Andrew's Stand: When is a book a Gaspereau book?

Check-out Gaspereau's Andrew Steeves talking craft to the Globe, in light of Giller-talk: here.

en route home

About to fly home from Halifax Airport after the Gaspereau Wayzgoose in Kentville. Here's a link showing the G-men and women putting the book together just before my arrival.

Cover bands

Andrew Steeves began printing the book jacket yesterday. Tried a gold ink for the star ornaments before settling down to a silver that works well against the green field of the paper.

The press at G is smokin' . . .

Andrew Steeves' arms might wear out from trying to get some copies of Firmament made before this week's Wayzgoose, organizing said Wayzgoose, and working on Giller-related demands. He has an update here.

to Press . . .

Salty Ink has a nice teaser for the book at this link.

off to Film

We are off to film, printing presses next.

Booked my flight for NS and Gaspereau in 9 days. A kind-of- birth, but more a time to meet this small group (a handful?, family?) who make real and great books, who orbit a Giller-nod, but do not compromise how they work as they press on.

Goose, Giller and Craftsmanship

Great entry today from Andrew Steeves, relating to Gaspereau's fall printing in light of the 'Giller-bump'. A must read for those who like their books as books (i.e. well crafted objects). Check it out: Good for the Goose and Giller.

Wayzgoose

Gaspereau's annual Wayzgoose is approaching (October 23) and I plan to be there. Any takers?

Hot Press(ed)

Elation continues over the Scotiabank-Giller jury's praise of Canadian fiction produced by Canadian-owned, independent presses. Now, its the market's turn to respond. For a literary press such as Gaspereau, who actually make their books in-house, the challenge is to make sure people can but a copy of The Sentimentalists (i.e. print a new edition), while keeping their fall line-up on schedule. They are one of the country's finest printers/publishers, but they are a small, tight shop.

A Quill and Quire interview sums it up:

(for) Gary Dunfield, the plan is to reprint Skibsrud’s The Sentimentalists right away, but he and co-owner Andrew Steeves aren’t sure how many copies. “We don’t have a [lot] of extra capacity … right now,” he says. “There has to be some lead time, and we’re very busy with [the fall season].”According to Dunfield, the press is going to do everything it can to capitalize on the nomination, but it can’t afford to postpone forthcoming titles. “That would be a very bad idea,” he says. “[Those titles] need to go forward. They might be next year’s Giller titles.”

Indies at the Giller

Gaspereau Press, Biblioasis and House of Anansi have each made it to the Giller Award shortlist. Particular congratulations to Johanna Skibsrud for The Sentimentalists (Gaspereau) and St. John's favourite Newfoundlander/Montrealer, Kathleen Winter for Annabel (Anansi).

Sentimental Gurney

Why would someone who guffaws at sentimentality set his novel in rural Newfoundland, spanning 200 years? Why walk into a literary template already teeming with maudlin glances backward, stereotypical characterizations and bad attempts at dialect?

Firmament is (at least partially) my attempt to tackle the dearth of regional tales that only provide the easy comfort food of predictable characters, quickly built from sea-salt and Atlantic wood. I hope it succeeds.