| Wes Funk | |
| Birth Date: | 18 February 1969 |
| Birth Place: | Mayfair, Saskatchewan |
| Death Place: | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Occupation: | writer, broadcaster |
| Spouse: | Darwin Wagner[1] |
| Genre: | fiction, memoirs |
| Notableworks: | Dead Rock Stars, Cherry Blossoms |
Wes Funk (February 18, 1969 – October 9, 2015) was a Canadian writer. Based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,[2] he published several novels and a chapbook of poetry and short stories, and hosted a weekly television series, Lit Happens, on Shaw TV's services in Saskatchewan.[3]
Funk, who was gay, was raised in a Mennonite household in rural Mayfair, Saskatchewan.[4] He had a twin sister, who died in childhood.[5]
Funk published his debut novel, Dead Rock Stars, in 2008. Initially self-published,[6] the book later gained national distribution. The novel was republished in audiobook form in 2013,[7] and a new illustrated edition was published in 2015.[8]
In 2012, Funk pulled his book Cherry Blossoms off of bookstore shelves after the publisher inadvertently printed an early draft instead of the final version.[9] The corrected edition was rereleased several weeks later. The book won a Bookie Award from CBC Books in 2013.[10]
In 2014, Funk published the memoir Wes Side Story. In addition to his writing and broadcasting, Funk also worked in social services.[11]
Funk died in his sleep on October 9, 2015, in Edmonton, Alberta. He was only 46 years old. It was thought that he may have accidentally overdosed on painkillers after a surgical procedure.[12] At the time of his death, his short story Rescuing Lancelot had just been published in the literary magazine Jonathan, and his latest novel Frostbite was slated for publication in 2016.