The title of this article from the Toronto Star says it all: “Michael Redhill had $411 left in bank account before Giller Prize cheque.”
So, just to clear up this myth once and for all, writers are, for the most part, not wealthy individuals. My congratulations to Mr. Redhill, and I will report back once I’ve read his Giller Prize-winning novel, Bellevue Square.
Two of my favourite quotes from the above piece:
“Visa is very happy, I’m sure, that I won this prize.”
“I didn’t ever get a job at Starbucks, but I thought about it.”
In the meantime, consider the following article, “Everyone’s a winner,” from The Globe and Mail, which starts:
“Few countries honour their authors as exhaustively as Canada. But, with another nerve-racking awards season upon us, Mark Medley wonders: Does the infatuation help or hurt hopeful writers?”
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Richard H. Harris 