The Authors Book Club will be closing at the end of April 2024. We sincerely appreciated the opportunity to spotlight Canadian and Indigenous authors and to connect them with readers from across Canada.
We wish everyone all the best.
The Authors Book Club will be closing at the end of April 2024. We sincerely appreciated the opportunity to spotlight Canadian and Indigenous authors and to connect them with readers from across Canada.
We wish everyone all the best.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Pratt, author of Heartbroken: Field Notes of a Constant Condition, published by Penguin Random House.
Laura is a long-time journalist, writer and editor. Her first memoir, The Fleeting Years, was published in 2004. She is a 2020 graduate of the University of King’s College’s creative nonfiction MFA. She won an honourable mention in Prairie Fire’s 2020 CNF contest and was shortlisted for The Fiddlehead’s 2019 CNF contest.
What is one important takeaway you want the reader to get from reading your book?
More than anything, I want readers not to feel alone. If you’ve had your heart broken, and are struggling with it, the most common response from outsiders is impatience and even disdain. Typically, folks don’t have nearly enough sympathy for someone they believe is dragging out their pain beyond a socially acceptable period. Suffer too long, and people will let you know you have overstayed their welcome for their indulgence of your distress. With my story, I hope to lend comfort and understanding to readers who are feeling similarly distressed by not only this critical emotional upset but people’s impatience for their recovery. I want to tell them I see you. I am one of you. I want to tell them they’re human, and that they can do their heartbreak however they need to.
A book cover can attract potential readers. The design is compelling. Even the word “heartbroken” is broken. Is there anything that the cover does not reveal that you want readers to know about?
I am delighted with my book’s cover, which my children tell me is “millennial blue.” I’m thrilled that you highlight the break in the title word, which I think is kind of inspired. I mean, when do you ever see a hyphenated word on a book cover? It is so unusual that it draws the eye. And then, when you understand the subject of the book, you appreciate the design choice that much more. I like the burning rose too, for its symbolism of the destruction of something beautiful, which is of course how I feel about the demise of my romance.
You make several references to music (e.g., Jackson Browne and Leonard Cohen), Greek philosophers, and other social-cultural events throughout history. How did you balance this and the research needed, with your own personal story?
I am a journalist, and it was always my intention to feature a good deal of research in this book. I like the idea of running my own story as a thread through all the universal exposition, using my personal experiences as points of contemplation for the bigger picture. I feel like my memoir serves as an intimate means of getting into considerations of the various aspects of heartbreak that everyone goes through, before stepping back and applying a more clinical eye.
What is your favourite quote from the book? Why does it stand out for you?
That’s a tough one, given the sheer number of folks I quote over the book’s course, but I think I’d have to say the quote that most resonates with me in my heartbroken years is one attributed to Buddha that goes: “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may.” I think there’s a lot of wisdom in that one for folks casting about for salvation. It teaches self-sufficiency and promotes an important home truth.
Why do you enjoy attending book clubs as an author?
Before I was a writer, I was a reader. I’m a reader still and a writer now. The opportunity to marry these passions is thrilling to me. I feel like, by attending book clubs, I can enhance readers’ experience of my story, and help them to see themselves in my experience. While there’s no question that my psyche has been improved by my writing the book, I ultimately wrote it for others, to help them navigate their own passage through this disaster. Speaking to people who have read my book and, hopefully, seen some piece of their own life experience in my words, is a great honour. Also, I find human beings pretty fascinating, and believe that any opportunity to gather and talk about emotions and hard things is a gift.
How can book clubs connect with you?
They can reach me through my email, which is malindi@sympatico.ca. I am hopeful for the chance to gather with folks who love to read and who have spent some time with my book so we might talk about the humanity of heartbreak and how it connects us all.
This post was originally published on the 11th Floor Writers website on February 9, 2016. The bio has been updated.
Dennis Bock has penned many highly acclaimed books, including The Ash Gardens. His novel, Going Home Again, was short-listed for the 2013 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Dennis’s newest novel, The Good German, was released in fall 2020.
Dennis also teaches Creative Writing classes, including “Writing the Literary Novel: Master Class” at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.
When it comes to offering advice to aspiring and emerging writers, Dennis doesn’t pull punches. He’s honest and direct, and often says things that linger in our thoughts long after class has ended. As a token of our thanks to Dennis, we’ve compiled a list of our favourites to share.
“I’m a huge fan of something actually happening. Make your character do something.”
“Always dramatize.”
“Always create scenes.”
“Mention all the people in the room at the outset of a scene.”
“Don’t be obscure –mysterious or cagey is not attractive.”
“Never rely on abstractions.”
“Take the reader out of the story sometimes – don’t keep them stuck in the present.”
“Be wary of putting too many plot threads.” (e.g.,“I’m confused,” said a character in one of our stories.
“So am I,” replied Dennis.)
“Send your character up a tree and have him figure out how to get down. This makes your story much more interesting.”
“Don’t be afraid to take risks with your characters.”
“The narrator’s purpose is to give the reader a sense of what will happen, a sense there is a story, and a sense of urgency.”
“The narrator recounts something when time has passed and can comment and add wisdom on the subject.” (Similarly, when introducing a new character).
“The narrator knows the point of the book and should drop this in early on.”
“Find the narrator’s voice to keep the story focused.”
“Establish that the narrator is dead immediately.” (Only when your narrator is dead, of course!)
“Dialogue should be made up of only how the speaker thinks and talks. No information dumping and no stage direction. ” (i.e. “It’s 4:30,” he said.)
“Don’t use dialogue to advance the story.”
“Avoid non-words like ‘huh’ in dialogue.”
“A reader will like a fighter, not a sufferer.”
“You have to earn the reader’s confidence.”
“Keep on writing.”
As everyone struggles to make sense of the COVID-19 outbreak and how to stay safe, a Toronto-based writing group, The 11th Floor Writers, held its March meeting using Google Hangouts. This allowed its members to still “meet” face-to-face and engage in a productive meeting without leaving home.
Virtual book club meetings with a “visiting” author might be one way for authors and book clubs to connect during these uncertain times. They allow book clubs to invite authors from across Canada. There is an abundance of technology that makes this possible. The key is to figure out which works best for individual book clubs and authors. With the exception of calling the author using a telephone, a virtual author visit requires an Internet connection, audio (speakers and microphones), a webcam, and a projector/computer so that the book club and the author can interact with each other.
Google Hangouts:
To use Google Hangouts, one book club member (the host) needs to sign into a Gmail/Google account and go to Google Hangouts. There, hosts can invite members to be their contacts on Hangouts. They can only invite Gmail email addresses. Once the contacts are added, hosts can start a video chat and invite as many as 25 people to participate.
Tip: Hosts can also create a group of contacts to make inviting online book club members more efficient. While they can do all this through the web browser, they can also download the Google Hangouts app on any device and use the service that way, all of which is free. The drawback is that everyone involved in the chat must have a Google account, including the author.
Other options that most of our authors use include Skype, FaceTime, and conference calling.
Group Video Chat via Skype:
What you will need: The Skype app on a smartphone or computer.
Benefits: Easy for group chats; (up to 50 participants); free.
Cons: Video connection depends on your Internet connectivity (a slow or intermittent connection can lead to frozen screens or glitches).
Learn more: Visit Skype’s website.
Group FaceTime:
What you will need: iPhone, iPad or Mac desktop or laptop.
Benefits: Picture-in-picture allows book clubs and authors to view each other (up to 32 participants); free.
Cons: FaceTime is incompatible with non-Apple devices.
Learn more: Visit Apple’s website.
Conference calls:
What you will need: A phone with a speaker.
Benefits: No need for any other technology/tech set–up.
Cons: Book clubs and authors cannot view each other; long distance fees may apply.
Etiquette for virtual meetings:
Some final tips for book clubs:
Select one person to be the author’s key contact. Prepare for the virtual visit. Predetermine how long the visit will be (30-45 mins). Take into account any different time zones. Pick a format (e.g., do you want the author to read? Key talking points? Q&A?). Find out about any author fees or requests. Check the quality of your Internet connection, as well as the camera and sound. Have fun!
Some final tips for authors:
Check the quality of your Internet connection beforehand. Confirm your meeting times and the length of the online visit ahead of time. Discuss any author fees if applicable.
If this is your first virtual book club, practise! Look at the camera and not the screen. This will allow you to look out at the book club members. Ensure the space is quiet with minimal background distractions. Avoid interruptions. Turn off your cell phone and let others around you know that you are working. Have fun!
We’d love to hear from you!
Share your virtual book club meeting experiences! Tag us on social media using the hashtags #theauthorsbookclub and #inviteanauthor, or email us at theauthorsbookclub@gmail.com.
Thank you and Happy Reading, everyone!
Click on the authors’ names to learn more about them.
When our website launched on January 1, 2020, we set 15 authors as a goal (including the two of us!) for the month. We ended with 40! Forty amazing authors from across Canada.
As Canadian authors and readers ourselves, we wanted to support Canadian book publishers and authors who worked and lived in Canada. We wanted to create a community that was welcoming and inclusive with authors from big and small publishing houses, and authors at different stages of their professional writing careers.
We thank all the authors who have joined The Authors’ Book Club. We could not have done this without you! A special thanks to Uzma Jalauddin, Laurie Petrou, Marissa Stapley, Blair Hurley, and Farzana Doctor who were among the first authors to support this initiative. Thank you for leading the way! We also want to thank Deborah Dundas from the Toronto Star and Sue Carter from Quill & Quire for helping to generate awareness of what we are doing.
As we continue to welcome authors, we will now focus on increasing our visibility amongst private book clubs. We remain committed to creating a vibrant online community for author and reader engagement.
As two authors working to bring readers and authors together, we felt it was vital that we have someone representing the reader and book club as part of our team. To that end, we welcome Fiona Ross to The Authors’ Book Club.
Fiona is an avid reader, a teacher librarian, and a current member of two book clubs. She is also the past chair of the Secondary Fiction Review Committee at the Peel District School Board and currently serves on the planning committee at the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD).
We look forward to Fiona’s input and her unique perspective as a reader and book club member. We are confident that her contributions will further support our efforts to connect readers with authors across Canada.
Read Fiona’s post about being a book club addict! Follow her on Twitter.
Our website is 11 days old. We are grateful to the authors who have joined our initiative to connect readers with authors working and living across Canada.
Readers, can you name our amazing authors?
Answers:
Click on their names to learn more about them & how you can invite an author to your next book club meeting.
11 Blair Hurley
Hello, my name is Fiona, and I am a book club addict.
I am currently the member of two book clubs, but I have also been part of book clubs at work and review committees for work and book magazines. I started reading novels at age 6 (Enid Blyton) and have never stopped since. Full disclosure, I am an English teacher, drama junkie, teacher librarian and a member of the planning committee for a wonderful literary festival called the FOLD (Festival of Literary Diversity). I adore the printed word.
One of my greatest joys as a book club member and organizer has been actually meeting Canadian authors. Hearing in person the behind the scenes stories makes everything more vivid and alive.
The wonderful Ann Y.K. Choi was the first author to attend our book club, it was advice she received early in her career from fellow author, Terry Fallis. So, thanks to Ann, my book club met her in the spring of 2016 and Terry in the fall to discuss Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety and One Brother Shy respectively.
This past fall we also hosted Uzma Jalaluddin to talk about her romantic reworking of Pride and Prejudice called Ayesha At Last. It was yet another very successful meeting with fantastic conversations and insights. When organizing with an author I have reached out via Twitter for a contact email and have found authors surprisingly forthcoming. Our book club has met with authors at a restaurant and we cover their meal as a thank you for their visit, although Terry chose to meet us at one of our homes.
Canadian authors have so much to offer us. They can entertain and instruct while using art to hold up the proverbial mirror and let us see our strengths, weaknesses and follies. They deserve to be supported and promoted and book clubs, those gatherings of voracious readers and purchasers of books, are an ideal place to combine both of those passions. Please read and buy Canadian, and if an author is available to speak with your book club, take them up on it. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.
Follow Fiona on Twitter.
It was the day before Christmas of 2019, and Ann Y.K. Choi and I were having lunch, reminiscing on an eventful year for each of us. Ann had worked hard on her new novel, and was still in the midst of relentless edits; she had completed a children’s book, to be released the following year; and there was all her other regular work: mentoring young writers, working full-time as a teacher, and speaking about her first novel, Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety. I had released my first novel, Undercard, that February, and had spent the year adapting to being a published author, a thrilling, rewarding, and often overwhelming experience.
Ann is the first person I met at my first literary event as a published author. It was at the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) 2018, just a few months before my book would be released, and entering the building my publicist bumped into Ann, whom she had worked with previously. Ann was immediately personable, encouraging, and friendly, and I thought, wow, people in the literary community really are nice (they are, although Ann is at another level). Since then Ann has been a supportive friend, and a wise counsel for a new author.
During lunch she asked me if I was speaking at many book clubs. While I have spoken at some, I found it difficult to connect with them. I would gladly speak to many more, but there’s no repository I know of where book clubs are listed, or where I can list my name as available to book clubs. Ann said, someone should do that. And it was only moments later that we both agreed we should do that. And so began the concept of The Authors’ Book Club.
Welcome to our online community!