Kingsville author a finalist for GG Literary awards

Kingsville author Gord Grisenthwaite is one of three authors with Windsor's Palimpsest Press that are finalists for the Governor General's Literary Awards.

Grisenthwaite said he didn't know he was a finalist until another finalist tweeted congratulations at him.

"I had no clue what she was talking about, so I had to Google it," he said of co-finalist Sadiqa De Meijer.

"I hadn't checked my email, so I had no idea."

Aime Dunn, publisher at Palimpsest Press, said it's "huge" for the organization.

It's mind blowing and a little surprising. Gord Grisenthwaite

"It's a huge recognition for our company and for our authors," she said.

"It gets a lot of recognition for what we're putting out there for small presses. Specifically, you know, that the small press community, that we're putting out books that are are worthy of awards."

'Chaos ensues'

Grisenthwaite's book, Home Waltz,is set in B.C., where he is originally from.

Gord Grisenthwaite on writing on a novel that he still finds hard to read

3 years ago

Duration 2:10

Gord Grisenthwaite's first novel Home Waltz is a finalist for the Governor General Literacy Awards. He talks about using his language, writing without fear and connecting with family.

"It's about five boys who are ready to partyin a small town in south-central B.C.," he said.

"There's a bunch of senior girls volleyball teams coming to town for a tournament, and they plan to get lucky and well, chaos ensues over the next 36 hours or so."

He said it isn't biographical but a lot of the things that happen in the book happened to him or people he knew.

'Happily, I am wrong'

Grisnthwaitesaid he wasn't even sure whether the book would get any consideration for awards.

"It's mind blowing and a little surprising. I totally thought that,well, it's been a year and I thought because of COVID and all this the book would miss all of the deadlines and would get no serious consideration anywhere," he said.

"Happily, I am wrong."

The top prize comes with $25,000 along with the honour and recognition of winning.

Winners will be announced Nov. 17.

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