ago. My life in the UC and relationships with Regional leaders might have been very different.”
— goodreads.com
FACES OF KOREA
You won t find a more accurate and moving expose of the expat experience in Korea, at least one that not only bridges the foreign community but also one that gives the community a strong, resonant voice.”
— Jeffrey Miller, Korea Times
For newcomers, the book will be an indispensable account of what life is truly like here [in Korea] from all different angles. On the other hand, people who have been living here for a while will find it interesting because they will be able to relate to the stories.”
— Lisa Lebeda, Seoul Classified
October 10, 2005
Format: Perfect Paperback
“This is a collection of accounts of a number of people who live, or had lived, in South Korea. The occupations of the people whose stories are relayed in this volume are varied, and range from those working as office workers, those who are students or who are serving in the US military, and of course those working as the obligatory ESL teacher. The nationalities are as diverse as the occupations – as well as people of Korean descent, there are also Americans, Japanese, Filipinos, and New Zealanders, all of whom have interesting stories to tell about various aspects of their lives in Korea.
The book is split into 6 main sections, each dealing with a particular general aspect of life in Korea. One section is about working in Korea, another discusses social relations in Korea. People of Korean descent share their experiences in one section, and students in Korea get another section. A particularly interesting section is dedicated to those people who have formally made Korea their home, including one white US male who renounced his American citizenship to become a Korea. The final section, which I suspect will be the cause of most people’s interest in this book is teaching in Korea. This is hardly surprising since ESL teaching is a relatively high profile and popular occupation for many young foreigners in Korea.
All but one of the contributors to the teaching section have taught in Hagwons, the most common employer of ESL teachers in Korea. The sole exception was the contributor who had only taught as an university instructor, although a number of the Hagwon teachers also went on to teach at a university – again hardly surprising, since it is quite a popular gig, usually teaching 15 hours or so a week, for nearly twice the pay of a Hagwon teacher. This section will be of most use to those readers who plan on teaching in Korea, as a number of the contributors discuss the common pitfalls for a novice in this field, and tips to help get by. This isn’t to say the other sections aren’t of interest. Many of the contributors give interesting insights into life, love, work and play in the Land of the Morning Calm. Recommended reading for those wanting insights into life in modern Korea, as well as those considering teaching in Korea.”
— Amazon.com
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Richard H. Harris 
Hello Mr. Harris, I promised I would read the book and here I am…in the middle of reading what is arguably one of the best novels I have read in a while. I find myself immersed in the world you have created in “A Father’s Son” [I can’t seem to properly underline here, so forgive the quotations],. I held my breath waiting for the glass to shatter when Tony threw the aquarium. I can smell the stale cigarettes in Rickster’s apartment. I can feel the angst and turmoil that JR struggles with. I am truly enjoying this and since I can’t find an email address, i wanted to let you know that I did indeed start reading this novel. Sincerely, Second Cup Mel.
Hello Richard. I came across your book “Roadmap to Korean” when I was living in South Korea about 9 years ago and it helped me in my quest to improve my non-existent Korean at that time – I always refer to it when I have a moment to spare and am glad to have found your website.
It is fair to say that I am now on the incredibly difficult road to develop my Korean to a more practical level and now try to study Korean as much as possible with the little free time that I have these days.
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What a bio! Just reading your accomplishments as an author motivates my own writing. And as a fellow Canadian, I couldn’t be more proud. Write on Richard. Write on!
You’re too kind and kindly. Not sure if my literary CV is anything to write home about (though I am at home right now, so…), but I’m ecstatic that my work can at least serve as motivation for others like you. Therefore I say to you: Write on, Andrea!
🙌✏️💫
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