Cupids Cove Chatter

Michael Crummey and his mother., originally uploaded by John Guy2010.

Michael Crummey shortlisted for world’s biggest literary prize

By Janet Harron of MUN Luminus Express

Memorial University alumnus and former writer-in-residence Michael Crummey has been shortlisted for the world’s biggest literary prize.

The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is worth €100,000 and is managed by Dublin City Libraries, on behalf of Dublin City Council.

It is sponsored by IMPAC, an international management productivity company with its European headquarters in Dublin.

Mr. Crummey is nominated for his 2009 novel Galore and is the only Canadian on the 10-person shortlist.

When asked for his response to being shortlisted, Mr. Crummey confesses to being “kind of overwhelmed by it … it’s pretty heady company to be keeping.”

The IMPAC award is presented annually with the objective of promoting excellence in world literature. It is open to novels written in any language and by authors of any nationality, provided the work has been published in English or English translation in the specified time period as outlined in the rules and conditions for the year. Nominations are submitted by library systems in major cities throughout the world.

Recent previous winners of the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award include
The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker (2010) Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas (2009), De Niro’s Game by Rawi Hage (2008) and Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (2007).

The winner of the award will be announced on June 15 at a ceremony in Dublin, Ireland.

Michael Crummey at Cupids

Further Update: March 11th, 201o – Michael Crummey’s Galore has advance to the finals of the Commonwealth Writers Prize after it was chosen winning novel for the Canada and Caribbean regional category.

Update: March 6th Michael Crummey’s novel Galore has now been nominated:

FINALIST 2009 – Governor General’s Literary Awards – Fiction
FINALIST 2010 – Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book (Canada & Caribbean)
FINALIST 2010 – Atlantic Independent Booksellers’ Choice Award
FINALIST 2010 – Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award
FINALIST 2010 – Newfoundland and Labrador 2010 Winterset Award

Michael Crummey was an animated and interesting guest in the Cupids 400 Visiting Authors Series.  He revealed that he had never visited Cupids before, and brought a laugh when he said, “Cupids, you don’t look a day over 180!”

His first reading was about a trip to Labrador on a coastal boat and was taken from “Hard Light,” which is based on stories about life Western Bay told by his father.  He also read “Old Wives Tale” and  “the Way Things Were,” a story about the Kyle (one of the famous ABC Coastal Fleet which is anchored in nearby Harbour Grace > >)

His final readings were from his latest novel “Galore,” for which he has been short listed for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in the Caribbean and Canada Region.  He said that the novel is not based on any particular historic period, and that its foundation is in folkore.  He made the comment: “Folklore and the Bible are pillars of the outport community.”

He then answered questions from the audience which ranged from specific questions about “Galore” to questions about writing, history, and folklore.

Other photos of Michael’s visit can be seen on Flickr: An Evening with Michael Crummey

Michael Crummey

Cupids 400 and the Cupids Historical Society are pleased to present as part of their “Visiting Authors Series”

“An Evening with Newfoundland and Labrador Author Michael Crummey”

Further Update: March 11th, 201o – Michael Crummey’s Galore has advance to the finals of the Commonwealth Writers Prize after it was chosen winning novel for the Canada and Caribbean regional category.

Update: March 6th Michael Crummey’s novel Galore has now been nominated:

FINALIST 2009 – Governor General’s Literary Awards – Fiction
FINALIST 2010 – Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book (Canada & Caribbean)
FINALIST 2010 – Atlantic Independent Booksellers’ Choice Award
FINALIST 2010 – Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award
FINALIST 2010 – Newfoundland and Labrador 2010 Winterset Award

Supported in part by Cupids Haven B&B

Thursday, February 25th, 7:30 pm
Cupids Community Centre, Seaforest Drive.

Adm:  $5 – proceeds to Cupids Legacy Centre Trust.  Refreshments will be served
Books available for purchase.  For more information, please contact
Cupids 400 – Kathi Stacey, @ 528-1610 or kstacey@cupids400.com

Michael's Most Recent Novel

Michael Crummey is one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most acclaimed young authors.  With photojournalist Greg Locke, he is the author of a memoir, Newfoundland: Journey into a Lost Nation, which chronicles the passage of the province from a time when cod were still plentiful and the fishery shaped the lives of most of the province’s people, to the present, when oil and mineral development are changing the way of life.  His has published three books of poetry, and a book of short stories, Flesh and Blood.  His first novel, River Thieves, was a finalist for the 2001 Giller Prize, and his second, The Wreckage, was a national bestseller and a finalist for the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize.

His most recent novel,  Galore, has been short listed for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in the Caribbean and Canada Region.  The winners from region will be announced on March 11, 2010, and will then go on to compete against the other regional winners.  The overall winner will be announced on April 12, 2010.

“…Galore is an endearing romp. For the language alone — and there is so much more — I loved the book. May Newfoundland English never die.” Review by Katherine Govier in the National Post, September 25, 2009.

“Weekend AM”  August 22-23, 2010

Michael Crummey talks about his new book, “Galore” with Weekend AM’s Angela Antle of CBC Radio

Click to Hear and Right click to Download Weekend AM August 22-23
[mp3 file: runs 19:06]