I am now back from two jam-packed, sunny, lovely weeks in Canada. Naturally I did not see all of Canada in that time, but my brother and I spent a week in Vancouver and a week in Toronto – both of which have plenty of bookshops that were eager to send a British man back over the Atlantic with luggage full to the brim of Canadian literature.
I didn’t buy entirely Canadian authors, but I did focus on books that aren’t as easy to find here in the UK – and I think I bought entirely North American authors. One of the things I did discover is how loose and broad the definition of ‘Canadian’ is to literary circles. Born in Canada and spent most of your life somewhere else? Canadian. Born somewhere else and then moved to Canada? Canadian. Passed through Canada among many other countries? Canadian. Authors I’d always considered other nationalities – who turn out to be Canadian – included Brian Moore, Michael Ondaatje, and Ned Beauman, though I think the last of those must have simply been mis-shelving?
My wishlist wasn’t extensive, but I had two books I was particularly intending to buy: A Bird in the House by Margaret Laurence and Road Ends by Mary Lawson, both of which I found on the first day! As you’ll see, there was no limit to the amount of Margaret Laurence I was willing to buy.
Anyway, here is a break down of what I got – I’d love to know your thoughts on any and all of them:
A Bird in the House by Margaret Laurence
This Side Jordan by Margaret Laurence
The Tomorrow-Tamer by Margaret Laurence
The Prophet’s Camel Bell by Margaret Laurence
Heart of a Stranger by Margaret Laurence
The Manawaka World of Margaret Laurence by Clara Thomas
Margaret Laurence: A Spiritual Biography by Noelle Boughton
And would you believe there are still some Laurence books I didn’t find? I do have all her fiction now – I went looking for A Bird in the House, the only one of the Manawaka Sequence that I didn’t have, but was pleased to scoop up any number of other ones. I somehow don’t seem to have included Heart of a Stranger in the picture – her essays, which I was reading on the plane.
My Financial Career and other follies by Stephen Leacock
Model Memoirs by Stephen Leacock
Leacock is one of my other most-loved Canadian authors – I’m not entirely sure if these are new collections to me, or if they are simply gathered from other existing collections, but I took a risk.
Road Ends by Mary Lawson
The only Mary Lawson novel I didn’t already have – she has only written four, sadly – and it’s not that hard to find in the UK, but it felt right to get it in Canada. And it was there, for two dollars, in a sale at the Vancouver Public Library! If you’re ever in Vancouver, head up to their rooftop garden – it’s lovely. I read Road Ends on the four-hour flight from Vancouver to Toronto and definitely recommend something this captivating and wonderful for a plane journey.
Bellevue Square by Michael Redhill
One evening, I had the fun of meeting up with Debra – a listener to the Tea or Books? podcast who got in touch when she saw I was coming to her hometown. She recommended lots of Canadian authors as we browsed a BMV Books – by this point in the holiday I had bought SO many books that I was trying to restrict myself a bit, but I couldn’t resist her recommendation of this novel about discovering a doppelganger. Debra said she read it three times! And the cover is beautiful.
Brother by David Chariandy
This was the other book I bought on Debra’s recommendation – I forget exactly why now, but she must have sold it well!
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
And this book was a kind gift from Debra – one of those authors I have long intended to read, and now I have one of her books on my shelf ready to go.
Show Boat by Edna Ferber
When Claire/Captive Reader made a guest appearance on a recent podcast episode, she mentioned how much she was enjoyed Edna Ferber – and this lovely edition of Show Boat had to come home with me.
Barometer Rising by Hugh MacLennan
Stories from the Vinyl Café by Stuart McLean
Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
Speaking of Claire, while in Vancouver I had a lovely evening going book shopping with her, then having some dinner. What fun to hang out on her home turf! These three books are ones I bought because she mentioned they were good’uns.
Love and Salt Water by Ethel Wilson
Having enjoyed a couple of Wilsons, I was pleased to find her final novel – and it’s one of the books I read while I was there.
One of Ours by Willa Cather
I hadn’t heard of this Cather – and, no, I probably didn’t need more unread Cather books on my shelves, but it is a lovely edition. I’m such a sucker for the floop of a North American paperback.
Killing Yourself To Live by Chuck Klosterman
Chuck Klosterman IV
I hadn’t particularly thought to look out for Klosterman, but turns out his books are much easier to find in Canada than here in the UK. He’s an American author I’ve mentioned a few times – I haven’t tried his fiction, but his non-fiction is brilliant at bringing together links and connections between pop cultural moments that many commentators would consider too trivial.
Good-bye and Amen by Beth Gutcheon
I only know Gutcheon her Persephone title Still Missing, but this one looked really interesting.
Frequently Asked White Questions by Ajay Parasram and Alex Khasnabish
This one was just among some books on someone’s lawn in Toronto. The Annex neighbourhood is a lovely leafy suburb with lots of independent shops, and the sort of place where people might have ‘little free libraries’ and the like. Indeed, I left one of my holiday reads – Tin Man by Sarah Winman – in one of those little libraries. (I enjoyed it, but the absence of speech marks meant it wasn’t going to be a keeper.)
May Sinclair by H.D. Zegger
This American series of critical works seems to have largely been about lesser-discussed British writers – I have the books on E.M. Delafield and A.A. Milne from the series, and was pleased to find the May Sinclair one.
Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby
I haven’t actually read the Irby essay collection I was given a few years ago, but that’s not the sort of thing that need impede me buying another.
Nocturne by Helen Humphreys
Humphreys was one of the Canadian authors I’d seen recommended by a few people. I did come across some of her fiction, but almost all of it was set in the UK – and I wanted to have the proper Canadian experience of reading Canadian authors writing about Canada. So I bought her memoir about her brother dying – and read it on the plane. Beautifully written and, of course, very sad.
Something I’ve Been Meaning To Tell You by Alice Munro
Who Do You Think You Are? by Alice Munro
Well, you can’t go book shopping in Canada and come back without any Alice Munro, can you?
You had a wonderful time judging by your Instagram feed :)
I would never have put Michael Ondaatje down as a Canadian. I thought he was Sri Lankan
So did I, yes! I think that’s how he’s best known here.
I’ve read One of Ours and enjoyed it and also Show Boat, I have a fairly modern facsimile copy of the original which is lovely. It sounds like the Canadians are a bit like Scots in claiming people as ‘one of their own ‘ which is hilarious because of course so many Canadians are of Scottish descent!
Haha, yes, that’s brilliant!
Last week I was in Sidney, B.C. on Vancouver Island. Sidney is called Book Town because it has several book stores. I go to Canada at least twice a year to pick up used books to read. I love Canadian authors. Another favorite bookstore of mine is called the Book Man, in Chilliwack, B.C. I think you would love the Book Man. Thank you for your post about Canadian books.
I will have to make a note of those shops for my next visit… one year
Thinking about Canadian writers I always think of Emily Carr who was a very wonderful artist but after being unable to paint she started writing and her writing is magical. She has an artist’s way with words. “Klee Wyck” was the first book of hers I read but her “House of Small” was fascinating. Her art work is also beautiful. Glad you found so many wonderful books.
Oo I don’t know Emily Carr – thank you for the recommendation.
Hi Simon, I read The Stone Diaries many years ago while working evenings alone in a provincial town library. It’s a modern book, I can’t remember the story but what has always stayed with me is her use of words and imagery which painted vivid pictures in my mind. I look forward to finding out what you think.
Amanda
This sounds like a wonderful recommendation – thank you, I’m looking forward to finally reading some Shields.
Excellent haul and great reasons!
Thanks Liz!
It sounds like you had a lovely visit to Vancouver and Toronto. (I grew up in Vancouver and lived in Toronto for a few years.) Great book haul! It makes me happy to see the New Canadian Library editions in your stack. I always love them. I find it so interesting that you (and people in the comments) were surprised Michael Ondaatje is considered a Canadian author. Here (I’m Canadian) he is absolutely considered to be Canadian even though he was born and grew up in Sri Lanka. (To be fair – he is a Canadian citizen and has lived in Canada since the early 1960s. He lives in Toronto now.) I think I met him at the Writers Festival in Toronto in 1998…but maybe I just saw/heard him read….I could be mixing him up with Timothy Findlay who I defintely met there. Anyway, I’m glad you had a great holiday and found some wonderful books!
Veronica
How great to meet him! I can definitely see why he’d be considered Canadian now. Then I think of Mary Lawson, who has lived in the UK since 1968, who is still thought of as Canadian – but I guess all her novels are set there.
Oh, Simon, there’s nothing better than book-shopping vicariously. Thank you for buying lots and sharing it all with us. I certainly can relate to your Willa Cather comment for some of the books I buy at used-books shops: I probably don’t need more unread books by (author), but I couldn’t resist!
We are all incorrigible :D
What a lovely selection of books! I think it’s funny that you fill your suitcases with Canadian books to take back to England, while when I travel to the UK, I fill my suitcases with UK titles that I suspect I wouldn’t likely find in Canada. Weighty our suitcases my be, but they are filled with treasure!
I would add Margaret Laurence’s The Stone Angel to your list of Canadian titles; it’s a classic. I also endorse the suggestion that you track down Emily Carr’s books; she wrote so beautifully.
The wonderful Michael Ondaatje hasn’t lived in Sri Lanka since the age of 11, when he moved to England. He then came to Canada in 1962, and has now lived in this country for 61 years, so yes, he’s very comfortably Canadian, even if much of his fiction is set elsewhere. I must re-read The English Patient, and Anil’s Ghost, the two books of his that I loved the most.
Helen Humphries is Canadian? Now that was news to me! Very interesting to learn that; she inhabits the atmosphere of her UK-settings so naturally and easily that I never thought to wonder whether she was, in fact, British. If I gave it any thought at all that is. But then, that very observation reinforces the point that a writer’s country of origin doesn’t define their writing, their writing defines their writing, which their love and understanding of place informs. (If that makes sense.)
Thank you for sharing your wonderful haul with us, Simon. Inspiring!
So many of us are responsible for re-distributing books across the ocean!
I love The Stone Angel – I’ve got and have read four of the Manawaka books, so the Bird in the House was the final one.
Apparently Helen Humphreys lived in the UK for a while (and was born here, but only lived here for a couple of years at that point) so explains why she knows the place well.
What an incredible haul, Simon! Though the question remains – how on earth did you fit all of those into your suitcase?????
I honestly don’t know! I didn’t expect it, and was fully ready to pay for excess baggage – but thankfully didn’t need to.
Sounds like a great trip! I’m from Vancouver originally myself (now I live on the other coast). It is such a beautiful setting. I still feel bereft without mountains, but at least I’m still by an ocean. Great book haul, too. My favorite Carol Shields is Unless (I’m actually not a fan of The Stone Diaries, although I guess it is her best known). Lots of good reading ahead for you, in any case.
Thanks! I definitely fell in love with Vancouver.
I remain awed that you managed to get these all home! It was a delight to contribute to the growth of this massive pile and I hope you have fun discovering more Canadian authors in the coming months/years/decades/however long it takes you to read these (or you can just admire them on your shelf – always a valid choice).
You now have no excuses for not buying lots of books when you’re in the UK, with my example to follow :D And thank you for understanding that many of these may not be read for a very long time.
Willa Cather is often considered one of the best American writers of the 20th Century. Two of her most esteemed novels are “My Antonia” and (my favorite) “Death Comes for the Archbishop”–such beautiful prose and evocation of place.
I love her, but haven’t read those two you mention (though do have them) – thank you!
I’m in England now and will bring home a suitcase full of books, all UK authors. I’m glad you had such a good time in Canada. I should reread Carol Shields as I didn’t care for her books many years ago but think I may have a different opinion now. How about discussing The Stone Diaries on Tea or Books?
I saw you were in my neighbourhood! Hope you’re having a lovely stay. And good idea about Shields for the podcast – not sure if Rachel has read any.
I’ve read (and reread) all of Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe collections and was lucky enough to listen to the radio show for a few years before his (truly untimely) death. The “Dave Cooks the Turkey” story is arguably one of the best holiday reads around.
If you enjoy the audio experience, many of the VC stories are freely available on YouTube, and hearing Stuart himself reading the stories before live audiences is pretty priceless.
If you’re getting interested in Canadian humorists, you might also track down Bill Richardson’s Bachelor Brothers Bed and Breakfast, along with some of his other work. Waiting for Gertrude (famous people in Pere Lachaise live on as reincarnated cats in the cemetery) might also pique your interest…
I heartily endorse your recommendation of the marvellous Bill Richardson’s Bachelor Brothers Bed and Breakfast. What a wonderful read it is. Life affirming, delightful, and full of heart. Likewise the work of our late, lamented Stuart Maclean and all his stories from the Vinyl Cafe. If Simon has not yet met Dave and Morley, then it’s time.
thank you to both of you for this recommendation!
My goodness, what an incredible holiday haul. I have loved all the Mary Lawson books, I am sure you will enjoy Road Ends. I read One of Ours by Willa Cather several years ago. It’s quite different to what we might think of as a typical Cather novel. It’s quite remarkable though.
Another vote for the wonderful Bill Richardson books which I’ll have to pull out for a re-read. I came home from England with 25 books, all paperbacks. I mentioned your name and blog to the fellow at Draycott Books in Chipping Campden after my purchase, and told him that you had written about his shop.