The headline on this post alone should befuggle google. Befoogle guggle? Whatever.
Over the last few months, I have had the pleasure of reviewing the four first novels that are this year’s selections in Random House Canda’s New Face of Fiction program. As far as I can tell, it started in 1996 and one of the first “first novels” it introduced to the world was Ann-Marie Macdonald’s Fall on Your Knees, one of my most favorite novels of all time and an international success. The record has been consistent ever since (ncluding Self, the first novel from Yann Martel, who won the Booker Prize for Life of Pi) — you can check out a list of the previous selections here.
So here are the two contests:
1. For Canadian residents: your choice of the 2010 New Face of Fiction books, courtesy Random House Canada. All you have to do is comment saying you are Canadian and which book you want.
2. For international visitors: Since one of the objectives of the KfC blog is to introduce Canadian work to the world, we have a second contest for non-Canadian residents, underwritten by KfC — I’ll ship the book to you from Chapters. Just indicate that you are international and your choice of the four. And I know that if you want two, you will get both, but your plea does have to be abject.
Deadline for entries in both contests is midnight GMT, June 24. I’ll post the winners on June 25.
Here are thumbnail reviews of the four books, with links to my reviews:
Deloume Road, by Matthew Hooton. A modern addition to the literature of Vancouver Island — a contemplation of conflicted lives from families living along an isolated road in mid-island. Those who remember Sheila Watson’s The Double Hook may well find some echoes in this accomplished first novel. Check out the review here.
Motorcycles and Sweetgrass, by Drew Hayden Taylor. A very accessible. often playful, entry into the world of First Nations spiritualism. And an equally good introduction into the modern world challenges of the conflict between traditional and current values. Plus, it features a 1953 Indian Chief motorcyle as a central character. Review here.
Ghosted, by Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall. My favorite of the four, but don’t let that sway you. A moving, very dark portrayal of Toronto’s underside, with a fascinating cast of depraved characters. The humor is significant, but very black. For me, a major achievement. Review here.
Doing Dangerously Well, by Carole Enahoro. The review is right below this post so I won’t go into a lot of detail — an interesting exploration of what Nigerian politics does — or might — look like.
All you have to do is indicate whether you are entering the Canadian or international contest and what is your choice(s). Come back June 25 for the results.
June 19, 2010 at 3:09 pm |
[…] Lit-Blog Things: Special Edition If you have not seen it yet, you should head over to “KfC’s NFoF Giveaway“, which decodes as: Kevin from Canada’s New Face of Fiction Giveaway. The reference is […]
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June 19, 2010 at 4:17 pm |
I am international and Ghosted sounds fantastic!!
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June 19, 2010 at 4:19 pm |
Kevin,
I would love to receive a copy of ‘Deloume Road’ which my library doesn’t have. I’m international (USA). thanks for offering!
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June 19, 2010 at 5:23 pm |
I’m international (UK). “Doing Dangerously Well” is the one that intrigues me the most and would love to read. Though they all look good (I’m in the middle of reading “Deloume Road” right now).
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June 19, 2010 at 5:44 pm |
International and Ghosted please!
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June 19, 2010 at 6:11 pm |
I am (proudly) Canadian! I would love to win Doing Dangerously Well. Thank you for hosting this giveaway 🙂
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June 19, 2010 at 6:35 pm |
Wonderful. I’m international and would love Doing Dangerously Well. Thanks for hosting the giveaway.
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June 19, 2010 at 7:39 pm |
Kevin, I remember being intrigued by your review of Deloume Road by Matthew Hooton, so please put my name in the INTERNATIONAL hat for that one. Cheers.
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June 19, 2010 at 9:38 pm |
I am from Toronto therefore Ghosted would be my choice. Thanks, Kevin. This is a very generous contest.
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June 19, 2010 at 10:19 pm |
CANADIAN EH ;P
oooohh ‘Deloume Road’ please
and that was a real tough choice for me as your recent review of “Doing Dangerously Well” was great… I’m a fan of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie so will look to pick up this title also
regards
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June 20, 2010 at 5:09 am |
Canadian. Could I handle Ghosted? That’s my choice. Guaranteed to be shared with at least a dozen other vacationers at the lake. Such a generous contest!
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June 20, 2010 at 8:37 am |
I’m international (Italy) and in the mood for a little dark humor.My choice is Ghosted.
Thanks!
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June 20, 2010 at 10:41 am |
International (Malta) and Ghosted seems interesting, as I lived in Toronto for a couple of months
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June 20, 2010 at 10:41 am |
and thanks 🙂
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June 20, 2010 at 10:55 am |
I am so international… I would love to read Ghosted as this one is your favorite here. I like the title: Motorcycles and Sweetgrass. It makes me want to read it. Thanks.
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June 20, 2010 at 1:39 pm |
Motorcycles and Sweetgrass sounds interesting. I am international (USA). Thanks for sharing your books!
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June 20, 2010 at 1:46 pm |
I’m international and would love to read Deloume Road. Thanks so much for hosting this fantastic giveaway! Cheers!
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June 20, 2010 at 4:46 pm |
I am international (though I don’t feel very international) and would love to read Motorcycles and Sweetgrass. Thanks.
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June 20, 2010 at 5:12 pm |
I’m international and live in the sticks so Delourne Road is my choice – sounds my kind of book. Cheers!
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June 20, 2010 at 7:06 pm |
I’m inernational and would like Doing Dangerously Well. Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
Btw, if I win and you e-mail me, I won’t be able to reply for a few days, probably not till the 27th. Again, thanks.
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June 21, 2010 at 12:54 am |
Thank you for this generous contest, Kevin. And thank you, too, for including the link to the previous selections. A very consistent record, indeed!
My pick is Deloume Road. It certainly sounds interesting.
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June 21, 2010 at 2:24 am |
I am canadian 😀
And i think that Ghosted sounds intresting!
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June 21, 2010 at 3:26 am |
Dual citizen here. Either Ghosted or Motorcycles and Sweetgrass. Both are really intriguing.
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June 21, 2010 at 12:13 pm |
I’m international, and I’ll also go for Ghosted. Nice idea.
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June 21, 2010 at 2:12 pm |
International (I’m from Poland) and I’d like to be so lucky and win Deloume Road.
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June 21, 2010 at 3:12 pm |
Another generous contest! Thank you! As a Canadian who has been thinking about Canadian Aboriginals lately I would love to read Motorcycles and Sweetgrass.
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June 21, 2010 at 5:10 pm |
Thanks for the contest.
I am international but on your continent.
I would like read Deloume Road. I’ve went to Vancouver Island many years ago. Sadly, I couldn’t see it all; it looks smaller on the map!
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June 21, 2010 at 11:18 pm |
Not wanting to be put into any hat, but that cover for Ghosted is lovely.
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June 22, 2010 at 2:04 am |
Stewart: The real version, with the palimsest effect for the kite and string, rather than white, is even better.
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June 22, 2010 at 8:59 am |
Hello Kevin, I am Aussie as you know, and I want them all. This greed, I realise, means that I need to do some significant grovelling.
4 Reasons why I should get 4 (I hope you can envisage me typing this on my knees):
1. You and I had a long and terribly erudite discussion comparing Oz and Canadian literature, me being handicapped that I hadn’t read these 4 wonderful books. Was that fair? Your readers *need* me to have read these 4 books so that we can resume that terribly erudite conversation which was so riveting for them to read, right?
2. You *know* I will blog them, properly, on my ANZ LitLovers blog. Between your blog reviews and mine, and all the ensuing publicity, we could blitz the world from north to south with orders for these books and the authors and publishers would love us both forever.
3. I admit it, I haven’t read enough Canadian lit. Almost nothing recent at all. People might abandon my blog when they realise this and then I would go into a decline. (Well, sulk, actually). This would be a Great Loss to the Blogosphere…
4. It’s not my fault. There’s not enough Canadian lit here for me to find. There needs to be an ANZ LitLovers-inspired Blog-Led revival of interest in Canadian Lit here in the antipodes: we are after all spiritual soulmates sharing an ancient queen and a dubious dynasty and all kinds of idiosyncratic English colonial heritage issues. But our local Oz libraries & bookshops are never going to get these books in for me or anyone else to borrow or buy unless a beaut review on my blog whips them into action because of all the requests they’ll get.
5. Only a hard-hearted brute with not enough books to go round could resist these pitiful entreaties!
Lisa *cheeky grin*
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June 22, 2010 at 9:06 am |
After Lisa’s eloquent beggary it seems superfluous to put my name in..but…
I’m international and I’d like to break my CanLit duck with Ghosted.
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June 22, 2010 at 5:11 pm |
Hi Kevin, very generous contest 🙂
I am international and would love to read “Motorcycles and Sweetgrass”.
Many thanks,
cheers,
Claudia.
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June 22, 2010 at 6:40 pm |
I’m Canadian and I’d choose Deloume Road
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June 22, 2010 at 8:27 pm |
Oh Kevin, just give them all to Lisa, please 😉
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June 23, 2010 at 12:18 pm |
No barracking, Kim! I have been quite shameless enough all by myself *blush*
Besides, you have to take care of the London promotions LOL.
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June 22, 2010 at 8:49 pm |
Withdrawal! I surrender to Lisa.
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June 22, 2010 at 11:30 pm |
Lisa has made an excellent argument that I will have to consider. (For those who have not seen it, here is a link to my essay comparing Canadian and Australian fiction which set off our discussion.)
No withdrawals or surrenders will be considered. I’ll deal with Lisa’s truly abject submission if and/or when her name is drawn.
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June 23, 2010 at 12:16 pm |
I love Canadian fiction, and Motorcycles and and Sweetgrass sounds very interesting. I’m international (Norway). Thanks for this generous offer!
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June 24, 2010 at 8:48 am |
Oh Kevin. You tempter and thanks for a deadline that allowed me to get back from Spain and enter.
I’ve been to Vancouver Island and I do like to read books set in places I have visited so it would be “Deloume Road” for my choice. Mind I’ve also be to Toronto but am not sure that I want to know about the underside ……
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