It sucks.

Just about a year ago, I was very excited and honoured to announce my signing of a two-book deal with D+M, Canada’s largest independent publisher.

A lot has changed in eleven months.

On the weekend of Oct 19 / 20 / 21, I took part in the Vancouver International Writers Festival. D+M apparently usually throws a big party at the festival, but it was abruptly cancelled. Rumours began to swirl. I began to sweat.

Sure enough, on the evening of Monday October 22 immediately following the festival, myself and all the other authors working with D+M and Greystone Publishing received a cryptic blind carbon copied email with the news that D+M Publishing was filing for bankruptcy protection effective immediately. I was stunned.

Within an hour of receiving the email, some of the affected authors were discussing it on Twitter. There was talk of tequila. Within three hours, there was an article on Quill and Quire with most of the details contained in the email.

Ever since, I have been asked questions as to what this means for the two books that I have been *cough* diligently working on. Here’s what I’ve been instructed to do by my literary agent: keep writing and hope for the best.

The rough plan was for my first book to be published in the fall of 2013, but since D+M has currently suspended their 2013 production schedule, that obviously means that release date is up in the air.

Here’s the bottom line: I’ll be fine. My books will come out somewhere. On D+M if it can pull through, or on a different publisher.

My first book, Adventures in Solitude, is not affected, as it was published by Harbour Publishing, which is not affiliated with D+M.

I truly feel for D+M’s published authors like Carmen Aguirre and Charlotte Gill, who are owed various amounts of money and are under threat of not seeing it unless there is a miraculous intervention from a new buyer, which remains to be seen.

I’m frightened for Canadian arts and culture when the largest independent Canadian publisher, which in the last few years has featured titles that have won multiple national awards, can’t survive.

I also feel terrible for the staff of D+M, some of whom have been laid off, while others go through a daily grind of uncertainy trying to work through all of this.

In the meantime, I’ve been sharing new stories both on DNTO on CBC Radio and at a various live story telling events in Vancouver like the Vancouver Writers Fest, Rain City Chronicles and The Flame. I’ve been flattered by the response and can’t wait to get the stories into the printed form. Somewhere.

Thanks for your support, and good luck to D+M Publishing and to the Canadian publishing industry.

And hey, try give the gift of the written word this season, and try and buy a book from your neighbourhood independent bookseller. And check out A Good Book Drive.

Thanks for your support,

Grant

ADDENDUM as of Nov 21, 2012.

Enjoying a perfect summer night in Desolation Sound

Hope your Summer of 2012 has been awesome! Here’s some of my summer highlights, followed by what’s coming up for me in the fall:

– It’s been a thrill to host The Wild Side on CBC Radio One this summer, featuring your stories from the wilderness. The show was received very positively and we hope for its return to the airwaves soon. Congratulations to Tonya Lavallee of St. Clements ON, who won the Wilderness Weekend Prize Package to Desolation Sound BC courtesy of Sunshine Coast Tourism, which includes lunch with me at the Laughing Oyster among several way better prizes.

– I was honoured to host the 35th annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival on a stunning weekend in July at Jericho Beach Park. Highlights for me were Bette and Wallet, Wake Owl, K’Naan, Dan Mangan, Hey Rosetta, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and swimming in the ocean between sets.

Grant at Vancouver Folk Fest, photo by Christine McAvoy.

– The last time I was on Denman Island BC was when The Smugglers played there in 1992. I made it back 20 years later for the Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival in July and had a wonderful time hanging out with book lovers and authors far more renowned and talented than me.

– I made it to a couple of weddings this summer… first it was my brother-in-law Matthew Barber‘s wedding to his new wife Alexis Taylor on a beautiful farm in Owen Sound, Ontario. Next, my wife and I made the trek all the way from Desolation Sound, BC, to Stanhope, Prince Edward Island for the wedding of my former Radio 3 producer Chris Kelly to his new wife Lauren “Occupy” Bercovitch. This wedding also featured the first time my wife Jill and I have EVER sung live together in public! We performed Sloan’s “I Can Feel It” for the happy couple w/ my old Smugglers bandmate Nick Thomas on acoustic guitar.

– In late August we made the boat trip to Savary Island BC, aka “The Magnetic Isle”, for an afternoon celebrating local authors, musicians, and craft beer. Authors included Charlotte Gill (Eating Dirt), Martin Mitchenson (The Darien Gap) and myself. Musicians included Jill Barber, Ben Bouchard, and Jackie. Thanks to all the folks who filled the sunny backyard of Riggers, Townsite Brewing for the beer, and to Rick Thaddeus for organizing.

– This past Labour Day Weekend was a dream come true in Desolation Sound: Vancouver band The Matinee made the trek up to the cabin to perform an End Of Summer Party on our deck for about 50 local folks who came by boats of shapes and sizes from nearby places like Lancelot Inlet, Galley Bay, Powell River, Lund, Okeover, Refuge Cove, Penrose Bay, and Grace Harbour.

The Matinee performing on the deck in Desolation Sound.

So that was the haps for the summer… here’s what’s coming up:

This September I’ll be as busy as ever: I’m writing every chance I get on my rock’n’roll memoir of my time in The Smugglers, hockey season is starting up soon, and I’ll be back in the hosting chair on CBC Radio 3 on Tue Sep 4 at noon ET/9am PT.

I’ll also be hosting various events across the country this fall, including the Polaris Music Prize Gala (in Toronto), the Western Canadian Music Awards (this year in Regina), and the live version of This Is That. Hope to see you there! Please see the date below, but first…

…what was the highlight of YOUR summer?

September 2012

Thu Sep 20 – This Is That Live, Rio Theatre, Vancouver BC. Grant hosts the live presentation of the CBC Radio comedy show as part of the Olio Festival.

Mon Sep 24 – Polaris Music Prize Gala, Masonic Concert Hall, Toronto ON. Grant hosts the 7th annual prize awarding $30,000 to the best Canadian album of the last year.

Sun Sep 30 – Western Canadian Music Awards, Regina SK. Grant hosts the awards recognizing the music that is best in the West.

October 2012

Thu Oct 11 – Robson Reading Series, UBC Bookstore at Robson Square, Vancouver BC. Grant reads selections from Adventures in Solitude and his upcoming rock ‘n’ roll memoir. 7pm, free, w/ Darren Bifford (Wedding In Fire Country).

Tue Oct 16 – Sun Oct 21 – Vancouver International Writers Festival. Details tba, but Grant’s taking part in something involving Dave Bidini and Timothy Taylor.

Do you like to listen to books?

Yeah? No? Well… since many of the stories contained in Adventures in Solitude were first told on the radio, it seemed like a fairly good idea at the time to record an audio version of the book.

I thought it would be a piece of cake, but it reality it ended up taking a lot longer that I ever imagined. But here it is, just in time for your summer road trip!

What this is is a two-CD, abridged audio version of the book. I do all your reading. The discs feature many of the stories that have emerged as favourites at my book events across Canada. And instead of using the somewhat admittedly esoteric chapter titles found in the book, the chapters on this audio book are titled after what you have nicknamed all of these stories.

Here’s the track listing:

Disc 1

1. The Octopus
2. The Cougar Lady
3. The Nude Potluck
4. Hermit of Desolation Sound
5. Lund
6. Savary
7. The House Party
8. Return To Desolation

Disc Two

1. Roger The Dodger
2. When Animals (Don’t) Attack
3. The Kayakers
4. The Grow-Op
5. The Scout Leader
6. Terry and the Tubing Turtle
7. Proof of Love

The Adventures in Solitude audio book is available from Harbour Publishing. No word on the iTunes version… yet.

Here’s wishing you an amazing summer of 2012… here’s hoping your kids don’t puke on you while you listen to this… here’s hoping you’ll catch an episode of my new CBC Radio One show The Wild Side, or see me at one of my upcoming events. Cheers! -GL

Fri – Sun Jul 13 -15 – Vancouver Folk Festival, Jericho Park Beach, Vancouver BC
Fri – Sun Jul 20 -22 – Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival, Denman Island BC
Thu Aug 23 – Books and Beer, Riggers, Savary Island BC (2pm)
Mon Sep 24, Polaris Music Prize Gala, Masonic Temple Concert Hall, Toronto ON
Sun Sep 30, Western Canadian Music Awards, Casino Regina, Regina SK
Oct 16 – 21, Vancouver International Writers Festival, Vancouver BC