2024 Leacock Medal Gala Weekend

Writing life: 61

I have written before in this space about how important the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour is to me and my writing life. I won’t review that ground I’ve already covered, but for those of you who may not know the story, you’re welcome to read these early posts about winning the Leacock Medal in 2008, and miraculously winning a second time in 2015. I will always feel blessed that my first five novels were Leacock Medal finalists, and I somehow won twice.

In my mind, the Leacock Medal not only changed my life as a writer, it gave me my life as a writer. Since winning in 2008, I have never missed a Leacock Gala Weekend, whether or not I’ve had a book in the field. The Leacock Associates who administer the Leacock Medal and tirelessly kindle the Leacock flame in this country, have become part of my family in a way. As I’ve said more than once, all roads in my writing life run through Orillia, Ontario, the home of Stephen Leacock and the medal for humour named in his honour.

Okay, enough context. A couple of weeks ago my wife, Nancy Naylor, and I attended the 77th Leacock Medal Gala Weekend in, you guessed it, Orillia.

The 2024 Leacock Medal finalists

There were 74 entries for the 2024 Leacock Medal for Humour. A long list of ten was announced on May 3. Then on May 21, we got a look at the finalists when the Leacock Medal shortlist of three was unveiled. Ali Bryan is a good friend and was a finalist back in 2019 for her fine and funny novel, The Figgs. I presented her shortlisted novel at the gala back then. And here she was back with her latest novel, Coq. Patrick deWitt won the Leacock Medal back in 2012 for The Sisters Brothers, and was up this year for The Librarianist. This was Deborah Willis’s first visit to the Leacock shortlist and gala weekend with the acclaimed Girlfriend on Mars. And all three authors came for the big event and it was fun hanging out with them over the course of the weekend.

Friday night

For several years now, I have served as the MC for the Meet the Authors Night, and I reprised my role for this year’s event on the Friday night. It’s also the evening we celebrate the winners of the high school humour writing competition.

Kicking off the Meet the Author’s Night.

One of the highlights of the Friday night event is the audience Q&A with all of the writers in attendance who have won the Medal or been long listed or shortlisted.

Nine writers on stage for the audience Q&A session.

Saturday gala

We all dressed up on Saturday night for the gala dinner and the announcement of the 2024 Leacock Medal for Humour winner. During a break in the dinner action, my friend Trevor Cole winner of the 2011 Leacock Medal, and acting as the Mayor of Leacock’s fictitious town of Mariposa, gave his annual state of the town address. As usual, it was hilarious.

(Left to right) Two-time long lister Rod Carley, Mayor of Mariposa and 2011 Leacock winner Trevor Cole, and Mary Cole.

Over the course of the evening, each of the three shortlisted books was presented to the audience in turn. I presented Patrick deWitt’s The Librarianist. My pal Rod Carley, a two-time Leacock long lister introduced Deborah Willis’s Girlfriend on Mars. And 1993 Leacock winner John Levesque deftly spoke about Ali Bryan’s Coq. Finally, as dessert was served, the big moment came and the winner was announced.

(Top left) Yours truly with last year’s winner, Wayne Johnston. (Top right) Two-time long lister Rod Carley, Steve Patterson, host of CBC-Radio’s The Debaters, et moi. (Bottom) Here I am presenting Patrick deWitt’s novel, The Librarianist.

The 2024 Leacock Medal winner

Patrick deWitt joined the two-timers club with his second Leacock Medal win for The Librarianist. Congrats to Patrick on adding a second medal to his collection and on the $25,000 prize.

2024 Leacock Medal for Humour winner, Patrick deWitt alongside Leacock Associates President Daphne Mainprize.

After the dinner, most of the writers in attendance gathered back at our hotel, where we enjoyed some wine, a bottle of Writers’ Tears, and great conversation.

The post-gala gathering at our hotel. If you look closely, that bottle of Writers’ Tears at the far end of the table is nearly empty. Great to spend time with the finalists and other writers. (Thanks to Nancy for taking this shot.)

As it always is, it was a fantastic weekend that made me feel proud to be a writer and a reader. I’m already looking forward to the 2025 Leacock Medal Gala Weekend.

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Quick update on The Marionette

Just to keep you up to speed on my progress on The Marionette, I actually typed the words “The End” last week and have now finished the draft manuscript for my tenth novel. Currently, it’s a little shorter than my others coming in at around 75,000 words. But I’m about to start back at the beginning to edit, polish, add and subtract. Typically this results in more adding than subtracting, so it’ll likely be somewhere closer to 80,000 words in the end.

The bottom of the final page of The Marionette.

Then, I’ll go through it a few mores time, refining, polishing some more, making fewer and fewer changes with each pass. Then, in August sometime, I’ll send it off to my editor at McClelland & Stewart. Then the real editing starts. So, as for timing and meeting my deadlines, happily, I’m on track.

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Wrapping up…

Thanks for taking a gander at this. Here’s hoping you’ll subscribe if you haven’t already. As I’ve often said, it’s free and easy. I’ll be back in two weeks…