I was in Ottawa yesterday for a lovely reading at the Collected Works Bookstore. What a great audience! I was asked some really interesting questions that made me think more about my writing process. For example, one woman asked me what it was like to edit out pieces I worried would not be well received, which made me reflect more on the impact of audience on my writing. Another person asked how becoming a novelist had changed my relationship with my friends (writers are known for being conversation “magpies”). Someone else wondered about the ways in which characters take time and space in a writer’s head.
Sometimes the very best part about readings is the Q & A…
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Would you like to nominate Stealing Nasreen for the Open Book “Overlooked Book” list? Below is some info:
What Canadian book do you think deserves more attention? Maybe you feel the book is an undiscovered gem. Maybe you think the book should have more readers or more media attention or more award nominations, or all of the above. Here is your chance to shine a little light on it — and to enter to win a $100 gift certificate for Pages Books & Magazines. Submit the title of your favourite overlooked book to Open Book’s Facebook discussion board or send an email to info@openbooktoronto.com with the subject line “Overlooked Book.” The winner will be selected in a draw on December 21st and Open Book will compile an Overlooked Reading List from your entries and post it on our site.