Hello, readers.
Spoilers ahead. So if you haven't heard or seen today's show, please do so here.
On this, the fourth day of Canada Reads, the boardroom that acts as informal green room for the panelists was eerily calm. Pleasantries were exchanged; Simi Sara won compliments for her boldly coloured sweater, but no one discussed yesterday's debate. Almost everyone kept their eyes on their mini-muffin. In retrospect, I think it was one of those "calm seas before the storm" kind of mornings.
And then there were three
Each day of the debates brings with it another big surprise. Today's stunning news: another literary heavyweight has bitten the dust. It took only two votes, but Ann-Marie MacDonald's Fall on Your Knees was the second book to be bounced out of contention. It's official: the big books of CanLit are out of the running for Canada Reads 2010. The field is wide open. Good to a Fault, Nikolski, The Jade Peony — one of these three books will be the winner of Canada Reads 2010.
Shock and awe
That's a fairly accurate description of the response in the control room when Fall on Your Knees was officially taken out of consideration. Eyebrows were raised, mouths agape. Even the panelists seemed surprised by the unexpected turn of events. This isn't Survivor — there are no tribes — each panelist votes alone. No one was more taken aback than FOYK's enthusiastic advocate, Perdita Felicien. True to form, she went after the panelists, charging them with voting strategically rather than on the book's merits. I love Perdita's candour and her fearlessness. I think that's what makes her such an impressive athlete and a remarkable, refreshing literary defender. Not a beat later, however, she admitted she voted against The Jade Peony as "payback" for Sam Nutt's vote against FOYK in the first round of voting. Who says hypocrisy isn't funny?
A blow is struck for the little guy
Simi Sara, who cast the deciding vote, has been consistent in her belief that Canada Reads should be a competition for lesser-known novels, and she stuck to her guns when Jian asked her why she voted off FOYK. For Simi, the former Oprah pick doesn't need the boost or the publicity that the competition provides. That's very true. But if I may be so bold, I'm going to put forward a pretty simple counterargument: if FOYK weren't suited to Canada Reads, it wouldn't be a part of the contest in the first place. What I'm saying is that no one can control what a panelist chooses to put forward when they enter this competition — but they can affect the outcome with a vote. Don't you love how frustratingly democratic the whole process is?