Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation
November 6, 2017

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation:

Congratulating Joel Thomas Hynes on Receiving Governor General Literary Award

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to congratulate Joel Thomas Hynes on receiving the 2017 Governor General’s Literary Award in the English fiction category for We’ll All Be Burnt in Our Beds Some Night.

In what some consider the most prestigious literary prize in the country, Hynes’ novel was one of 14 winners chosen from a list of 70 finalists.

We’ll All Be Burnt in Our Beds Some Night, which is also longlisted for the 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize, is about one man's kicking-and-screaming attempt to recuperate from a life of petty crime and shattered relationships. The award jury praised the story as "an act of full-throttle imagination and narrative invention.”

Mr. Speaker, along with being an acclaimed author, Joel Thomas Hynes is certainly making his mark in the entertainment scene across this country. As an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist, he has worked in the Canadian film and television industry for more than 15 years as a writer, actor and director.

Currently, Hynes is starring as lightweight boxer Tommy "Little Dog" Ross, who engages in a haphazard quest for redemption in the CBC series called “Little Dog.” This dark comedy is set to be released in 2018.

Mr. Speaker, Joel Thomas Hynes is a shining example of the many talented artists we have here in our province. Newfoundland and Labrador has a rich and unique artistic community that works tirelessly to create, produce and showcase some of the best work featured in this country and around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all Honourable members to join me in congratulating Joel Thomas Hynes on his Governor General’s Literary Award, and his continued development into one of the most distinctive and recognizable voices in Canada. Thank you.

2017 11 06                              1:55 p.m.