Comments on: “Brooding on Muskoka chairs”: Brit Giller judge on Canadian literature

By: Kevin Barker

Kevin Barker — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:39:26 +0000

Ha…someone speaks frankly and the knitting circle attacks. That’s so – well, if I were British I’d call it provincial, but a more Canadian adjective would be quaint.

Hey who was that British travel writer who decribed Canada as ‘… a few acres of snow’?

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:04:16 +0000

Despite the well-intentioned origins of the Giller to promote CanLit, any competition or prize-giving for a literary endeavor seems ludicrous. I don’t know why everybody is so surprised by Glendinning’s comments about quality. Or by Michael Prodger in UK about the Booker list. The nature of the prizes themselves guarantee that the chances of any really challenging or innovative work being chosen are slight. Let’s face it, these days literary prizes are more a marketing opportunity by corporations such as Scotia or Man, and promotional vehicles for publishers, than any real reflection of new and ingenious writing. They can’t be anything else.

By: Bruce Batchelor

Bruce Batchelor — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:21:49 +0000

Hey IS — Thanks for injecting some good sense into this discussion. Unless the Canadian government decides to massively increase its grants to Canadian publishers (unlikely), and offer emergency funding when the next distributor goes broke, there will be precious little left of our book industry (publishers and indie booksellers) in a few years. That is… unless the broken business model is fixed. End returns, or sadly there will be very little new Canadian content to judge in these book prizes.
See http://www.BookIndustryBailout.ca for the analysis. Thank you!

By: IS

IS — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:38:18 +0000

The publishers need a no-return policy with bookstores; then they will have to live with their dud choices. Now bookstores clutter up their shelves and aisles with books no one buys, hoping, no doubt, that the unwary book buyers will purchase the stuff out of frustration. This is a bad business plan because boring and silly lit supplants good solid works and turns readers off on reading.

By: Wayne Arthurson

Wayne Arthurson — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:20:00 +0000

To No Way Wayne. Heck I agree with you that Canadian publishers should publish more genre fiction, besides those written by major authors like Atwood. But you got to realize that at the moment they don’t. And if you’re a genre writer looking to get a book published by a Canadian publisher, don’t count on it. Accept it and look elsewhere. I was rejected by over 15 Canadian publishers/agents for my “mystery” but as soon as I turned to the US, I got attention. In three months I got an agent and then the first American publisher she sent it too, offered me a two book deal.

By: IS

IS — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:35:44 +0000

FYI MS: Well perhaps Year of and Factory Girl are positioned in the genre categories but I’m sure not going to read the books to find if they hit the mark because life is too short!

By: bookgoddess

bookgoddess — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:17:19 +0000

Well done Ms. Glendinning-finally, someone has come out in public to state that the emperor is naked. If a novel has literary merit, it will stand on its own among other works of literature in the world not because it has been subsidised, but because it is well-crafted,engaging and worth reading.I refuse to segregate (and that’s exactly what it is-segregation) Canadian novels in my bookstore..they stand or fall on their own merits alongside British, South African,American,Australian and Asian novels.

By: MS

MS — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:48:48 +0000

No Way Wayne: Just fyi, two of the longlisted books are genre novels: THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD, science (or speculative) fiction; and FACTORY GIRL, a mystery.

By: Brooding Is Fun

Brooding Is Fun — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:51:28 +0000

I read the rant Ms. “BeenDiningAloneAgain” spewed against Canadian writers and have a few questions:

Has anyone ever heard of an arts jury member being so unprofessional?

Did she get paid, and if so, shouldn’t the Giller folks demand their money back?

How did such a malicious Brit become a Canadian Giller Prize Jury Member?

Can we petition to have Victoria Glendinning’s name added to the No-Fly List (like that freak who tried to light his shoes on fire)?

By: Jaliya

Jaliya — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:06:01 +0000

I don’t know what those chairs are called in Britain, but Canada just wouldn’t be Canada without ‘em. Ditto the perpetual literary mojo of Canadian writers! I love my country … and I love our writers!

I don’t know anyone, BTW, who “broods” on a Muskoka chair. Everyone I know is sunbathing, telling or hearing a story, laughing, singing, stargazing, contemplating a swim, quaffing a beer, reading a fabulous Canadian novel, cheering someone on, or being lulled by the loons …