Richard Ford goes Canadian
As The New York Times reports, American novelist Richard Ford has switched publishers, signing with Ecco for his next three books after failing to reach an agreement with longtime publisher Knopf. But for us Canadian readers, the more relevant info is the scoop on Ford’s next novel:
His first novel with Ecco, scheduled for a 2010 release, is tentatively titled “Canada,” and will be a “novel of revenge and violent retribution set on the Saskatchewan prairie, in the early 1960s,” according to Ecco’s statement.
The move shouldn’t be that much of a surprise – Ford has a well-known fondness for Canada, while much of his earlier work is set not that far from Saskatchewan, in Montana and Wyoming. It does seem ironic, though, that as many Canuck writers are self-consciously moving away from the traditional CanLit tale, international names like Ford and Stef Penney are heading for it.
