The GG Podcast – 2011
To commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Governor General’s Literary Awards, WordFest and CJSW 90.9FM have partnered to create The GG Podcast. This series of interviews explores the impact that winning a Governor General’s Literary Award has on a writer’s career and the significance this recognition has on Canada’s cultural landscape.
The GGs, Canada’s national book awards, honour the best of our literature in seven categories, in both official languages. These Canada Council awards celebrate and promote the excellence of Canadian writers, illustrators and translators.
For The GG Podcast, WordFest selected five writers that have received the award in various categories: Peter Behrens, Dany Laferrière, Arthur Slade, Miriam Toews and Guy Vanderhaeghe. Each writer sat down with CJSW for an exclusive interview during their visit to WordFest, an annual literary festival that runs each October in Calgary and Banff.
There is also an introductory episode featuring an interview with former governor general Adrienne Clarkson that discusses the importance of the awards as well as her role in formalizing the awards ceremony.
Each episode is unique, intimate and offers these writers a chance to express their reaction to the award that introduced more readers to their work and cemented their status as one of Canada’s leading authors.
WordFest would like to thank project partner CJSW, Calgary’s campus and community radio station, and the Canada Council for the Arts for their support.
To download The GG Podcast, please visit iTunes or cjsw.com.
The Interviews:
Peter Behrens
This episode features novelist, short story writer and screenwriter Peter Behrens, author of the GG Award winning The Law of Dreams. Topics discussed include his latest novel, The O’Briens as well as arriving in Calgary for the first time in the back of a pick-up truck full of cowboys.
http://cjsw.com/program/ggpodcast/the-gg-podcast-peter-behrens/
Dany Laferrière
Auteur de Comment faire l’amour avec un nègre sans se fatiguer, L’énigme du retour et Je suis fou de Vava (Prix du Gouverneur général: meilleur texte pour la jeunesse 2006).
http://cjsw.com/program/ggpodcast/the-gg-podcast-dany-laferriere/
Arthur Slade
Novelist and comics writer Arthur Slade discusses his style of writing as well as his GG Award for Children’s Literature.
http://cjsw.com/program/ggpodcast/the-gg-podcast-arthur-slade/
Miriam Toews
Miriam Toews is the GG Award winning author of A Complicated Kindness. Her latest novel is entitled Irma Voth. She spoke with CJSW’s Paul Kennett about her career as a writer as well as the impact of winning a GG Award.
http://cjsw.com/program/ggpodcast/the-gg-podcast-miriam-toews/
Guy Vanderhaeghe
Saskatchewan born author Guy Vanderhaeghe has won two GG Literary Awards for Fiction first for Man Descending and again for The Englishman’s Boy. In this episode we discuss his awards as well as his latest novel, A Good Man.
http://cjsw.com/program/ggpodcast/the-gg-podcast-guy-vanderhaeghe/
Adrienne Clarkson
This episode features a brief history of the awards as well as a discussion with Canada’s 26th Governor General The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson.
http://cjsw.com/program/ggpodcast/the-gg-podcast-%E2%80%93-adrienne-clarkson/