Hello, friends! Last week, I attended the fanciest party of my life: the Governor General's Literary Awards gala at Rideau Hall. (Non-Canadians: Rideau Hall is the residence of the Governor General, the Queen of England's representative in Canada.) Here's what it looks like in daylight: We arrived after dark. Because the hall is under renovation, I was directed around the side of the … [Read more...]
And the winner is…
Warmest congratulations to Martine Leavitt on winning the 2016 Governor General's Award for Young People's Literature (Text category) for her astounding novel, Calvin! Here's our jury citation: In Martine Leavitt’s Calvin, a boy newly diagnosed with schizophrenia makes a pilgrimage across a frozen Lake Erie. Told in spare, beautiful prose, this transcendent exploration of reality and truth … [Read more...]
Long road to a short list
Hello, friends. Since February, I've been bursting with a secret: I am a juror for the 2016 Governor General's Award for Young People's Literature (Text category)!!!!!!!! (I will stop there, although there aren't enough exclamation points in Canada for how I feel about this.) You guys, it's been so difficult keeping this quiet. I'm used to talking about what I'm reading and why I'm reading it, any … [Read more...]