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| June 2008 |
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| Add us to your address book! |
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(click to download) |
Like the fashion industry, the publishing business works months ahead to prepare for its next season.
Be sure to download our new Fall 08 catalogues to catch a peek at what's coming.
With House of Anansi Press and Groundwood Books, you're always in style! |
(click to download) |
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| ANANSI NEWS: |
Enjoy this round-up of awards and new releases.
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AWARDS:
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Authors Gil Adamson (The Outlander) and Dennis Lee (Yesno) are among the six English-language finalists for the Trillium Book Award/Prix Trillium, Ontario's prestigious literary prize! Award recipients receive $20,000, and winners will be announced June 12, 2008.
Both books have enjoyed a year of accolades. The Outlander won the Drummer General's Award and was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and is being published right now in the U.S to great reviews! Yesno was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for Poetry.
Congratulations, Gil and Dennis! We're rooting for you!
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Order
The Outlander
and Yesno
and receive
20% off
plus
free shipping
in Canada!
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"The Outlander is a riveting tale of a woman's thirst for freedom."
-- Entertainment Weekly
"Yesno is wild, brave, urgent poetry, not quite like anything else being written. . . . a singular, memorable and necessary book."
-- Globe and Mail
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NEW RELEASES:
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The 2008 Griffin Poetry Prize Anthology
George Bowering (Editor)
The best books of poetry published in English internationally and in Canada are honoured each year with the Griffin Poetry Prize. The 2008 anthology includes poems by nominees Robin Blaser; Robert Majzels and Erin Moure, translated from the French, written by Nicole Brossard; David McFadden; John Ashbery; Elaine Equi; César Vallejo; and David Harsent.
Royalties from the sales of the anthologies are donated to UNESCO's World Poetry Day, created to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard in their communities.
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To celebrate the nominees for this year's Griffin Poetry Prize, we'll post selections from The 2008 Griffin Poetry Prize Anthology throughout June!
Griffin Shortlist Readings - SOLD OUT
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 - 7:30 p.m.
MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building
University of Toronto
80 Queen's Park, Toronto
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NEW IN PAPERBACK:
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Out of Orbit by Chris Jones
In February 2003, American astronauts Donald Pettit and Kenneth Bowersox and Russian flight engineer Nikolai Budarin were on a routine fourteen-week mission maintaining the International Space Station. But when the space shuttle Columbia exploded far beneath them, these astronauts had suddenly lost their ride back to earth.
Out of Orbit vividly captures the dangerous realities of space travel, and offers a moving portrait of people who risk their lives in zero gravity. Written with immediacy and an attention to detail, this book rivals the finest contemporary adventure-driven narrative nonfiction.
". . . strikes a perfect balance between the ordinary business of living in space and the high adventure that occurs when things go wrong . . . . Chris Jones will have you on the edge of your seat. This is a story with chills and thrills along the way . . . "
-- Globe and Mail
See our Father's Day Special for 20% off this title.
Or, for a chance to win a copy of Out of Orbit, enter our June contest!
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Dear Gabriel by Halfdan W. Freihow
Dear Gabriel is a deeply moving and elegantly written confessional in the form of a letter from a father to his young autistic son. With great love, pride, and profound wonder, Freihow describes a complex, loving relationship with young Gabriel that is sometimes fraught with misunderstanding, but always bolstered by unconditional love. His sensitive depiction of the haunting rural landscape in which the family lives serves as a powerful backdrop to the intimate prose of his letter and rich sense of childhood magic.
". . . [Freihow] writes movingly of his family's day-to-day experiences . . . will prove particularly valuable for families touched by autism, but anyone interested in an intimate, finely crafted family memoir will find this hard to put down."
-- Publishers Weekly
See our Father's Day Special for 20% off this title.
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NEWS ON AN UPCOMING TITLE:
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FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL!
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| June 15th is Father's Day. Get 20% off, free shipping in Canada, and free gift wrapping on the following titles by these big daddies! |
McMafia by Misha Glenny -- NATIONAL BESTSELLER!
". . .immensely informative and more than slightly scary book. . . . Glenny tells the dispiriting story. . . [and] locates both the problem and its solution. . ."
-- Washington Post |
Returning to Earth by Jim Harrison
"As with all exceptional writers, anything Harrison puts to paper is instantly literature."
-- Globe and Mail |
Out of Orbit by Chris Jones
". . . a fast-paced suspense story . . . a nail-biter right to the end."
-- Ottawa Citizen |
Dear Gabriel by Halfdan W. Freihow
"Freihow is father, observer, problem-solver, consoler. His book is an act not just of love, but of memory, of witness, of grief. . . . Gabriel, finally, is someone you may well wish to meet in the pages of his father's lovely book. And once met, you are unlikely to forget him."
-- Martin Levin, Globe and Mail |
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MORE GOOD NEWS!
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For the month of June, buy The Withdrawal Method by Pasha Malla and receive this button free!
Check out all the great reviews of The Withdrawal Method.
Plus, what our Anansi Review Crew has to say.
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REVIEWS:
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McMafia by Misha Glenny NATIONAL BESTSELLER!
". . . immensely informative and more than slightly scary . . . Glenny tells the dispiriting story. . . [and] locates both the problem and its solution. . ."
-- Washington Post
The Outlander by Gil Adamson
"Gil Adamson's first novel bolts off the opening page . . . An absorbing adventure from a Canadian poet and short story writer who knows how to keep us enthralled . . . . The Girl Being Chased is one of the most enduring figures of chivalric and chauvinistic literature . . . a strikingly pensive novel, anchored by the stark beauty of its setting and the harsh wisdom of its narrator. . . . Adamson is as captivating with descriptions of vast mountain ranges as she is with the smaller calamities . . . her story will unsettle your dreams just the same."
-- Washington Post
"The Outlander deserves to be read twice, first for the plot and the complex characters, which make this a page-turner of the highest order, and then a second time, slowly, to savor the marvel of Gil Adamson's writing. This novel is a true wonder."
-- Seattle Times
The Withdrawal Method by Pasha Malla
". . . Pasha Malla's intriguing first short-fiction collection . . . reveal[s] his tenacious skill. . . . The stories include an astonishing range of ideas about love, relationships, family, and culture, to name just a few themes. What is most alluring about Malla's writing is his unfailing ability to grasp the fallibility of his characters as they try to do the right thing, fail, and then go on. Sophisticated and unpretentious. . . Like David Foster Wallace and Rick Moody, Malla often asks painful questions, revealing equally painful truths. . . . Each story of The Withdrawal Method has been carefully layered to affect the reader in a similarly subtle and profound way, making a lasting impression with its integrity and narrative skill."
-- Quill & Quire
"Pasha Malla's remarkable debut collection The Withdrawal Method is a sign (or warning) of things to come."
-- The Coast
"Malla's style is sharp and funny . . . Malla manages to make us chuckle at the absurdity of life. . . . The collection is amusing and affecting, an accomplished first book by a writer to watch."
-- NOW Magazine
Revolver by Kevin Connolly
"Kevin Connolly is definitely not one of the pack. Revolver, his freewheeling fourth collection, is the versatile poet's follow up to drift. . . The forty-five poems cycle through a mix of diction and tone, from nonsense verse to restrained elegy. . . . Connolly's work is full of sly jokes, puns and wordplay . . . the entire collection is an entertaining game of words, starting with the table of contents."
-- Toronto Star (Metro)
The Sentinel by A.F. Moritz
". . . praise is justified. . . . Moritz's sensibility is unique: melancholic, intellectual, comic, erotic, pitying. . . . Moritz is a difficult, often obscure poet, whose works can defy paraphrase. With images culled from dreams, he constructs allegories of love and oppression that communicate by strange association and mysterious overtones and vague or mysterious words. . . . The emotional content of Moritz's work is so abundant and accessible that the reader is never lost. The Sentinel is a good place to become acquainted with Moritz's work. . . .a masterpiece. . . Moritz's free verse takes on a classical quality. . . The Sentinel is an exploration of the possibilities of hope. . . [Moritz is a] rare poet. . ."
-- National Post
My Life as a Dame by Christina McCall, edited by Stephen Clarkson
"My Life As A Dame (Anansi) . . . speak[s] to the place of women in society, skewering their weaknesses (turning on each other) and celebrating their strengths, one of which was to persevere in a world of sexist stereotypes."
-- Winnipeg Free Press
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AUTHOR EVENTS:
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Elyse Friedman and Pasha Malla
Luminato
Festival of the Short Story
Saturday, June 7 - 2:00 p.m.
Toronto Reference Library
789 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON
Bill Gaston
The Order of Good Cheer
Book launch with Dede Crane, Steve Galloway, Lorna Jackson, and Patricia Young
Sunday, June 8 - 7:00 p.m.
The Fernwood Inn
1302 Gladstone Ave., Victoria, BC
Free
Reading
Tuesday, June 17 - 7:30 p.m.
Vancouver Public Library
Alma VanDusen & Peter Kaye Rooms
Lower Level, Central Library
350 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC
Free
Rawi Hage, Elyse Friedman, Ian Wallace, Alan Cumyn, and Cary Fagan
Book Expo Canada
Sunday, June 15 - Monday, June 16
Metro Convention Centre
255 Front St. West
Toronto, ON
Members $35, Non-members $55
Mariko Tamaki (Skim) and Shani Mootoo (author of upcoming novel, Valmiki's Daughter) Proud Voices, Pride Toronto's Reading Stage
Saturday June 28th - 2:00p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
James Canning Park
Toronto, ON
Visit http://www.pridetoronto.com/
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| THIS MONTH'S AUTHOR Q&A: Elyse Friedman |
Anansi: Long Story Short opens with the novella, "A Bright Tragic Thing," a story about a retired child actor who hitches on to the youth of a prankster fan. Where did the character of Murray Mortenson (Billy "AWOL" Jones on Mother Knows
Better) come from?
Elyse Friedman: Murray Mortenson was inspired by all the sad, former child-stars who peaked young and then spent the
rest of their lives trying to recapture the adrenalin and happiness of their premature glory days.
A: Your writing takes many forms: poetry, short stories, novels, and screenplays. What does the short story accomplish for you?
EF: The short story offers a tremendous amount of freedom to experiment. With a novel you have to live with the premise, characters, and themes for a long, long time, so you absolutely have to choose THE RIGHT IDEA before you begin. Screenplays also require at least a three-month chunk of your life, and are quite rigid in structure. Short stories are liberating because they don't take all that long to write, so you can play around with ideas and narrative technique. Poems are similarly freeing.
A: In "Wonderful," you revisit the classic film It's a Wonderful Life. How much does pop culture influence your writing?
EF: Because I am a hungry consumer of pop culture in all its forms -- movies, television, books, Internet, video games, magazines, etc. -- and because all of my work is set in the present day, it does tend to influence my writing a lot. "The Soother" was inspired by a segment about adult babies that I saw on Sex TV. "Wonderful" is, of course, a snide spin on It's a Wonderful Life. I got the idea for "The Virtual Tour" after surfing for real estate on the MLS website.
A: You read "Truth" at Anansi's 40th anniversary bash. The story is about an honest-as-it-gets account of a first date between two people who tell it like it is. I remember watching A. L. Kennedy (Day) laugh while she sat off to the side of the stage. You'll be reading again, June 6, at Luminato with Pasha Malla (The Withdrawal Method.) Do you like the experience of reading alongside your peers?
EF: Yes. Although it makes me nervous to read in public, it was a great treat to read with A. L. Kennedy. (I hope she was laughing with me and not at me.) There are two wonderful things about sharing the stage with others. One: you have a chance to discover new writing/writers. Two: more audience. As someone who once read to three people in a bookstore, I can vouch that this is a very good thing.
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THE ANANSI REVIEW CREW:
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The Withdrawal Method is this month's review title for the Anansi Review Crew. The votes are in! Read what our Cruellers have to say.
". . . The Withdrawal Method is a tragically poignant collection of stories, and is a must-read for anyone interested in seeing where Canadian literature is heading in the 21st century."
--Ryan Harron
"As a forty-something woman, it is clear to me that Pasha Malla is a young man writing for his peers. What maintains a timeless flavour, however, are his boy-meets-girl scenarios, which at any age, it would seem, remains a conundrum."
--Marjolaine Hébert
"This isn't another one-note collection; it's a symphony, a panoply of instruments and unmistakably human voices, voices in anguish and awe and ecstasy . . ."
--Matthew J. Trafford
>>read the full reviews by our Cruellers here
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JUNE'S ANANSI READER:
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GET PUBLISHED BY ANANSI:
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Try your hand at our Photo Fiction contest! 50 - 100 words.
Last month, we gave you a photo and asked you to write a piece of microfiction, 50 - 100 words, in response.
Congratulations to Anansi reader Dani Couture who had this to say about last month's photo.
Here's next month's picture! Send your stories by email to Julie Wilson at julie@anansi.ca.
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BOOKSTORE OF THE MONTH FOR JUNE: |
Mad Hatter Bookstore
213 Saint George Street
Annapolis Royal NS B0S 1A0
(902) 532-2070
1-800-565-2070
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Not Just for Kids:
We're not ashamed to say that we love Young Adult books! They're not just for kids anymore! These are some of our
faves from Groundwood Books.
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks
The Spell Book of Listen Taylor by Jaclyn Moriarty
Girl from Mars by Tamara Bach
The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin, illustrated by Rosana Faría
Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
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| GROUNDWOOD NEWS: |
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It's 30 years for Groundwood Books!
Here's a snippet from the 1978 announcement of Patsy Aldana's then new enterprise.
Click on the graphic to read the entire clipping.
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As Groundwood celebrates 30 years in the trenches of children's publishing, Patsy is still as committed and fiery as when she started Groundwood.
As reported by the Toronto Star, the Toronto District School Board recently removed Barbara Coloroso's Extraordinary Evil:
A Brief History of Genocide from its high school curriculum. The book was being used in a new Grade 11 history course
about genocide and crimes against humanity, and came under review after it was challenged by members of the Canadian
Turkish community.
You'll likely remember a similar incident two years ago when the same school board limited access to Deborah Ellis's Three Wishes, a book about the Israel-Palestine conflict. Groundwood publisher Patsy Aldana released this passionate open letter to the board, printed in full here. Bravo, Patsy!
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NEW RELEASES:
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The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin, illustrated by Rosana Faría
It is hard for a sighted person to imagine what it is like to be blind. Universally praised for its unique and innovative
approach, The Black Book of Colors endeavours to convey the experience of a person who can only see through his or her sense of touch, taste, smell, or hearing. Raised black line drawings on black paper, which can be deciphered by touch, complement a beautifully written text describing colours through imagery. Braille letters accompany the text so that the sighted reader can begin to imagine what it is like to use Braille to read. A full Braille alphabet at the end of the book can be used to learn more. A special edition of the book with Braille-punched parchment is available for the blind.
". . . simple, sensuous text . . . The objects described with embossed lines that force readers to encounter them tactilely rather than visually. The shock readers feel will give way to wonder as they lose themselves in sightlessness and imagine the richness . . . Fascinating, challenging, and lovely."
-- Kirkus Reviews
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Girl from Mars by Tamara Bach, translated by Shelley Tanaka
Miriam is fifteen and has lived in the same little town her whole life. But now she's in high school and wishing she lived in
a big city where she could meet new people and see new things. Like fifteen-year-olds everywhere, Miriam is desperately
waiting for her life to start happening. Perhaps, love. When Miriam meets a new classmate, Laura, suddenly, life is
complicated and unsettling and Miriam finds herself second-guessing every move she makes. Will everything become
clear? Or will Miriam suddenly find herself living on another p***t?
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| AWARDS: |
| Skim written by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, has been nominated for three 2008 ALA lists!
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
YALSA Great Graphic Novels
YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
Five Groundwood books have been recognized by the 2008 Américas Award as Commended Titles:
Alfredito Flies Home by Jorge Argueta, illustrated by Luis Garay
Old Dog by Teresa Cárdenas, translated by David Unger
Sacred Leaf by Deborah Ellis
A Small Nativity by Aquiles Nazoa, illustrated by Ana Palmero Cáceres
Tricycle by Elisa Amado, illustrated by Alfonso Ruano
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| REVIEWS: |
Skim written by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
"Jillian Tamaki's illustrations perfectly match the rough edges and continuous movement of Skim's teenage characters and reveal humour in the agonizing minutiae of high school life. . . . Mariko Tamaki's text blends teen-speak with eloquence and wry one-liners . . . blending colloquialisms and sharp observations into something profound. . . ."
-- Toronto Star
". . .[Skim] manages to avoid the usual clichés . . . The b/w cirt is fluid and curvy and looks like it came straight out of a sketchbook. The little details are wonderful . . . Highly recommended for high school graphic novel collections, especially those catering to girls."
-- Kliatt
Tuk and the Whale by Raquel Rivera, illustrated by Mary Jane Gerber
"Through the eyes and voice of Tuk, a young Inuit boy, readers see, hear, and feel the excitement and apprehension that the lost whalers' arrival engenders . . . [a] simple, elegant, eloquent tale . . . Mary Jane Gerber's delightful pen-and-ink drawings capture moments large and small."
-- Globe and Mail
"Tuk and the Whale is a story that provides a glimpse into what life was like for the Inuit people very early on in the whaling industry. . . . [Raquel Rivera does] an exceptional job of seamlessly weaving details of her research . . . Young readers will enjoy reading this book, and it would make an excellent introduction to a unit on the whaling industry and the Inuit culture."
-- wellreadchild.blogspot.com
On the Road Again! by Marie-Louise Gay and David Homel
"Each short chapter is a charming snapshot of the everyday life and characters in rural France. . . . While a comic thread runs through the novel, many facts about culture and geography are peppered profusely in the narrative that both parents and young readers will find amusing and edifying. On the Road Again! is a delightful follow up to Travels with My Family (2006) by the husband-and-wife team of Marie Louise-Gay and David Homel. . . . The collboration features black and white illustrations in Gay's inimitable style. Move over Peter Mayle. This is A Year in Provence for the junior armchair traveller."
-- CM Magazine
Brave Deeds by Ann Alma
"A vibrant, mischievous face beams out of Ann Alma's Brave Deeds . . . What comes through in Alma's story is that under the circumstances, domesticity itself was a victory. . . . Alma brings this heroic domesticity to life in a way that's both informative and engaging."
-- Toronto Star
Yellow Moon, Apple Moon by Pamela Porter, illustrated by Matt James
"James's acrylic and ink illustrations have the energy and swirl of a child's imagination, yet his combination of lively colors are somehow soothing. . . . Porter carries listeners gently on a stream of melody . . . Yellow Moon, Apple Moon affirms, empowers, and assures while singing youngsters into a charmed world called sleep."
-- School Library Journal
"This beautifully illustrated bedtime book is destined to become a classic. With dreamy illustrations and rhyming text by award-winning author Pamela Porter, this is a perfect gift for a new baby."
-- Vaughan Today (Toronto)
Dear Sylvia by Alan Cumyn
"Cumyn . . . delivers enough Skye family drama . . . and love-is-a-many-splendoured-thing moments to more than satisfy."
-- Globe and MaiL
Alfredito Flies Home by Jorge Argueta, illustrations by Luis Garay
". . . formal, realistic acrylic paintings."
-- School Library Journal
The Betrayal of Africa by Gerald Caplan
". . . a small book for such a large continent with such huges issues, but this is no superficial primer for neophyte travellers and liberal do-gooders. . . . Caplan and his publishers have produced a book that is popularly written in style, designed with tables and maps that illustrate superbly the basic context that history does count . . . The Betrayal of Africa nicely explodes stereotypes that are still used today to justify economic and political exploitation . . ."
-- Hugh McCullum, AfricaFiles
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| AUTHOR EVENTS: |
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Recognize this Groundwood author?
It's Mariko Tamaki, author of Skim, in the latest issue of Broken Pencil!
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| If you're in the U.S. look out for Mariko and Jillian at one of these comic conventions! |
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Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) Art Fest
Sat., June 7 -- Sun., June 8
Puck Building
295 Lafayette St.
New York, NY
Info: (212) 254-3511
Alternative Press Expo (APE)
Sat., Nov 1 -- Sun., Nov. 2
The Concourse
620 -- 7th St.
San Francisco, CA
Info: (619) 491-2475
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Special in June,
buy Skim
and
get this
full set of
custom-designed buttons!
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Book Expo Canada
Selected Groundwood authors
Sunday, June 15 -- Monday, June 16
Metro Convention Centre
255 Front St. West, Toronto, ON
Members $35, Non-members $55
This is Groundwood Books' 30th anniversary. If you're attending Book Expo Canada this year, please stop by for a hi-tech digital retrospective in the comfort of our cozy booth. There will be cupcakes!
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| AUTHOR Q & A: Pamela Porter
Groundwood: You write both novels and poetry. Yellow Moon, Apple Moon is a delightful lullaby rhyme in which a young girl says goodbye and goodnight to all the things around her. What are the challenges (and pleasures) of writing something in this form versus a longer narrative?
Pamela Porter: Well, in poetry you haven't got very many words to work with, so it's essential that you have no wasted words. Every word must convey meaning. As well, in a good-night rhyme such as Yellow Moon, Apple Moon, the words themselves need to carry the soft, sleepy, musical mood. And so I chose words with quiet sounds, in which the weight falls on the vowel sounds -- yellow moon -- and sleepy s sounds -- see you soon -- so that the going-to-sleep quality of the poem is carried by the words themselves. It's very satisfying when you can coax a few words into saying so much.
>>read the entire interview here
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Guess who's blogging? It's Jaclyn Moriarty, author of The Spell Book of Listen Taylor! Read her thoughts on motherhood and her young son, Charlie!
http://jaclynmoriarty.blogspot.com/
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LAUNCH EVENTS:
Here are some pics from recent book launches. Thank you to all who came out to celebrate! |
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Mr. Karp's Last Glass
by Cary Fagan |
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MORE FROM ANANSI.ca and GROUNDWOODBOOKS.com
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Print Catalogues
Download a PDF file of our Fall 2008 catalogue:
ANANSI
Low Res (3 MB)
GROUNDWOOD
Low Res (4 MB) |
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More Free Shipping
Combine titles from ANANSI.ca and GROUNDWOODBOOKS.com in a single order and get free shipping in Canada for orders over $35.00. |
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"Refer A Friend"/ $5 Book Credit Program
Earn $5.00 off any regularly priced book on ANANSI.ca or on our sister site GROUNDWOODBOOKS.com simply by referring a friend, family member, or colleague, who, in turn, subscribes to the Anansi or Meadow Mouse News. Click on "Refer a friend now!" to get started.
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House of Anansi Press
110 Spadina Ave., Suite 801
Toronto, ON, Canada M5V 2K4
tel: 416.363.4343
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