My GG "Trophy"

Late last week my Governor General's Award "trophy" arrived. The beauty with this "trophy" is that it isn't a trophy at all - it is a hand-bound copy of my book. Each winner received a unique, individualized, hand-bound copy of their work. Mine, however, had a small spelling mistake - not my name, as you might suspect, but on the spelling of "Larsen" (it was spelled with an "o" instead of an "e").  That's why I just received it last week. Here are the photos:

It is BEAUTIFUL. And my package actually came with a pair of white cloth gloves, so I don't get it all smudgy and dirty! 

While I Was in the Parliamentary Library ...

Okay, so I lied; I have one last post about the GG's. While we were being toured through the parliamentary library my eyes landed on this book. It summed up exactly how I felt, and feel, about the entire experience, and about my writing career so far: 

Thanks, Canada.

The Governor General's Literary Awards - Rideau Hall!!!

Okay, this is my last installment about the GG's - but this is the "funnest" one yet, about the actual ceremony at Rideau Hall.

Quite honestly I have never experienced anything like it. Those of you in the TV industry will know that our awards ceremonies often tend to be laden with cynicism. Not so the GG's. From the moment we arrived to the moment we departed, we were made to feel like kings and queens, and the enthusiasm and warmth of everyone there was genuine (either that or they were all very, very good actors!). Playing dress-up was a great deal of fun, and you'll finally be able to see some photos of my dress, below - I got a zillion compliments on it. I can honestly say I have never, ever been this dressed-up in my life; on my wedding day at City Hall I got married in a $12 vintage (ie used) dress from Courage, My Love in Kensington Market!

We were taken to Rideau Hall by shuttle. Our guests took the next shuttle (my guests were husband Goran and mom Eleanor). We then did a rehearsal with a handsome man in uniform named Sylvester, and all of us looked rather panicked as it was a lot of instruction; mount the stage, bow to the GG and his wife, stand here, wait for your publisher to sing your praises, go BACK to the GG, get your BEAUTIFUL AND STUNNING hand-made bound copy of your book, don't forget to acknowledge his wife too, do the photo op, THEN go to the podium to make your speech. Phew!! After rehearsal we were all herded into a room to wait.

(This photo below is of me in the grand foyer, tickled that there are mounties in busbys (spelling?) behind me).

x

When we entered the room "for real", it was FULL of people, every chair (except ours!) taken. And we entered to a live quartet and a standing ovation. I have to say, it was pretty overwhelming. For the next hour, each recipient was introduced by his or her publisher, and then we each did our speeches. Alison Morgan of Tundra did a beautiful job introducing me and got me close to choked up. I think I remembered all the on-stage 'moves' just fine.

After speeches we were herded into another room for photos with the GG David Johnson and his wife. Boy, what a tough job, but they do it with aplomb. You couldn't be a germaphobe in that line of work. Then, everyone but GG winners was escorted out of the room, and we were asked to stay. This is when we were told that, because it was the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year, she was bestowing upon each of us a Diamond Jubilee medal. OK, that's when I teared up - not because I'm a big monarchist, but because it was just too much. Like my husband used to say when he was having so much fun it was overwhelming, "Someone give me some green peas!" (because he hated green peas). I wanted to shout for green peas because it was all so mind-bogglingly fantastic. You could tell that all the GG winners were really blown away, getting these medals. And just to make it better, this morning I noticed it also comes with a pamphlet of instructions - how to wear it for "day use" and "evening use!" I was also told if I ever get an invitation that says "with decorations" I'm supposed to wear it. Goran and I have decided we'll have to host a party that says "with decorations," otherwise I'll never get the chance!

Finally, the party and eating began. We joined our guests and all the other invitees, and it was wonderful. The food - fantastic. Set up at food stations in two long rooms. I met a lot of wonderful people, including a woman who insists she's going to get me to Labrador next November for an arts festival they hold up there. I told her I was SO IN. (especially because I at first thought she'd said Ladner and that wasn't so exciting!).

Here I am with Stephen King (okay, not THAT Stephen King, but a really wonderful Stephen King) and Ross King, Ross being the non-fiction winner. Just a lovely, lovely man; we had a lot of laughs, and Goran and the King brothers hit it off as well.

 

And here I am with Mom and Goran.

Best story of the night was when Bob Rae approached with his wife Arlene Perly Rae. I leaned across the table (husband beside me) and admitted to Michael Ondaatje and Linda Spalding that I have a slight crush on Bob. Michael and Linda know Bob, and when they arrived at the table there was an empty seat beside me. Michael said, "Bob, Bob, sit down! Sit there, beside Susin." Bob looked like he really really did not want to sit down beside me. But Michael kept shouting it, with an incredibly impish look in his eye, so finally Bob sat down. Michael immediately pulled out his camera and started snapping shots of me and Bob (kind of cutting off Arlene, who's standing behind us). Bob got up pretty quickly. :-) I did have a lovely talk with Arlene after that. Anyway this is probably my favourite photo of the night.

We also got to tour a bunch of the rooms and part of the green house. This is me with Goran, Alison Morgan and Mom.

At around 11 pm we all herded onto a shuttle bus and the Random House folks took us to the Chateau Laurier for champagne. It was hard to say goodnight to people like Ross and Linda (and impish Michael). They all treated me so well and didn't make me feel like the "country mouse."
 It was a truly magical night. I felt like Cinderella at the ball.

The Governor General's Literary Awards, Part 2

Picking up where I left off: On Tuesday night, the 27th of November, after a public book signing at the Chapters/Indigo Rideau Centre, it was off to my dinner with some serious literary heavyweights. Linda Spalding was there with her husband Michael Ondaatje; Ross King brought his date Charlotte Gray, and her husband George. Ellen Seligman (well-known editor) was there, as were Kristin Cochrane from Random House and Alison Morgan, publisher at Tundra.

I was quite nervous, especially when I was seated across from Charlotte and Michael and beside George, but everyone was so, so lovely. What did I learn? I learned that ...

-Charlotte Gray adores Susan Juby, and that the lovefest is mutual. Charlotte loves Susan's "Writers Life" videos on youtube and wants to star in one; she also shared a hot tub with Susan in Moose Jaw. :-) Susan, thank you for letting me know you knew her, it helped ease me in! Charlotte was very generous, asking me a lot of questions about myself. She also knew Robert Fowler, author of "A Season In Hell" and the brother of my dear friend Robin Fowler.

-Michael O once rented a cottage very very close to where my grandparents' farm was, and knew the area well. He also confessed to the table that when he was seventeen he had a love affair with tripe. For six months he only wanted to eat tripe. He hasn't eaten it since and hates it. Also, he thought Lindsay Lohan was great in "Freaky Friday" (I told him he should check out "Mean Girls" as well. :-) He also loved "Fearless" with Jeff Bridges as much as I did).

-Ross King is a master forger. I've attached proof. Can you guess which signature is really mine? He made one slip-up. I have come to adore Ross over the past 24 hours - he is a kind, lovely man.

-Linda continues to be a rocking, rollicking presence. I got to know her a bit in Montreal as well. We weren't sitting too close together last night so I didn't get any juicy tidbits.

-Dinners like that are boozy affairs and I realized in the middle of the night that I had had far too much wine to drink. I would pay for it the next day.

I didn't take any pictures because no one else ever brought out a camera and I was too embarrassed!

OK, lastly, here is a sneak preview of my shoes (Chie Mihara) which I would wear, along with my spectacular dress, to Rideau Hall the following night. And for THAT extravaganza, you will have to wait ...

The Governor General's Literary Awards

I'm sorry it's taken me a while to blog about the GG's - it was a whirlwind, and I am just now able to get down to it. I'll break it out over a couple of posts as the whole experience was EPIC.

I arrived in Ottawa last Monday the 26th in the evening. All of the laureates (as the winners are called) were put up at the Lord Elgin Hotel. I was free until 12 noon on Tuesday, when we all met in the lobby (all 14 winners, 7 French, 7 English). By now quite a few of us were friendly with each other, having met up in Montreal just two weeks earlier: Linda Spalding, Normande Chaurette, Elise Gravel, Isabelle Arsenault, Aline Apolstoska, Nigel Spencer and France Daigle among them. There were also a few new faces, people who couldn't be in Montreal: Catherine Banks, Julie Bruck, and my soon-to-be new BLF (Best Laureate Friend) Ross King. My mom Eleanor and stepdad Charles were my guests.

We were herded to the parliament buildings - here are Linda and Ross outside.


We met the parliamentary librarian and had a private tour of the library, including getting right up to the top floor. Here I am with Mom and Charles.

 All of the winners in the parliamentary library.

Afterward we were brought to the House of Commons to the visitor's gallery for Question Period. We were told we'd be there for just over an hour, and would receive a "parliamentary salute." My new friend Rachel Hartman (a fellow nominee and a wonderful writer) speculated that we would be shot out of a cannon. That would have been seriously awesome.

At first I thought it was going to be one of the dullest hours of my life - just a handful of MP's, no one listening, weird - looking Tony Clement hunched over his Blackberry. Then suddenly MP's started streaming in ... James Moore, Jason Kenney, Peter MacKay, Bob Rae, Hedy Fry, Flaherty, Baird, Kent ... unfortunately we were made to hand over our personal belongings so I have no photos of this.

Then in walked Stephen Harper hisself ... his hair isn't quite so helmet-like in real life. The next hour was rather amazing theatre, though I'm not sure what it said about our government in general. The atmosphere felt sort of like a snobby, prestigious private boys' school (the Conservatives) making fun of the poor but feisty public-school kids across the way. Topics ranged from climate change to health care to Justin Trudeau's comments about Alberta (sadly Justin wasn't there, he probably knew he would feel the heat). One funny comment came from an opposition MP who was upset at the closing of a postal museum - he said "The Conservatives need to know culture isn't just about the War of 1812."

At the end of Question Period, the Speaker of the House announced that the GG winners were present. He then read out all of our names, we stood up, and they all applauded us - a moment of unity. Harper looked uninterested, but James Moore and I shared a thumbs-up - though he was noticeably absent from the reception afterward. And I waved like a teenager at Bob Rae.

Afterward there was a reception, where my MP, Joyce Murray, made a point of coming, finding me, and giving me a beautiful certificate! I congratulated her on throwing her hat in the ring for the Liberal leadership. She was quite lovely and we had a good chat. Then she said, "Oh Bob, this is Susin," and it was Bob Rae. I had a nice chat with him, too! I was a little bit in heaven - I know not all Ontarians feel the same way, but I likes him (and I have an even better story about Bob from the following night, but that will have to wait for another day). As far as I could tell the room was devoid of Conservatives. Hmm. Surprise surprise. I also had a brief chat with the Speaker of the House. Sadly no photos as all our personal belongings were still not with us!


That night we did a public signing at the Chapters/Indigo at Rideau Centre. My Ottawa relatives came down, as did some friends of my mom's, which was really nice. Afterward Kristin Cochrane of Random House took their authors out for dinner - me, Linda Spalding and Ross King - and Linda's husband, Michael Ondaatje, and Ross's friend, Charlotte Gray ... and Ellen Seligman, the Spalding/Ondaatje's celebrated editor, and Alison Morgan from Tundra ... What, me, nervous?? Hells, yeah. But more on that soon ...