Vincent Lam is a Page Turner
Project Bookmark Canada
April 10, 2013
Vincent Lam won the Giller Prize for his first book, Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures. This fall his novel, The Headmaster's Wager, was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award and -- just yesterday -- it was nominated for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. Juries and readers alike love the story of Percival Chen, the headmaster of the most prestigious English school in Saigon, who counters his precarious circumstances with a gambling habit. (Speaking of luck, have you noticed how these Page Turners keep showing up on the prize lists? Right before we announce them here? Terry Fallis nominated for the Leacock the same week he went public as a Page Turner, now Vincent's success? You might want to get in on this.)
Ahem. And now, a much more elegant appeal from Vincent Lam.
Dear Soon To Be Page Turner,
If you are like me, places are meaningful to you because of the stories they contain. Some personal spots recall your own memories. Some addresses frame your family history. Some small streets, grand vistas, or odd corners contain a special shared magic: they are the settings of our literature. It is in these shared settings and their shared stories that we inhabit our sense of who we are as Canadians.
I am a Page Turner because I love the notion of a physical imprint, a touchstone, which links the Canada of our imaginations to this sometimes urbane, sometimes harsh, physical space in which we live. We are a nation with many blessings - and Page Turner brings our gifts of great books and great places together. Please join me in supporting Page Turner. Your donation now will support Canadian landmarks forever.
Your donation will also enter you to win a slightly more portable, though hopefully no less beautiful fragment of Canadian literature: a uniquely personalized copy of the new paperback edition of The Headmaster's Wager.
Yours,
Vincent Lam
© 2013 Project Bookmark Canada