The Buzz...About Books

2013 Pulitzer Prize Winners

On April 15 winners of this year's Pulitzer Prize for Letters were announced in the following categories:

Biography or Autobiography

Winner:
The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss
• Audiobook
• eAudiobook
• eBook
• Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

 

Finalists:

The Patriarch: the Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy by David Nasaw
• Audiobook
• eAudiobook
• Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece by Michael Gorra

Fiction

Winner:
The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
• eAudiobook
• eBook
• Large Print

 

 

Finalists:

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
• eAudiobook
• Large Print

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander
• Audiobook
• eAudiobook
• eBook
• Large Print
• Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

General Non-Fiction

Winner:
Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King

 

 

 

Finalists:

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo
• Audiobook
• eAudiobook
• eBook
• Large Print
• Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

The Forest Unseen: a Year's Watch in Nature by David George Haskell

History

Winner:
Embers of War: the Fall of an Empire and the Making of America's Vietnam by Fredrik Logevall
• eBook

 

 

Finalists:

The Barbarous Years: the Peopling of British North America: the Conflict of Civilizations 1600-1975 by Bernard Bailyn
• eBook

Lincoln's Code: the Laws of War in American History by John Fabian Witt

Poetry

Winner:
Stag's Leap by Sharon Olds

 

 

 

 

Finalists:

The Abundance of Nothing by Bruce Weigl

Collected Poems by Jack Gilbert

What Kept Toronto Reading

This year's One Book celebrates the power of the book: its power to evoke emotion, to band people together, and ultimately, to bring about change for the future.

In honour of 2013's Keep Toronto Reading festival, let's revisit the past One Book selections and check out what kept Toronto reading in the last five years:

 

In 2012, Maggie Helwig's Girls Fall Down set the tone for readers in Toronto. Based in various parts of the city, marked by distinct Toronto hangouts, it explored themes of mental health, homelessness, belonging and the ways our bodies betray us. Helwig penned a solid novel that spurred discussions between many Torontonians.

 

 

In 2011, Judy Fong Bates introduced us to a family full of secrets in Midnight at the Dragon Cafe. In spare, intimate prose, Bates drew out the weight of culture and tradition, and the portrait of a young Chinese-Canadian girl growing up in a small Ontario town.

 

 

 

In 2010, More by Austin Clarke dove headfirst into issues of racial inequity and the experiences of a black immigrant woman in Toronto, 25 years in. Both personal and political, More examined the complexities of race in modern western culture.

 

 

 

In 2009, Glen Downie's Loyalty Management brought readers together with a collection of poems that looked at the many sides of living in this city - from the lighthearted and funny to the deeply sobering. Downie's memorable voice, unique spacing and lovely made up words ("sleepward"!) pulled together a collection suitable for those new to poetry and long-time lovers alike.

 

 

2008 kicked off the One Book festival with Michael Redhill's Consolation. This title slipped between two worlds - centuries apart - that captured the memory of a young Toronto, through photographs and lived experiences.

 

 

Many of our One Book selections had Toronto as a starting point, but you can see how much the idea of what Toronto is - and who Toronto is - can change over time.

In Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag asks: "How long is it since you were really bothered?... About something important, about something real?" Whether poetry or prose, One Book titles are chosen for the issues they bring up and the conversations they can spark all across the city.

Here's to many more One Books to come - thanks for reading, Toronto!

April is Poetry Month

The League of Canadian Poets created National Poetry Month in 1999 in order to celebrate and increase awareness of Canadian poetry. During this month a number of poetry award nominations are announced.

The Griffin Poetry Prize

The largest award for a single volume of poetry, the Griffin Poetry Prize presents winners in two categories annually. Winners will be announced on June 13.

Canadian

Personals by Ian Williams

Sailing to Babylon by James Pollock

What's the Score: 99 Poems by David W. McFadden

International

Like a Straw Bird It Follows Me and Other Poems by Ghassan Zaqtan, translated by Fady Joudah

Liquid Nitrogen by Jennifer Maiden
        (Not currently available at Toronto Public Library.)

Night of the Republic by Alan Shapiro

Our Andromeda by Brenda Shaughnessy

Gerald Lampert Memorial Award

The Gerald Lampert Memorial Award recognizes the best first volume of poetry by a Canadian.  It is sponsored by the League of Canadian Poets.

Charms Against Lightning by James Arthur

I See My Love More Clearly From a Distance by Nora Gould

The Lease by Mathew Henderson

Notebook M by Gillian Savigny

repeater by Andrew McEwan

Sumptuary Laws by Nyla Matuk

Pat Lowther Memorial Award

This award celebrates a book of poetry written by a Canadian woman.  Also sponsored by the League of Canadian Poets, it is named after British Columbia poet Pat Lowther, who was murdered by her husband in 1975.

The Book of Marvels: a Compendium of Everyday Things by Lorna Crozier
• eBook

A Grain of Rice by Evelyn Lau
        (Not currently available at Toronto Public Library.)

Monkey Ranch by Julie Bruck

Slow Curve Out by Maureen Scott Harris

Song and Spectacle by Rachel Rose

Soul Mouth by Rachel Bowering

Raymond Souster Award

The collections nominated for this award must be written by members of the Canadian League of Poets and published in the previous year. Created to honour legendary Canadian poet Raymond Souster, it will be presented for the first time in 2013.

Between Dusk and Night by Emily McGiffin

the Flicker tree: Okanagan Poems by Nancy Holmes

Hummingbird by John Wall Barger

The New Measures by A.F. Moritz

no ordinary place by Pamela Porter

Wayworn Wooden Floors by Mark Lavorato

The winners of the Gerald Lampert, Pat Lowther and Raymond Souster Awards will be announced on June 8.

Governor General's Literary Award: English Adult Winners

The winners for the 2012 Governor General's Literary Awards were announced Tuesday. The awards are presented for adult and children's literature and both French and English categories are included. This is the list of winners and finalists in the English adult categories. The complete list of winners can be found on the Canada Council for the Arts website.

This year's winners are:

Fiction	Non-Fiction	Poetry	Drama

Fiction
The Purchase by Linda Spalding
• eBook

Non-Fiction
Leonardo and the Last Supper by Ross King
• eBook

Poetry
Monkey Ranch by Julie Bruck

Drama
It is Solved by Walking by Catherine Banks

 

Fiction Finalists

Dr. Brinkley's Tower by Robert Hough

The Headmaster's Wager by Vincent Lam

The Juliet Stories by Carrie Snyder

Siege 13 by Tamas Dobozy

Non-Fiction Finalists

Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis

The Pursuit of Perfection: a Life of Celia Franca by Carol Bishop-Gwyn

A Thousand Farewells: a Reporter's Journey from Refugee Camp to Arab Spring by Nahlah Ayed

What We Talk About When We Talk About War by Noah Richler

Poetry Finalists

Any Bright Horse by Lisa Pasold

Li'l Bastard by David McGimpsey

The New Measures by A.F. Moritz

Sailing to Babylon by James Pollock

Drama Finalists

Brothel #9 by Anusree Roy

Drama: Pilot Episode by Karen Hines

Lost: A Memoir by Cathy Ostlere and Dennis Garnhum

The Romeo Initiative by Trina Davies

Relit Winners Announced

Earlier this week the Relit Awards were presented at the Ottawa International Writers Festival. These awards celebrate the best in Canadian independent publishing. They are given in three categories: novel, short fiction and poetry.

This year's winners were:

Novel: Monoceros by Suzette Mayr
• eBook

Short Fiction Collection: Pretty by Greg Kearney

Poetry Collection: Jumping in the Asylum by Patrick Friesen

This year's other finalists were:

Novels:

Break Me by Tom Reynolds

Dirty Feet by Edem Awumey
• eBook

Easy to Like by Edward Riche
• eBook
• Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

Flowers of Spit by Catherine Mavrikakis

Prick: Confessions of a Tattoo Artist by Ashley Little

Short Fiction

Distillery Songs by Mike Spry

Easy Living by Jesus Hardwell

The Odious Child by Carolyn Black

Shag Carpet Action by Matthew Firth

Stopping for Strangers by Daniel Griffin

Poetry

The Ditch was Lit Like This by Sean Johnston

Grunt of the Minotaur by Robin Richardson

Post-Apothecary by Sandra Ridley

Straight Razor Days by Joel Thomas Hynes

Woods Wolf Girl by Cornelia Hoogland

Andrew Borkowski wins Toronto Book Award

Last night the Toronto Book Award was presented to Andrew Borkowski for Copernicus Avenue, a collection of linked short stories. The book is set in the fictional Copernicus Avenue neighbourhood, and explores the lives of its residents, predominantly Polish immigrants in the years following World War II.

Read more about Copernicus Avenue:

• Toronto Book Awards website
• Joseph's review

The Toronto Book Award was founded in 1974 to celebrate books that are evocative of the city.

This year's other finalists were:

Paramita, Little Black by Suzanne Robertson
The complexity of modern life is explored in this poetry collection.

• More about the book and author
• Read Diana's review

Six Metres of Pavement by Farzana Doctor
Three Torontonians are drawn together by their loneliness in this novel of second chances.

• More about the book and author
• Read Soheli's review

Writing Gordon Lightfoot: the Man, the Music and the World in 1972 by Dave Bidini
An inspiring look at Gordon Lightfoot at the height of his career, and at the political and social changes that were changing Canada in 1972.

• More about the book and author
• Read C's review

Writing the Revolution by Michele Landsberg
Journalist Landsberg's collection of her favourite and most relevant columns from her tenure at the Toronto Star.

• More about the book and author
• Read Beatriz's review

Toronto Book Awards Ceremony

The Toronto Book Awards ceremony will take place on October 11 at the Bluma & Bram Appel Salon at Toronto Reference Library, hosted by Matt Galloway. The event begins at 7 pm and everyone is invited to attend.  The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of this year's Toronto Book Award.

Over the past several weeks Book Buzz bloggers have reviewed each of the nominated titles.

Copernicus Avenue by Andrew J. Borkowski
A collection of linked short stories set in a mainly Polish area of Toronto.

• More about the book and author
• Read Joseph's review

Paramita, Little Black by Suzanne Robertson
The complexity of modern life is explored in this poetry collection.

• More about the book and author
• Read Diana's review

Six Metres of Pavement by Farzana Doctor
Three Torontonians are drawn together by their loneliness in this novel of second chances.

• More about the book and author
• Read Soheli's review

Writing Gordon Lightfoot: the Man, the Music and the World in 1972 by Dave Bidini
An inspiring look at Gordon Lightfoot at the height of his career, and at the political and social changes that were changing Canada in 1972.

• More about the book and author
• Read C's review

Writing the Revolution by Michele Landsberg
Journalist Landsberg's collection of her favourite and most relevant columns from her tenure at the Toronto Star.

• More about the book and author
• Read Beatriz's review

Governor General's Awards: Nominees for Adult English Categories

The finalists for the 2012 Governor General's Literary Awards were announced on October 2. The awards are presented for adult and children's literature and both French and English categories are included. This is the list of adult English finalists. The complete list of nominees can be found on the Canada Council for the Arts website.

Fiction

Dr. Brinkley's Tower by Robert Hough

The Headmaster's Wager by Vincent Lam

The Juliet Stories by Carrie Snyder

The Purchase by Linda Spalding

Siege 13 by Tamas Dobozy

Non-Fiction

Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis

Leonardo and the Last Supper by Ross King

The Pursuit of Perfection: a Life of Celia Franca by Carol Bishop-Gwyn

A Thousand Farewells: a Reporter's Journey from Refugee Camp to Arab Spring by Nahlah Ayed

What We Talk About When We Talk About War by Noah Richler

Poetry

Any Bright Horse by Lisa Pasold

Li'l Bastard by David McGimpsey

Monkey Ranch by Julie Bruck

The New Measures by A.F. Moritz

Sailing to Babylon by James Pollock

Drama

Brothel #9 by Anusree Roy

Drama: Pilot Episode by Karen Hines

It is Solved by Walking by Catherine Banks

Lost: A Memoir by Cathy Ostlere and Dennis Garnhum

The Romeo Initiative by Trina Davies

The winners will be announced on November 13.

Toronto Book Award Nominee - The ordinary is extraordinary with Suzanne Robertson’s Paramita, Little Black

The winner of Toronto Book Awards will be announced on October 11, 2012. Paramitia, Little Black by Suzanne Robertson is one of the five finalists.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a collection of poetry – especially by one poet.
I usually only read one poem and would ruminate on its form, style, and theme and come away with a definite feeling. But with Paramitia, Little Black by Suzanne Robertson, a collection of fifteen different poems, I am taken into various states of consciousness to feel the different threads of connection within each poem. In To the Point, I’m in the here and now, but the simple word ‘to’ at the beginning of each sentence flies me dizzyingly back and forth between nature (lake, trees, wind, sky, rock), to human (man, woman, boy), to animal (tigers growling, dogs jonesin’, geese walking).

I am used to poetry with a definite rhythm and rhyming scheme, so it took me awhile to be comfortable with Robertson’s unique style.  She ranges from a traditional poetic form in Sibling of the Air to prose poetry like Fear of Death Confounds Me and The Move. I find that I can miss Robertson’s way with words and must re-read her poems a few times and stop to contemplate the images conveyed as in “the way longing hangs like a woman’s stocking” or “Children slept side by side in the hallway like vibrations of light” (p. 12) or “The dishwasher having a fit in the corner” (p. 21). Robertson seems to take ordinary and simple observances and make them extraordinary and meaningful. In Little Black, the longest of the poems, there is the strong connecting thread with nature personified as it begins with “The light on the river appears to be in the act of remembering something important … and the water repeats it back to us” (p. 51). The inanimate is animated in “every room in the house has a pulse” (p. 58).

Despite therefore, finding some of Robertson’s poems confusing, on the whole I did enjoy reading Robertson’s collection of modern poetry.

Relit Awards Shortlist

Earlier this week the 12th annual Relit Awards shortlist was revealed. These awards, founded in 2000 by Kenneth J. Harvey as an alternative to mainstream awards, celebrate independent publishing in Canada. Awards are presented to novels, short story and poetry collections.

Novels:

Break Me by Tom Reynolds

Dirty Feet by Edem Awumey
• eBook

Easy to Like by Edward Riche
• eBook
• Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

Flowers of Spit by Catherine Mavrikakis

Monoceros by Suzette Mayr
• eBook

Prick: Confessions of a Tattoo Artist by Ashley Little

Short Fiction

Distillery Songs by Mike Spry

Easy Living by Jesus Hardwell

The Odious Child by Carolyn Black

Pretty by Greg Kearney

Shag Carpet Action by Matthew Firth

Stopping for Strangers by Daniel Griffin

Poetry

The Ditch was Lit Like This by Sean Johnston

Grunt of the Minotaur by Robin Richardson

Jumping in the Asylum by Patrick Friesen

Post-Apothecary by Sandra Ridley

Straight Razor Days by Joel Thomas Hynes

Woods Wolf Girl by Cornelia Hoogland

The winners will be announced on October 20.