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WILL
FERGUSON WINS
‘HAT-TRICK’
Well-done,
Will Ferguson! Congratulations Penguin Group Canada! Kudos, too, (I’m sure
Will would concur) to Penguin sales rep Bonnie St. Aubin for stepping up to
the plate in Will’s absence April 29, for the Announcement of the Leacock
Award, at the Stephen Leacock Museum in Orillia.
“He
wanted to be here today,” Bonnie told the 80 lunch guests, “but in the
spirit of his book, he decided to walk!”
The
book, Beyond Belfast (Penguin
Group Canada), was one of 67 sent to the Stephen Leacock Association’s
Reading Committee by the end of 2009, for judging in the 63rd
annual competition. The judges, and the Orillia-area reading committee of
10, picked it as one of the five most likely to be the top humour book for
the year. As recipient, Will goes to the podium for the third time June 12
at Geneva Park Conference Centre, to receive the TD Financial Group $15,000
cash award, and the Stephen Leacock silver medal.
In
the spirit of past Award Announcement luncheons, it was heard in passing –
here is a bit of gossip – that Will had assured Bonnie she would not have
to get up and speak at the podium (have you heard this before?) because the
other titles on the short list were all so well-done and humorous. One of
them was certain to win..for sure!
Beyond
Belfast by
Will Ferguson (Penguin Group Canada) is the story of Will’s journey to
Ireland to investigate his family’s background and a mystery. “He tells
his story intelligently and kindly,” Judith said. It is an adventure in
the Irish rain, unsettling encounters, beautiful landscapes.
Association
Chair Michael Hill opened the program with a quote from Stephen Leacock’s
short story ‘My Financial Career’, explained the involvement of TD
Financial Group with its awards of $15,000 for the author, as well as
$1,500.00 for each of the runners-up, thanked the five judges and the
Reading Committee for reading 67 books to arrive at their conclusion, and
also thanked Thor Motors of Orillia and Michael Rumball for sponsoring the
accompanying Student Award.
“This
award celebrates homegrown Canadian talent,” said Roy D’Sousa, regional
vice president with TD Financial Group. “We’re proud of that.” TD took
up sponsorship of the Leacock Award in 2004, initially with a $12,000 first
prize.
Both
Rene Stanton, representing her son MP Bruce Stanton, and Mary Silk,
representative from the Orillia office of MPP Garfield Dunlop, brought
certificates of congratulations to present to each of the short-listed
authors.
The
last word may be left to Fred Addis, curator of Stephen Leacock
Museum.
Called to the podium to congratulate award nominees, Addis said: “I
seem to console a lot of un-winners.” He said there is only one recording
of Stephen Leacock telling a joke. Then he told it. |
