Annabel Lyon's Still "Golden" To Me

I realise I left loose ends when it came to the talented Annabel Lyon and the rabid praise that pursued her first novel, The Golden Mean.

I admit, I'd put faith in the newspapers to alert me on the results of the numerous Can lit. awards Lyon was nominated for, and..... well, there was no word. Well, no conclusive word. I caught a glimpse of the 2009 Scotiabank Giller Prize winner back in December. He received, oh, a paragraph of font and a small photo? Odd.

Anyhow, the winners for the major Canadian literary awards are as follows:

• The Governor General's Award for Fiction (English): Kate Pullinger, The Mistress of Nothing.
• The Scotiabank Giller Prize: Linden MacIntyre, The Bishop's Man.
• The Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Award: Annabel Lyon, The Golden Mean.

So there -- she cinched one of the three awards in 2009. I was getting rather nervous when I hadn't heard word of the outcome. I mean, the press was causing such a ruckus following her literary hat trick -- it seemed odd there was such a hushed follow-up. In any case, I am proud to see Lyon's been recognised for such a stellar first novel and I am excited to see the course her professional writing career takes from here.

I mean, to have nominations/awards like those tacked on to your resume this early, there's not a publisher out there who would reject your second novel.

So, three cheers for our Golden Girl and for her ability to get Canadians both writing AND reading.

Odds and Ends and Checkin' Ins

I thought I should check in with the ladies this evening. I mean, it's been quite a while since I sat down and took stock. We've got the impressive successes, the celebrations, the sudden illnesses, and a whole lot more in between.

It's best we start as soon as possi--

1. Erin Karpluk wins Best Actress Award at the 2009 Geminis: Yes, the absolute darling of the CBC (and one of the members of my Harem) was recognized for her charming and complex portrayal of Erica Strange on Being Erica. Congrats to Ms. Karpluk for the well-deserved recognition. You can catch her hit show on the CBC (Tuesdays, 9 PM), or check out older episodes over at the CBC's website.

2. Maggie Gyllenhaal celebrated yet another gorgeous birthday on Nov. 16: Well, Happy (Belated) Birthday, special lady. And, if that wasn't perfect enough, I found out Ms. Gyllenhaal is making an appearance on Sesame Street this year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the classic children's show. See: Photo evidence above. Too adorable for words.

3. The Governor General's Award for Fiction (English): Alas -- Annabel Lyon did not win the award for her book, The Golden Mean. Well, she's still got two shots at winning some of Canada's illustrious literary prizes. Still, what an excellent honour that would have been for a first-time novelist. The award went to Kate Pullinger for The Mistress of Nothing. I suppose I ought to read this novel if it won out against Canada's newest Golden Girl of the Written Word.

4. The trailer for the upcoming film, Bitch Slap, magically appeared when I first opened the Internet this morning. Serious. I didn't set out looking for it. It came TO ME. And now, it comes to you, too.

Ah, trash films with gorgeous women -- my inner feminist cannot process it. Nor does she particularly want to. I get the impression this trailer sums up the film in its entirety. Still -- Zoe Bell is in it. I will watch it. (P.S. -- Don't you love that I followed a comment about Canadian literature with a trailer for a modern remake of a B-movie exploitation film? Yeah, I thought you'd be impressed.)

5. Had a dream about my work crush last night, the first one ever. Hey -- minds out of the gutter. It revolved around us on a date at a posh restaurant. Patrons could pay one price and get whichever five entrees/desserts they preferred. I remember pouring over the menu with her and sampling a large selection of delicious items. There was a dark chocolate lava cake with edible flowers all sprinkled across it. Very romantic, even if it was all fictional.

6. The Advocate and Ship Sharp are sick at the moment. It's confirmed -- the ladies have been H1N1'd. *Pout* I've sent them all my well wishes and have focused all my health particles into wavelengths in order to will them out of their illness. I hope it works, I miss them. *Pouts again*

Can. Lit's Golden Girl: Annabel Lyon

I invite readers with a general lack of interest in literature to gloss over this post, at least for this evening.

For the rest of you:

ANNABEL LYON IS A WHOLE WORLD OF AWESOME WRAPPED IN ANOTHER LAYER OF RIDICULOUS TALENT AND FINISHED WITH AN EXTRA HELPING OF HAHT.....

*Ahem*

Thank you for bearing with me on that one. So, it would appear that our golden girl has achieved the unthinkable this year with the release of her first full-length novel, The Golden Mean. If you recall from an earlier post of mine, Ms. Lyon was selected for the Scotiabank Giller Prize's Shortlist, an honour that is reserved for some of the finest Canadian writers to lift a pen.

Oh, but it gets so much better from there, ladies.

In Canadian terms, Annabel Lyon has managed to secure a coveted, unthinkable hat trick in the realm of literary awards for The Golden Mean:

• She's been Shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.
• She's a finalist for The Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.
• And she just received a nomination for The Governor General's Literary Award in English-language fiction.

Yeah -- that is jaw dropping news if ever I read it. She is set. I mean, even if The Golden Mean was rudely passed over for each of these awards, the nominations alone will give her the final boost she needs to secure her place in the Can. lit. scene.

I tell you, I thought I had a literary crush before but now, it's turned into full out, shameless adoration.

Cheers to you, Annabel Lyon, and the epic wonder that 2009 has become for you.

The Girls of the Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist

OH, my lovelies -- it is time for the Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist. On October 6th, the epic list of twelve Canadian writers was whittled down to the Final Five and the GAME IS ON.

In case you are new to all things Giller, this prestigious literary award possesses the power to launch a writer's career within these borders and well beyond. Since the Giller Prize teamed up with Scotiabank in 2005, the award is now worth $70,000 in cash -- $50,000 goes to the winner and $20,000 is split between the four finalists. Oh, and you can't forget the HEAP of exposure generated through a nomination and the guaranteed sales in Canada ALONE (right in time for the holiday season, no doubt). 

The Scotiabank Giller Prize is the largest cash prize for literature in the country, aside from the epic honour that is a Governor General's Award. Past winners include the absolute titans of Can. lit. including Margaret Atwood (*Hiss, boo*), Alice Munro, Michael Ondaatje, and Mordecai Richler. So, yes -- winning this is a BIG DEAL for a writer, to say the least.

This year, the media has been in an absolute frenzy over the selections. See, in 2008, the longlist was an out and out shock -- three female finalists were chosen compared to twelve male finalists. This time around, the media's been buzzing about "The Girls' List" that was the Giller Prize -- two male finalists faced off against ten women. In both cases, the shortlist came down to two members of one sex/gender vs. three members of the opposite sex/gender, so it seems to balance out in the end. Still, the media likes to make stories out of.... well, out of everything it can sometimes.

Anyway.

THE GIRLS OF THE SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE SHORTLIST:

Anne Michaels, The Winter Vault (McCelland & Stewart)

With Alice Munro and Margaret Atwood out of the shortlist, Anne Michaels is the favourite to win the 2009 Prize. Michaels' first novel was Fugitive Pieces, a title that dominated the Canadian bestseller list for two years. The same novel garnered her an impressive selection of awards and accolades including the Orange Prize for Fiction, the Trillium Book Award, the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award, and a Lannan Literary Award for Fiction. Taking the Scotiabank Giller Prize sounds quite possible for Michaels, no doubt.

Annabel Lyon, The Golden Mean (Random House Canada)

I am completely biased and love Annabel Lyon's writing. Lyon's first book/collection of short stories (Oxygen) was nominated for the Danuta Gleed Award and her second collection (The Best Thing For You) was nominated for the Ethel Wilson Prize for Fiction and the City of Vancouver Book Award. The Golden Mean is Lyon's first full-length novel and a win for her could secure a lucrative career and ample success for years to come. Plus, she's lovely and I love her.

Kim Echlin, The Disappeared (Hamish Hamilton Canada)

Kim Echlin is a writer through and through -- while The Disappeared is her third published novel, Echlin has also produced television for the CBC and written for independent documentary producers. In addition, she teaches at U of T's School for Continuing Studies. Out of the shortlisted authors, Echlin is still a relative unknown when it comes to the Canadian literary scene. She's not a household name as of yet, but her resume is a strong one. Who knows, this award could see her switching to writing fiction full-time should her book win the grand prize.

In addition, we have our representatives from the Canadian gentlemen in the form of Linden MacIntyre's The Bishop's Man and Colin McAdam's Fall (but, since this is a lady blog, I will stick to profiling the women of the Scotiabank Giller Prize -- though no doubt, I would argue you should check out ALL of these writers and support Canadian literature in all its facets).

I've got quite the stack of reading ahead of me -- congrats to all the writers who were nominated and may the most Canadian of books win.