Debut-Litzer Prize for Fiction: Podcasts on Malarky
I make no apology for admitting that when I listened to the Debut-Litzer Prize Judges Podcast and heard Fiction judge Leslie Jamison and Patrick McGinty discussing Malarky, I felt weepy. I think I was weepy with delight or disbelief that such an intelligent, close reading of a book I struggled so long and hard with was possible. (This probably sounds strange since I have been blessed with many excellent considerings, but there’s something unique about it being an extended audio discussion sailing out of your computer and also, it’s because I have felt this passionate about other people’s books.) I wished this for every writer, who was driven as demented as I was trying to write my novel.
Then, ever the cynic I felt like weeping all day long for the fact it would be unlikely to happen again in this lifetime and I might never write another book and how could I find company again like Our Woman. (she was pretty dandy, kept me en pointe) Completely and reliably irrational, but there’s a degree of exhaustion as I continue to struggle or interrogate a footnote novel to Malarky called Martin John, that may or may not see the light of day. Whatever the reason I lay in bed stunned and internally emoting before I carried the computer to my son’s room and said I can’t believe this podcast that includes my book to which he replied “look at this app” and showed me his phone. We deflected to teenage business instead, quite rightly and I got a grip.
Anyway here is the podcast you will be guaranteed not to weep at, but can hear discussions of all three books as there were three prize categories that included one for poetry won by Natalie Diaz When My Brother Was An Aztec and non-fiction Benjamin Busch’s Dust to Dust.
Here also is the podcast interview that Late Night Library did with each of us. Thank you to Patrick McGuity for the ace natter and for telling me about those writers he mentions. I love the ethos behind Late Night Library, an organization well worth supporting.
I think my heightened emotion was also due in part to the formidable news my mother won BEEKEEPER OF THE YEAR in her beekeeping group in Westport, Co Mayo. Here are some fantastic photographs that capture the moment. She is very passionate about bees and has been studying them and keeping them. It was especially great to hear this news because I recently did an event in Ottawa with Diana Beresford-Kroeger which included remarks on colony collapse and bee and tree calamity. Thus I could imagine Diana beaming at such. We need the bees!
RTE Radio One the Sean O’Rourke show had a feature on Christmas Book Picks and Malarky was one of Sinead Gleeson’s picks. Thank you to Sinead for this. The segment was on a show that included a weather story. The show also starts at 10am. Sean O’Rourke is a voice I associate with 1pm because 15 years ago he used to read the news at one I am nearly sure. I like this collusion of 10am and 1pm, of weather and literature.
Our Woman gets fresh with Mr Penumbra
A reader sent me this happy snap of Our Woman canoodling or getting fresh beside Mr Penumbra there in the New Books section of Waterstones Bookshop in the UK. Have you spotted Our Woman snuggling up in any bookshops?
Malarky gets her first mash note
The email server bought a warm message about Malarky today.
I received my first mash note, since I didn’t know what a mash note was (*) it is designated my first mash note … it was from Mr. Lemony Snicket or the fella who holds a cup of tea and writes as him. He wrote to say he thinks Malarky is terrific, which was very kind of him. As I read the message the weather outside was bright blue. It was not raining. (important to note the weather upon receipt of first mash note)
I had to ask him what a mash note was because I thought perhaps it was something to do with the TV show MASH or potato mashers. By reply, he generously explained a mash note is an effusive fan letter.
Thank you Mr Lemony Snicket. It was like getting a message from Mr Bump. (I am a big fan of Mr Bump) and up there beside getting tweeted by my favourite weather forecaster Johanna and my favourite bird flu expert Crawford Killian.
Also, Radio-Canada came calling, there will be some talk of Malarky on one of their programmes next week by a man named Charles. Do you hear that French publishers? Do you hear that Quebec publishers? French readers want to read Malarky too. So roll up, roll up and translate her. Enough of this risk averse carry on. Nom d’un chien, zut alors, for the love of God.
I’ve decided Cesar Aira is the only man to translate the book into Spanish. So give us a ring Cesar…hopefully not at the same time as Mr Bump. Wouldn’t want to miss either of you.
It’s going to rain on Saturday, if you are wondering.
From Saturday’s Irish Times
The sun shone in Dublin and Vancouver on Saturday weather-wise my sources confirm. I was actually in Victoria this weekend attending the BC Book Prize Gala. (Report coming) Here is a screen grab from Saturday’s Irish Times.
Merci Montreal
Some very generous words for Malarky in Saturday’s Montreal Gazette from Ian McGillis. Molto Merci Montreal for this warm sentiment. I hope some day to descend upon your transit system and do a reading with your people. So invite me! This is not a busking suggestion! Writers can’t busk — what’s up with that? Perhaps they can.
“Glasses were raised among fiction lovers nationwide last week when Anakana Schofield’s sui generis debut Malarky was named winner of the Amazon.ca First Novel Award. All temptation to say “I told you so” based on a rave review last summer and a year-end 10-best selection in a certain Montreal newspaper will be firmly resisted. The choice represents a triumph for both adventurous writing —Malarky’s Our Woman is about as unlike a standard Canadian fiction heroine as you could get—and for small literary publishers: Biblioasis has established itself with remarkable speed as a house of unerringly high standards. Congratulations all around.”
Here’s the link to the entire column including an uplifting tale about the gift of 9,115 books and an opportunity to discover what wrtier Elise Moser has been reading.
Amazon.ca First Novel Award citation and Malarky on Canada AM
Here is the citation for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award which I won on Wednesday for Malarky.
“Malarky is a bold first novel from an author whose prose hums with electric wit and linguistic daring,” Stuart Woods, editor of Quill & Quire and head judge for the 37th First Novel Award said in a statement. “The novel traverses darkly comic territory with intelligence and poise, relating the story of an unnamed narrator whose resilience in the face of life’s disappointments will stay with readers long after the verbal pyrotechnics have dissipated. Anakana Schofield is a true original, and her novel is a delight.”
And here is the link to my very pink looking appearance on CTV’s CANADA AM programme.
Malarky nominated for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize!
Book prizes and book prize culture are problematic, I have always acknowledged this and been critical of the truncated effect they can have on our reading rather than recognizing literature exists on a continuum and our ambition should be to read out and read between and beside different works and texts. And to create more challenging works.
How and ever, I was thrilled to see Malarky nominated for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize today firstly because of the books and writers she sits beside: Anne Fleming, Bill Gaston, Yasuko Thanh and my fellow Biblioasis author CP Boyko and secondly because it’s a regional prize that acknowledges a local literature exists. And thirdly, for the completely obscure reason that it reminded me of Ethel Wilson’s description of Marine Drive and the houses being built there and made me ponder how would she contemplate the subsequent condification that’s happening today. And fourthly, for the inadvertent discovery reading all the nominations that Dan Francis has written a book on the History of Trucking in BC that had until today completely passed me by and now I’m intrigued to discover it.
Here is the National Post story on the BC Book Prize nominations: click on the headline and follow the link in the story to the full listings including aforementioned trucking book.
Schofield, Gaston highlight B.C. Book Prize nominees
Anakana Schofield, Bill Gaston and George Bowering are among the authors shortlisted for the 2013 B.C. Book Prizes, it was announced Thursday.
The nominees for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, for the best work of fiction, are: C.P. Boyko for Psychology and Other Stories (Biblioasis), Anne Fleming for Gay Dwarves of America (Pedlar Press), Bill Gaston for The World (Hamish Hamilton Canada, Penguin Group Canada), Anakana Schofield for Malarky (Biblioasis) and Yasuko Thanh for Floating Like the Dead (McClelland & Stewart Ltd.)
Henceforth, I think I shall document all book prize related talk according to the snacks served and the likelihood of inclement weather on the day they are handed out. Also, I shall look for that Marine Drive paragraph I mention in Swamp Angel. I am certain that’s the title that contains it.
*
We shall now return to the Pineapple Express and car review forums. This last and third day of the Pineapple Express showed according to the video I watched, that the system is coming from a South West subtropical to the right of Hawaii on the map. (That a long way for this volume of rain! Respect!) It shifted to the right on the map. Our figures for rainfall were not too astonishing, but for North & West Vancouver eek. I commend the mud on not giving way.
Two earthquake events up the coast in Masset, Haida Gwaii: 4.6 & 4.2 today to be noted attentively.
Woo-hoo! Malarky nominated for Amazon.ca First Novel Award
Hot off boiling the kettle here …Malarky has been nominated for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award. This just in from the Toronto Star report
“Amazon.ca announced the finalists for the 37th Annual First Novel Award Wednesday. This Canadian literary award recognizes the outstanding talent of Canadian novelists who have published their first novel in 2012.”
Click here to learn about all 5 titles nominated including the intriguing People Park by Pasha Malla.
Click here to read the offical news release put out by Amazon at the rising of the sun.
From a Malarky reader yesterday
I have been meaning to share some of the messages i receive from readers: the image of people discussing anything for hours is always boldly up lifting. This was most cheering to read. Thank you dear reader(s)
“My book club finally got around to reading Malarky and I must say we all loved it – what a wild ride! We talked about it for hours which doesn’t often happen when we get together – we forwent our usual gossip session to talk about your wonderful book. Our Woman was a delightful character and we all loved your dialogue and gift with language. Rarely has a book made me laugh so hard and feel so heartsick at the same time. Two of the group read it twice and recommended we all do the same. We can’t wait for the next one.”
Hot! Hot! Hot! Crew, shoe and Malarky
Possibly by far the hottest place to cover Malarky is Crew Magazine. Crew is a gay magazine for everyone. Sometimes their chesty males flash up in my Facebook feed, along with very fine furniture and the current homepage features some rather ravishing shoes.
I just learned of a piece they generously wrote about Malarky in November of all months. When we were all feeling especially chesty because of that grim weather.
Thank you to Bruce Michael for placing Our Woman right where she belongs between the specimans and the furniture.
Read the piece by clicking the quote here (not entirely sure where I was heading with the chillies…): “Thinking back, she’s eroticizing what she witnesses in a way,” Schofield adds. “It awakens something within her. It’s a bit like foreign food. You either don’t like it or you stuff your mouth with hot chilies or whatever.”
Or click here to see the ravishing shoe if you prefer.
You can hunt for the chesties on your steam.