The Sentimentalists (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Sentimentalists is a novel by Canadian
writer Johanna Skibsrud
, which was the winner of the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize
.
.
, a boutique firm based in Nova Scotia which is one of Canada's only book publishing companies that still binds and prints its own books, and was published in an initial print run of just 800 copies. However, the novel's Giller Prize win pushed sales demand for the novel well beyond the 1,000 copies per week that Gaspereau could produce on its own, with the result that the book was virtually unavailable in stores. Chapters-Indigo
, Canada's primary bookstore chain, did not have a single copy of the book in stock anywhere in Canada in the entire week of the Giller announcement. However, the paper book's unavailability resulted in a significant increase in ebook sales; the ebook version of the novel quickly became the top-selling title for Kobo
devices.
Gaspereau subsequently announced that it had sold the novel's trade paperback rights to Douglas & McIntyre
, while Gaspereau will continue to print a smaller run of the novel's original edition for book collectors. The Douglas & McIntyre edition will retail for $19.95, while the original Gaspereau edition will sell for $27.95. The Douglas & McIntyre edition of the novel arrived in stores on November 25, 2010, fifteen days after the novel's Giller Prize victory was announced.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
writer Johanna Skibsrud
Johanna Skibsrud
Johanna Skibsrud is a Canadian writer, whose debut novel The Sentimentalists won the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize.She has also published two books of poetry, Late Nights with Wild Cowboys in 2008 and I Do Not Think That I Could Love a Human Being in 2010. Late Nights with Wild Cowboys was a...
, which was the winner of the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize
Scotiabank Giller Prize
The Scotiabank Giller Prize, or Giller Prize, is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English the previous year, after an annual juried competition between publishers who submit entries...
.
Synopsis
The novel's protagonist is an unnamed young woman seeking to better understand her relationship with her father by investigating his experience in the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Publishing delays
The book had been rejected by several larger publishing houses before being picked up by Gaspereau PressGaspereau Press
Gaspereau Press is a Canadian book publishing company, based in Kentville, Nova Scotia. Established in 1997 by Andrew Steeves and Gary Dunfield, the company's philosophy emphasizes "making books that reinstate the importance of the book as a physical object", maintaining control over the design and...
, a boutique firm based in Nova Scotia which is one of Canada's only book publishing companies that still binds and prints its own books, and was published in an initial print run of just 800 copies. However, the novel's Giller Prize win pushed sales demand for the novel well beyond the 1,000 copies per week that Gaspereau could produce on its own, with the result that the book was virtually unavailable in stores. Chapters-Indigo
Indigo Books and Music
Indigo Books & Music Inc. is a Canadian retail bookstore chain. The company was founded in 1996 by CEO Heather Reisman, wife of Gerry Schwartz, majority owner and CEO of Onex Corporation....
, Canada's primary bookstore chain, did not have a single copy of the book in stock anywhere in Canada in the entire week of the Giller announcement. However, the paper book's unavailability resulted in a significant increase in ebook sales; the ebook version of the novel quickly became the top-selling title for Kobo
Kobo eReader
The Kobo eReader is an e-book reader produced by Toronto-based company Kobo Inc. The original version was released in July 2010 and was marketed as a minimalist alternative to the more expensive e-book readers available at the time. , fifty-eight percent of Kobo Inc is owned by Indigo Books & Music...
devices.
Gaspereau subsequently announced that it had sold the novel's trade paperback rights to Douglas & McIntyre
Douglas & McIntyre
Douglas & McIntyre is an independent Canadian publishing company founded in 1971. They are the publishers for such noted authors as Margaret Atwood and Douglas Coupland; poet Lorna Crozier; actress Kim Cattrall; chef John Bishop; and politician Mike Harcourt...
, while Gaspereau will continue to print a smaller run of the novel's original edition for book collectors. The Douglas & McIntyre edition will retail for $19.95, while the original Gaspereau edition will sell for $27.95. The Douglas & McIntyre edition of the novel arrived in stores on November 25, 2010, fifteen days after the novel's Giller Prize victory was announced.