Canada Reads 2011

My Unorthodox Journey to the Published Land: 8

Canada Reads, CBC Radio’s annual book competition—not unlike a literary version of Survivor—is a big deal in this country. It draws an enormous audience and considerable media interest. And for the winning author, the “Canada Reads effect” has a profound impact on sales. Canada Reads sells more books in this country than anything else, except for the Giller Prize. We’ll come back to that.

I’d been a follower of Canada Reads for most of its existence so you can imagine how exciting it was to learn that my debut novel, The Best Laid Plans was among the top 40 books in the running for the tenth anniversary edition of CBC’s Canada Reads. Canadians then voted for their favourites to establish the ten contenders. Finally, the five celebrity defenders then chose the book they would each champion, and that yielded the five Canada Reads finalists. As good fortune would have it, when the dust settled, The Best Laid Plans emerged as one of the five finalists.

The top 40, the top 10, and the 5 finalists in Canada Reads 2011.

A little behind the curtain insight, I was actually informed that The Best Laid Plans was one of the five finalists about three weeks before the official Canada Reads launch and was sworn to secrecy. It was tough to walk around and do my regular day job without divulging to anyone beyond my wife, Nancy, that my novel was a Canada Reads finalist. Sure, people may have wondered about the silly grin permanently plastered on my mug or the impromptu cartwheels I sometimes executed on the street, but my lips were sealed.

Finally, in mid-December, the big day arrived and I headed down to the CBC Broadcast Centre for the live announcement of Canada Reads 2011. When I arrived, I still didn’t know who my celebrity defender was, but I was introduced to him shortly thereafter. At the time, he was CNN’s Chief Business Correspondent, but the smart and popular Ali Velshi was also a Canadian. In fact, in a fateful twist, I actually knew Ali from my very first job after university. As covered in an earlier post (What pushed me over the edge to start writing), I worked for Jean Chrétien’s Liberal leadership campaign in 1984 and one of my young volunteers was none other than a skinny, long-haired, 14-year-old Ali Velshi. I had no idea he was the same Ali Velshi who had gone on to fame and glory with CNN. Small world, and getting smaller as we grow older.

The other four finalists were The Birth House by Ami McKay, The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou, Essex County a graphic novel by Jeff Lemire, and Unless, by the amazing Carol Shields. The launch announcement was fun and was carried live on radio and television. I was nervous and excited and I blame that for what I wore to the event. I think I retired that ensemble (if you can call it that) the next day.

Ali Velshi next to me at the Canada Reads launch announcement.

Note, I’ve edited Jian Ghomeshi, the then host of Canada Reads, out of this photo, for reasons that most of you will know.

But after the launch announcement, the authors took a back seat (which I was happy to do) as the celebrity defenders sharpened their elbows and entered the fray in February 2011 in four-day battle broadcast live. I truly believed I’d be voted off the Canada Reads island on the first day, and then on the second day, but it somehow never happened. Ali Velshi was so passionate about the book and so articulate that we just kept cruising along, holding our own as other books fell. On the final day, there was just The Birth House and The Best Laid Plans left, and then somehow my novel was the last book standing. I immediately was put on the air live via telephone as I was watching the decisive debate at home, all alone. In my interview I have a faint memory of saying something like I was curled up in the fetal position breathing into a paper bag. That was an exaggeration, but only a very slight one.

To this day, I have friendships with Angie Abdou and Ami McKay, two of the other finalist authors, and Anne Giardini, the daughter of Carol Shields, all forged through the Canada Reads experience. The day The Best Laid Plans won Canada Reads, I had to drive to Brantford I believe it was to speak to a local book club. I have happy memories of driving by myself along the 403, listening to CBC Radio, and hearing my book discussed on the air. Very surreal.

Here’s the piece that ran on The National the night of my unlikely Canada Reads win.

The Canada Reads effect is a real thing. Before Canada Reads, The Best Laid Plans had sold about 10,000 copies. Because of that little white winner’s badge on the front cover of the novel, it’s now sold about 150,000 copies.

That is the Canada Reads effect and I’ll be forever grateful. If winning the Leacock Medal made me a writer, winning Canada Reads (thank you Ali Velshi!) made me a bestseller. What a blessing.

Next up, a television miniseries? You’re kidding, right?