Wes Funk

{{short description|Canadian writer}}

{{Infobox writer

| name = Wes Funk

| birth_date = {{Birth date |1969|02|18}}

| birth_place = Mayfair, Saskatchewan

| death_date = {{death date and given age|2015|10|09|46}}

| death_place = Edmonton, Alberta

| occupation = writer, broadcaster

| spouse = Darwin Wagner{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/paypal-money-recovered-1.5319243 |title=Four years after spouse's death, Sask. man recovers money from PayPal account |last=Eneas |first=Brian |publisher=CBC News |date=2019-10-12 |access-date=2019-10-13}}

| genre = fiction, memoirs

| notableworks= Dead Rock Stars, Cherry Blossoms

| website = {{URL|http://www.wesfunk.ca/}}

}}

Wes Funk (February 18, 1969 – October 9, 2015) was a Canadian writer. Based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,{{cite web|url = http://www.sasklifestyles.com/article/20110610/Estlifestyles0501/306109986/-1/estlifestyles0501/author-champions-self-published-books|title = Author champions self-published books|last = Willberg|first = David|work = Saskatchewan Lifestyles|date = June 9, 2011|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20141020220233/http://www.sasklifestyles.com/article/20110610/Estlifestyles0501/306109986/-1/estlifestyles0501/author-champions-self-published-books|archivedate = October 20, 2014}} 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.{{cite web|url = http://www.outvisions.com/OutPages/tabid/1615/Article/478/funk-s-fiction.aspx|title = Funk's Fiction|last = Street|first = Amanda|work = OutVisions|date = December 12, 2011|accessdate = March 17, 2015}}

Funk, who was gay, was raised in a Mennonite household in rural Mayfair, Saskatchewan."Local writers are going DYI". The StarPhoenix, August 4, 2011. He had a twin sister, who died in childhood.[http://ckom.com/article/236673/there-was-no-real-fakeness-him-sask-literary-community-mourns-loss-local-author "'There was no real fakeness to him' Sask. literary community mourns loss of local author"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307122153/http://ckom.com/article/236673/there-was-no-real-fakeness-him-sask-literary-community-mourns-loss-local-author |date=2016-03-07 }}. CKOM, October 11, 2015.

Funk published his debut novel, Dead Rock Stars, in 2008. Initially self-published,"Rock star fascination turned into book". Regina Leader-Post, March 14, 2009. the book later gained national distribution. The novel was republished in audiobook form in 2013,"Regina pair turning written word into audiobooks". The StarPhoenix, October 28, 2013. and a new illustrated edition was published in 2015."Storytellers, local poet featured at B.C. retreat". Winnipeg Free Press, February 28, 2015.

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.{{cite news

|url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/author-pulls-his-own-book-from-store-shelves-1.1229427

|title = Author pulls his own book from store shelves

|publisher = CBC News

|date = July 11, 2012

|accessdate = March 17, 2015}} The corrected edition was rereleased several weeks later. The book won a Bookie Award from CBC Books in 2013."Saskatoon novelist tackles autobiography in Wes Side Story". The StarPhoenix, September 17, 2014.

In 2014, Funk published the memoir Wes Side Story. In addition to his writing and broadcasting, Funk also worked in social services."Record shop connects author to vinyl culture". The StarPhoenix, April 18, 2013.

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.{{cite news|last1=Trembath|first1=Sean|title=Local author Wes Funk dead at 46|url=https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/local-author-wes-funk-dead-at-46|accessdate=25 August 2018|publisher=The StarPhoenix|date=12 October 2015}} 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.