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Publishers fire off a round of Afghan titles this fall
ALWYNNE GWILT, Globe & Mail, 7 Aug 07
Article link - Permalink (.pdf)
With the arrival of Quebec's famed Vandoos on the ground in Kandahar, Canada's fight in Afghanistan appears far from over.
At home, Canada's publishers are facing a different battle: with each other.
A slew of books on the mission are coming to bookstores this fall, as publishers race to beat the clock. "We don't know how long the war is going to go on in Afghanistan and because it's an ongoing story and on people's minds we wanted to release (the book) as soon as possible," said Ruth Linka, publisher at Brindle & Glass, which releases The Long Walk Home: Paul Franklin's Journey from Afghanistan in September.
The books range from personal experiences, photo essays and a soldier's long road to recovery, to the political questioning of government policy and the experiences of women living under the Taliban regime.
"Publishers will try to get the book out while the issue is still on people's minds [and this] is an important issue from many aspects of Canadian life," explained Carolyn Wood, head of the association of Canadian publishers.
Perhaps the juiciest tale comes from Penguin Canada, which will release The Unexpected War: Canada in Kandahar in October. The book by Eugene Lang, a former chief of staff for two defence ministers, and Janice Gross Stein, the director of the Munk Centre for International Studies, takes the reader into the backrooms of Canada's politicking as decisions were being made about whether or not to go to war.
"Everything about it had appeal," said Yvonne Hunter, the director of publicity and marketing. "I don't know that anyone has been able to have a talk with those directly involved in that decision making, so from a publishing perspective that's kind of irresistible." In October, Doubleday Canada releases Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery and Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army by Globe and Mail columnist Christie Blatchford. It's based on her trips to Afghanistan in late 2006 and early 2007.
"I'm not preaching a particular position and for me not to preach is very difficult," said Blatchford. "The book is not about what I think, it's about who these soldiers are." The Canadian public is not connected with the soldiers we're sending over, she added.
Adding to the theme of delving deeper into soldiers' lives is On Assignment in Afghanistan from East Coast publishers Nimbus.
This one, by two staffers at the Halifax Chronicle Herald, Chris Lambie and photographer Christian Laforce, focuses on soldiers from the Maritime provinces, a group that makes up a large chunk of Canadians stationed in Afghanistan.
"Here there is so much support for the troops, everyone has the bumper stickers and the ribbons. It's such a way of life throughout all parts of our population because everyone knows someone who's gone out there," said Nimbus managing editor Sandra McIntyre.
But even though the issue tops the news in the Maritimes, McIntyre thinks civilians are "looking for a connection" with the soldiers, for stories that might not get in the day's headlines.
The book will have a large appeal countrywide, she added, because many East Coasters are living out West in places like Fort McMurray.
Victoria book publisher, Brindle & Glass decided to take on Edmonton Journal reporter Liane Faulder's book idea earlier this year. The title character in The Long Walk Home is Paul Franklin, the soldier driving the vehicle that was blown up in 2006, ending diplomat Glyn Berry's life. Both of Franklin's legs were severed above the knee and the book chronicles his journey to walk again, a feat that few people with that injury ever accomplish. "It's his story from the moment the bomb went off and beyond. It's quite personal," said Linka.
Two photo-based books are also on their way: Pulitzer prize winner Paul Watson's Where War Lives , about his time spent in Afghanistan and other war-torn countries will be published by McClelland & Stewart, while Lana Slezic's book The Forsaken about women living under the Taliban, will be released by Anansi Press.
"Several years ago you'd hear a lot about what is happening with women in Afghanistan and now I find you hear mostly about the war and insurgents rather than how everyday people are trying to cope," explained Laura Repas at Anansi on why they picked up Slezic's book.
In December, Random House Canada will publish Outside the Wire, a compilation of stories from aid workers, doctors and members of the Canadian Forces that is edited by Kevin Patterson and Jane Warren.
The book does not take a political stance, but does show the changes that medical personnel and soldiers have had to contend with since moving out of the peacekeeping role.
"The book doesn't let you engage in rhetoric about the war because you're reading about what is happening on the ground," said Anne Collins, publisher of Random House Canada.
For Canadians, this first-person glimpse is part of understanding the Afghanistan war. It's also likely why Canadian publishers are eating up the manuscripts.
"When the Second World War was going on there weren't very many truly Canadian publishers so it is a relatively new phenomenon," explained Wood.
Linka at Brindle & Glass believes the pattern will continue.
"Writers reflect the concerns of a society and as long as it's in the media and as long as people are talking about it, I think we as publishers are going to continue to see manuscripts about it."
Publishers fire off a round of Afghan titles this fall
ALWYNNE GWILT, Globe & Mail, 7 Aug 07
Article link - Permalink (.pdf)
With the arrival of Quebec's famed Vandoos on the ground in Kandahar, Canada's fight in Afghanistan appears far from over.
At home, Canada's publishers are facing a different battle: with each other.
A slew of books on the mission are coming to bookstores this fall, as publishers race to beat the clock. "We don't know how long the war is going to go on in Afghanistan and because it's an ongoing story and on people's minds we wanted to release (the book) as soon as possible," said Ruth Linka, publisher at Brindle & Glass, which releases The Long Walk Home: Paul Franklin's Journey from Afghanistan in September.
The books range from personal experiences, photo essays and a soldier's long road to recovery, to the political questioning of government policy and the experiences of women living under the Taliban regime.
"Publishers will try to get the book out while the issue is still on people's minds [and this] is an important issue from many aspects of Canadian life," explained Carolyn Wood, head of the association of Canadian publishers.
Perhaps the juiciest tale comes from Penguin Canada, which will release The Unexpected War: Canada in Kandahar in October. The book by Eugene Lang, a former chief of staff for two defence ministers, and Janice Gross Stein, the director of the Munk Centre for International Studies, takes the reader into the backrooms of Canada's politicking as decisions were being made about whether or not to go to war.
"Everything about it had appeal," said Yvonne Hunter, the director of publicity and marketing. "I don't know that anyone has been able to have a talk with those directly involved in that decision making, so from a publishing perspective that's kind of irresistible." In October, Doubleday Canada releases Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery and Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army by Globe and Mail columnist Christie Blatchford. It's based on her trips to Afghanistan in late 2006 and early 2007.
"I'm not preaching a particular position and for me not to preach is very difficult," said Blatchford. "The book is not about what I think, it's about who these soldiers are." The Canadian public is not connected with the soldiers we're sending over, she added.
Adding to the theme of delving deeper into soldiers' lives is On Assignment in Afghanistan from East Coast publishers Nimbus.
This one, by two staffers at the Halifax Chronicle Herald, Chris Lambie and photographer Christian Laforce, focuses on soldiers from the Maritime provinces, a group that makes up a large chunk of Canadians stationed in Afghanistan.
"Here there is so much support for the troops, everyone has the bumper stickers and the ribbons. It's such a way of life throughout all parts of our population because everyone knows someone who's gone out there," said Nimbus managing editor Sandra McIntyre.
But even though the issue tops the news in the Maritimes, McIntyre thinks civilians are "looking for a connection" with the soldiers, for stories that might not get in the day's headlines.
The book will have a large appeal countrywide, she added, because many East Coasters are living out West in places like Fort McMurray.
Victoria book publisher, Brindle & Glass decided to take on Edmonton Journal reporter Liane Faulder's book idea earlier this year. The title character in The Long Walk Home is Paul Franklin, the soldier driving the vehicle that was blown up in 2006, ending diplomat Glyn Berry's life. Both of Franklin's legs were severed above the knee and the book chronicles his journey to walk again, a feat that few people with that injury ever accomplish. "It's his story from the moment the bomb went off and beyond. It's quite personal," said Linka.
Two photo-based books are also on their way: Pulitzer prize winner Paul Watson's Where War Lives , about his time spent in Afghanistan and other war-torn countries will be published by McClelland & Stewart, while Lana Slezic's book The Forsaken about women living under the Taliban, will be released by Anansi Press.
"Several years ago you'd hear a lot about what is happening with women in Afghanistan and now I find you hear mostly about the war and insurgents rather than how everyday people are trying to cope," explained Laura Repas at Anansi on why they picked up Slezic's book.
In December, Random House Canada will publish Outside the Wire, a compilation of stories from aid workers, doctors and members of the Canadian Forces that is edited by Kevin Patterson and Jane Warren.
The book does not take a political stance, but does show the changes that medical personnel and soldiers have had to contend with since moving out of the peacekeeping role.
"The book doesn't let you engage in rhetoric about the war because you're reading about what is happening on the ground," said Anne Collins, publisher of Random House Canada.
For Canadians, this first-person glimpse is part of understanding the Afghanistan war. It's also likely why Canadian publishers are eating up the manuscripts.
"When the Second World War was going on there weren't very many truly Canadian publishers so it is a relatively new phenomenon," explained Wood.
Linka at Brindle & Glass believes the pattern will continue.
"Writers reflect the concerns of a society and as long as it's in the media and as long as people are talking about it, I think we as publishers are going to continue to see manuscripts about it."