The Law of Dreams wins the 2006 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction
News from Steerforth Press
For Immediate Release
The Canada Council for the Arts has chosen Peter Behrens to receive the 2006 Governor General's Award for Literature in Fiction for his book The Law of Dreams.
The Governor General's Award celebrates the important contribution to Canadian writing, illustration and translation, and promotes their works in bookstores, schools, libraries and events across the country. The winner was announced on Tuesday, November 21st.
The award will be presented by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada on December 13th at 6 pm in Rideau Hall at a private ceremony.
This year marks the 70th presentation of the Governor General's Literary Awards, Canada's oldest and most prestigious award for English- and French-language Canadian literature. Past recipients of the Governor General's Award include literary luminaries such as Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatjje, Alice Munro and Rohinton Mistry.
The Jury declared "Peter Behrens' The Law of Dreams is an epic novel populated by extraordinary characters traversing the bleak moment of famine in Irish history. Peter Behrens, with authorial imagination and a wealth of historical detail, guides us through the blight with unparalleled intimacy."
The Washington Post notes "A novel that animates the past this vibrantly should make volumes of mere history blush." The Los Angeles Times said, "Behrens' stunningly lyrical first novel [is] . . . a work of richly empathetic imagination that reminds us once again of how powerful historical fiction can be in skilled hands . . . an unobtrusively elegant stylist." And Booklist has proclaimed, "Behrens tells this story in spare prose that distills ideas to their essence, making this absorbing historical fiction."
Peter Behrens will be available for interviews and to speak at special events. Please contact Christa Demment González at Steerforth Press.
christa@steerforth.com
603-643-4787
Media Coverage
Bangor Daily News
Writer lets character's voice lead him
December 11, 2006
An Excerpt: "The first thing I thought was: I have to buy a suit. I'm going to be introduced in parliament," he said. "I live in Brooklin. I don't have a suit."
The Calgary Herald
Behrens no longer faces fame famine
December 6, 2006
An Excerpt: "In a remarkable essay this week in the Los Angeles Times, American author Marianne Wiggins revealed that Behrens's book had also been an early favourite among jurors for the prestigious U.S. National Book Award. But somehow, it wound up off the short list altogether following some last-minute shuffling." — Richard Helm
The National Post (Toronto)
Making a feast of a famine
November 25, 2006
An Excerpt: "Peter Behrens' first novel, The Law of Dreams, which won the Governor General's Award for fiction this week, is an odd hybrid: an impressively researched immigrant-adventure tale written in a laconic, existential voice. Imagine Raymond Carver writing an Alistair MacLeod novel." — Kevin Chong
Globe and Mail
Rookie takes Governor-General's fiction prize
November 22, 2006
An Excerpt: "Behrens's debut novel, The Law of Dreams, triumphed over four other finalists to win the $15,000 English-language fiction prize, traditionally the major focus for the G-Gs. . . . A formal awards ceremony will be hosted by Governor-General Michaëlle Jean at Rideau Hall in Ottawa next month. . . . In its citation for The Law of Dreams, the three-member jury lauded Behrens, 52, for creating "an epic novel. The jury said Behrens's novel was populated by extraordinary characters traversing the bleak moment of famine in Irish history [1845-47]." His "authorial imagination and wealth of historical detail" renders "the blight with unparalleled intimacy," it said."
Maisonneuve Magazine
A New Suit for Behrens
November 23, 2006
Franco-American News & Events, 6
The Law of Dreams wins Governor General's fiction prize
November 21, 2006
The National Post (Toronto)
First-time novelist up for Gov-Gen award for stunning book on Irish famine
November 20, 2006
