PAPER CHASE: Kay finds merit in being stubborn

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Guy Gavriel Kay

For Winnipeg-raised, bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay, there may be merit to being "a stubborn Winnipegger."

"Staying with an approach and a philosophy of fiction ... the culture may catch up to you," says the author, whose novel Ysabel won the World Fantasy Award in 2008.

His latest, Under Heaven -- inspired by the Tang Dynasty of China -- recently won a 2011 Sunburst Award, in recognition of the best in Canadian fantasy.

Kay will be in Winnipeg Thursday to discuss Under Heaven at McNally Robinson.

"Critics, readers, academics are beginning to get the fusion of history, the fantastic, and contemporary themes that I explore," continues the Toronto-based Kay. "The genre label is disappearing as so many other major writers work with elements of the fantastic, too."

Under Heaven is also nominated for the 2011 Locus Award for best fantasy novel, the Aurora Award as best speculative fiction novel and the Mythopoetic Society's best fantasy novel award.

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Author Sam Stone gave back his British Fantasy Awards prize mere days after winning it this past week, amid questions about the nomination process.

Stone's partner David Howe, co-ordinator of the BFAs, was called out by editor and anthologist Stephen Jones on his blog, where Jones suggested "there is certainly a strong case for [Howe] to have removed himself from the entire process once it became apparent how many of his own titles and those of his partner were on the initial nomination list."

The bestowing of the August Derleth award for Demon Dance made Stone the first woman author to have won since 1980. Other past winners include Neil Gaiman and Stephen King.

"I repeat again I had no knowledge I was going to receive [the award] and remind everyone that the ballot is from the BFS membership and attendees of FantasyCon," Stone has stated on her own blog.

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Entries are now being accepted for the annual Manitoba Book Awards; the deadline for submissions is Nov. 15. Short lists will be released in March 2012, with the winners announced April 28.

Since 1988, the Manitoba Book Awards have recognized Manitoba writers, publishers and books, with 13 diverse categories for consideration this year, including the new Michael Van Rooy Award for genre fiction, honouring the late Winnipeg crime author who died in January.

For a list of criteria and entry forms, visit manitobabookawards.com.

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HarperCollins Canada has launched a special edition release of its first enhanced e-book, a 15th anniversary edition of bestselling author Robin Sharma's The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, on sale until Nov. 16.

It is available for $2.99 in Canada on Amazon, Kobo and iTunes. The e-book's enhanced components include three bonus chapters from upcoming sequel The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. An audio element will be available to customers who buy through iTunes.

Sharma is CEO of Sharma Leadership International Inc., a success coaching and training firm with clients including FedEx, Microsoft and Nike. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari has already sold four million copies in 51 languages worldwide.

ksmithpaperchase@gmail.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 8, 2011 J8