The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation:

Minister Congratulates Winner of Canada Reads

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to congratulate best-selling author Lisa Moore, winner of this year’s CBC Canada Reads for her novel February. February tells the heartbreaking story of one woman’s struggle to cope after the death of her husband in the Ocean Ranger disaster.

Canada Reads is an annual literary competition organized and broadcast by CBC. During Canada Reads, five panellists defend five different books. At the end of each episode, the panellists vote out one book, until only one remains.

This year’s debate was broadcast over a series of four episodes. The five books represented five different regions of Canada (British Columbia, the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces). February was defended by well-known Newfoundland and Labrador comedian Trent McClellan.

Mr. Speaker, this exciting competition boosts publicity and results in a significant spike in books sales, especially for the winning book. Several winning books have gone on to become best sellers. The win came on the 31st anniversary of the storm that sank the Ocean Ranger oil rig.

Lisa Moore is the author of three other works of fiction. Her highly anticipated novel, Caught, is scheduled to be released this June.

I invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating Lisa Moore and all of the province’s outstanding writers and publishers for their dedication to the growth and promotion of the literary sector in Newfoundland and Labrador.

2013 03 07             1:55 p.m.