Toronto Book Awards

Congratulations to the nominated authors for the 2009 Toronto Book Awards. The winner will be announced at the Toronto Reference Library on Oct. 15th.

Austin Clarke, More

Anthony De Sa, Barnacle Love

Maggie Helwig, Girls Fall Down

Mark Osbaldeston, Unbuilt Toronto

Charles Wilkins, In the Land of Long Fingernails.

Toronto Book Awards

Fall Books 2009

Every fall for the new big book season I do a roundup of selections for The Ottawa Citizen – usually picked up by most CanWest papers.

Due to editing, for some reason Doug Coupland’s Generation A got left off. Now I’m a huge Coupland fan so I would generally always recommend him, but I’ve also read the new book and it’s well worth the read.

A Bountiful Harvest: Highlights of a fall season full of riches

February by Lisa Moore, reimagines the Ocean Ranger disaster

In February of 1982 the Ocean Ranger, a large “unsinkable” oil rig sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Newfoundland. All 84 crew members (men) working aboard were killed, 67 were Canadian, 59 were from Newfoundland.  At the time, it was the largest offshore drilling accident in Canadian history and devastating to the families of the drowned men.

I wish I could say I remembered this, but I don’t. I have, however, recently watched news reports on the tragedy and it’s scope is pretty amazing, the confusion around the causes pretty evident. You see all the hallmarks of modern PR there, spin, denial, deflection. In the end, several new safety and training procedures were adopted around, what was then, fairly new oil drilling technology. A little too late for the loved ones of the lost.

The sinking of the Ocean Ranger lives on in the hearts, minds and memories of Newfoundlanders. An internet search brings up literature, music and films that document the event and its after effects.

In her new book, February (Anansi, June 2009), Lisa Moore has imagined life after this tragedy for a young family. It’s a powerful novel full of insight into how life goes on, in spite of us, even if it leaves broken slivers of hearts in its wake.

It wouldn’t be surprising to learn that one result of losing a brother, husband, father or son to the sea would be loneliness. Loneliness is hard to write about without becoming maudlin, or cliche. Lisa Moore does not have that problem. She seems to understand this very human facility. It’s amazing just how well she can put words to an extremely indescribable emotion.

Ms. Moore is a new author to me. Though she’s been twice nominated for the Giller Prize, I have not read any of her previous books. I like knowing I can go back to her list, learn more about her craft and lose myself in her stories.

Of course, I recommend this book. You’ll be surprised how it makes you feel.

The Factory Voice

The Factory Voice is the debut novel from Canadian poet Jeanette Lynes. It’s set in an airplane factory in Fort William, ON  (now Thunder Bay) during the war, and revolves around the lives of four women workers. I highly recommend reading it. It’s a delightful book.

Here’s my Globe review:

These Women Take Flight

BC Book Prizes winners

Congrats to Lee Henderson who won the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize for The Man Game (Penguin).

And Gabor Mate, winner of the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize for In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. (Random House). Other BC Book Prize-winners can be found here.

The Flying Troutman long listed for Orange Prize

Miriam Toews’ lively and excellent novel, The Flying Troutmans, published by Knopf Canada, is the only Canadian work on the Orange Prize long list, announced today. Winner of last year’s Roger’s Writers Trust Fiction Prize, this was one of my favourite reads of last year. One of those books you fly through because it’s so much fun to read, and when the last page is done, you just want to start at the beginning again.

The Orange Prize is open to books written in English and published in England. The short list will be announced April 21st and the award given out on June 3rd.

Congrats and good luck Miriam!

Giller International

Lots of rumblings on Twitter and in the media today about the Giller Prize choosing non-Canadian judges for this years awards. Judges chosen are Canada’s Alistair MacLeod, Britain’s Victoria Glendinning and from the United States, Russel Banks. I say, big deal. And so does Globe Books editor Martin Levin on his blog.

The Giller has sadly developed the reputation, along with other Canadian book/arts prizes, of being too political, and/or biased. Maybe this will help.

It’s hard to believe the Giller celebrates its fifteenth year. I remember it in its infancy and though I haven’t been in the last few years, I fondly remember it as an inspirational and extravagant night for Canadian literature. I doubt that will ever change.

BC Book Prizes

When I lived in Vancouver, 2000 to 2006, I looked forward every year to the BC Book Prizes, an opportunity to celebrate the best books chosen from a pretty talented pool of writers.  Fairly quickly it gave me a sense of how supportive and welcoming the BC community of writers is with fellow writers and book media. It was both inspiring and relieving.

Every year I look forward to the short list, and miss going to the nomination Soiree and the Prize Gala. 2009 marks BC Book Prizes 25th annual ceremony, to be held on April 25th.

Here are this year’s contenders. Congrats to all!

Book of Negroes wins Canada Reads

The results are in for CBC‘s annual literary contest, Canada Reads. With broadcaster Avi Lewis‘s great defence of Lawrence Hill‘s important book, The Book of Negroes will reap the benefits of increased book sales. It’s well deserved. Congratulations.

Welcome

Bound to Write is a literary blog that will be a venue for all things to do with books and reading. Book news, reviews, author profiles and Q & As. From Canada and around the world.

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