The Birth House by Ami McKay

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Welcome to The Birth House web page - a place for the latest news about the novel, dates for events, behind the scenes essays, tips, recipes and guides for book clubs and more.

Thanks for stopping by.
I hope you enjoy your visit!

News
Here's the latest…

Winter 2010

Unexpected but wonderful news....
I was humbled early this year when The Birth House was named by Chapters Indigo as one of the Best Books of the Decade. The Globe and Mail also listed it as the 30th best selling novel of the past decade. Many thanks to all of you for the wonderful ""word of mouth" endorsements that made this possible!

Spring 2009

Oh, for snowdrops, crocus, and peepers!

Jerome garners four nominations...

I’m thrilled to announce that Two Planks and a Passion’s 2008 production of Jerome: The Historical Spectacle has gotten four nominations for Theatre Nova Scotia’s Merritt Awards!

Supporting Actor – Ryan Rogerson for Crazy Frog Man

Costume Design – Denyse Karn

Sound Design/Original Score – Allen Cole and Ami McKay

New Play by a Nova Scotian Playwright – Ami McKay

Two Planks had nine nominations in all, gaining five for their production of Our Town as well! Congratulations to Ken Schwartz, artistic director, Chris O’Neill, director of The Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, and the entire Two Planks 2008 crew!

The awards will be announced on March 23, 2009. For more information, visit the official Robert Merritt Awards website.

Tweet!

Yes, I’m doing that Twitter thing...I’d love it if you’d follow me @SideshowAmi

The Birth House – Lithuanian style!

The Birth House has recently been published in Lithuania by Vaga.

You can read more about it (and my love for Frank Zappa) at Incidental Pieces.

September 2008 News

Here are a few events to usher in autumn.
Hope to see you there!

Thursday, September 18, 2008
7:00 Al Whittle Theatre
450 Main Street, Wolfville, NS

Fact vs. Fiction – A Reading with Kent Thompson
Ami McKay will read from her new play, Jerome: The Historical Spectacle, based on the Nova Scotia legend of The Mystery Man of Baie Sainte-Marie. Kent Thompson will read from The Man Who Said No, his examination of the life and writings of Loyalist, clergyman, and Annapolis Royal resident Jacob Bailey. The readings will be followed by a moderated discussion of each author’s treatment of fact and fiction in Nova Scotian history. This event will also feature music by local ukulelist John Kavanagh. Books and CDs can be purchased on-site from Box of Delights bookstore and refreshments will be available for sale by Just Us Café. This event is free and open to the public.

Sunday, September 28, 2008
Word on the Street Halifax
1:00 pm, Booth #43,
Cunard Event Centre, Halifax Waterfront

Word on the Street Halifax!
I’ll be discussing Jerome: The Historical Spectacle and my upcoming novel, The Virgin Cure. Please join me for this special behind-the-scenes Q&A.

Friday, October 24, 2008
Gaspereau Press Wayzgoose
7:00pm to 11:00pm Kentville Rec Centre
Kentville, Nova Scotia

An evening of readings by Karen Houle, Ami McKay and Johanna Skibsrud, with music by Bob Snider. Never heard of a Wayzgoose? Come find out what it’s all about!

Saturday, October 25, 2008
9:30 – 11:30AM Fiction for Breakfast
Paddy's Pub, Kentville, Nova Scotia

Mmmmmm...Fiction for Breakfast...
Have breakfast and talk books with novelists Ven Begamudre, Andrew Steinmetz and Ami McKay. Hosted by Susan Haley.

June 2008 News

I’ll be in Halifax
Monday, July 21, 2008
Behind the Scenes with Ami McKay
7pm @ the Keshan Goodman Public Library
(330 Lacewood Dr., Halifax)
Learn of the amazing Nova Scotian mystery that’s the inspiration for my upcoming play, Jerome – The Historical Spectacle! (Acadian Folklore! Sideshow history! Q&A! Visual Aids! Come one, come all...and bring any Jerome stories you may have hidden in your family’s past...)

Ross Creek Centre for the Arts – outdoor stage
Friday, August 1 – Sunday, August 17
Two Planks and a Passion Theatre presents the world premiere of my play -

For ticket information, please go to the Two Planks website:
http://www.twoplanks.ca/current/orderTickets2008.cfm

Me and my bratty brain...
Read my latest blog entry about the importance of feeding the creative self and my chance meeting with a sideshow wonder!

By the way...
Jerome isn’t the only play to catch at Ross Creek this summer.
As part of their Theatre Off the Grid season, Two Planks is also staging an outdoor production of
Thornton Wilder’s beloved play, Our Town. (I can’t wait! If you’ve never seen it, you should.)
Performances run July 3 -27 (with a preview on July 2)
For tickets: http://www.twoplanks.ca/current/offthegridschedule08.cfm

January 2008 News

Happy 2008!
Hope you had a beautiful holiday season…
Here’s what’s new in my little corner of the world.

The dates have been set for this summer’s performances of my play –
Jerome, The Historical Spectacle!
The play will run from August 1 – August 17 as part of Two Planks and a Passion Theatre Company’s Off the Grid season at the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts. Performances will be outdoors, unplugged, and boast the amazing talents of the Zuppa Circus Theatre Ensemble   (as well as many other Canadian actors and musicians.)
For details and ticket info. (and a swell Double Play special that’s on until March)
Please check out the Two Planks site:
http://www.twoplanks.ca
Hope to see you there!

Notes from the Jerome Journal

Take a behind-the-scenes look at my notes for the play and find out what it’s all about. (There’s even a hint at my next novel as well.)

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Gaspereau Press climbs on board!
I’m thrilled to announce that award-winning Gaspereau Press will be publishing a special edition of the play. Publication of Jerome, The Historical Spectacle will occur in conjunction with the run at Ross Creek – with something extra in store for those who attend the performances. (More details to come…)

The Birth House wins
the 2007 Evergreen Award

I Heart Libraries…

A big thanks to everyone who voted in this year’s Ontario Library Association Evergreen Awards. I’m so proud to be this year’s winner and can’t wait to spend some time with OLA members at their upcoming conference. See you soon.

Orato Interview

I was recently interviewed by Heather Wallace of Orato. It’s a really interesting citizen news site that features stories, interviews and ideas all shared in the first person.
Take some time to wander around the site!
Here’s my Interview at Orato.

Autumn News - 2007

November 5 - 2007

Ami McKay's The Birth House long listed for the 2008 IMPAC Literary Award

Organizers of the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award announced the long list of writers vying for the 2008 prize. Nominations for The world's most lucrative literary prize for a single work of fiction in English come from libraries around the world. The long list includes writers such as, Margaret Atwood, Richard Ford, Isabel Allende, Kiran Desai, Mark Haddon, Cormac McCarthy, Philip Roth, Heather O'Neill and Peter Behren, among others.

Link to: International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

October 2007
US Trade Paperback Released!
Harper Perennial US has released its trade paperback edition of The Birth House, including an exclusive PS section. (You can get the inside scoop – here)
I just adore the new cover!!!

A Stitch in Time

From time to time I'll be sharing some words from my personal journal/sketchbook for my next novel, The Virgin Cure. In this first instalment, I'm journaling about my recent experience of learning to suture.
http://amimckay.blogspot.com/2007/09/stitch-in-tme.html

Scots Bay Landmark Lost

Mid September, Scots Bay lost a landmark establishment to an early morning fire. In recent days, it was known as The Sand Dollar Cafe and before that as Dee Dee's Dinette. If you've ever come out this way to hike Cape Split, to visit the summer cottage, to go rock hounding on the beach, or just to tour the area - chances are, you stopped in at the store to get some hiking supplies or grab a bite to eat. I even know of a few book clubs that met there for lunch before heading out to explore the landscape that inspired The Birth House.

For the full entry, along with photographs of the glory days of Dee Dee's Dinette, please follow the link. (I'd love for those who have memories of the place to post them. )

Occasional Knitters Society Reaches 100+ members!
Our mighty little Facebook group has passed the century mark! If you're on Facebook and would like to join, please follow the link.

Between Interruptions: 30 Women tell the Truth About Motherhood,
is a new collection of essays by Canadian mothers. I'm so glad writer and editor Cori Howard asked me to contribute a piece about my struggles with keeping track of time, and my fear of calling myself a "writer" after becoming a mother for the second time. The confessions that make up this bold collection range from raw to revelatory and it's been a pleasure to dive into the words of other Canadian writer-moms like Christy Ann Conlin, Marina Jiminez, Karrina Onstad and others. It's had some great reviews so far, including a starred review in Quill and Quire. Way to go, Cori!

July News 2007

The OKS Wants YOU!
Become an official member of the Occasional Knitter’s Society at the OKS Facebook page. (You’ll get the inside scoop on what’s happening with my work and upcoming events. Plus, you’ll get to join in the ongoing conversation with me and the rest of the OKS…here’s to tea with mitts!)

It was THREE for THREE!
Thanks so much to the Canadian Booksellers’ Association for making The Birth House a big winner at this year’s Libris Awards in Toronto.
Book Design of the Year went to Kelly Hill for her fabulous work on The Birth House
The Birth House won Fiction Book of the Year
Ami McKay won Author of the Year
For all the details (and a little tale about CBC Radio’s Bill Richardson) see the June Scrapbook at Incidental Pieces
Read by the Sea
Come to River John, NS for this year’s Read by the Sea.
I’ll be reading in the 2pm line-up with Joan Clark, Don Hannah, and Freeman Patterson.
There’s fun for the kids from 9-noon, a Fest Feast at 5pm (make your reservations via the Read by the Sea web site) and an open mic. At 6:30pm.
Hope to see you there!
http://www.readbythesea.ca/
Finding Jerome
August 4 Ross Creek Centre for the Arts @ 2pm
There will be a one-time preview of my play-in-progress, Jerome.
Tickets are $10 / $7 for Seniors and students.
Find out more about this exciting collaboration with Two Planks and a Passion Theatre Company and their Art on the Mountaintop summer series.
By the way…the Two Planks and a Passion summer production is an amazing outdoor adaptation of The Odyssey. (July 26 – August 12) They’ve even teamed up with local eateries and lodging establishments for the perfect weekend getaways!

June News 2007

I'm going to be reading and signing at this year's inaugural BOOKED! Festival in Toronto.
The event I'm participating in features Jeanette Walls (The Glass Castle), Sherman Alexie (Flight), Jane Green (Second Chance) and little 'ol me - reading from The Birth House.
A perfect event for book clubs. It will likely be my last appearance in Toronto for a while, so I hope to meet you there!

Saturday June 9
4:30 pm
Enwave Theatre - Harbourfront Centre
235 Queens Quay West
Toronto
Tickets are $10
call: Harbourfront Centre box office 416-973-4000.
or go to: the Booked! Web site

Just wanted to let you know that if you’re ever near Wolfville, NS – The Box of Delights Bookstore is running a year-long program of giving in conjunction with The Birth House. For every copy of The Birth House sold, the store will contribute $4 to UNICEF’s girls’ education programs. Stop in and see Mitzi – and tell her I sent you!
P.S. I just signed a whack of copies there – so you might get one if you’re in the store any time soon…

Book-Talk with Stephen Clare

The Birth House is this month’s Daily News Book Club Pick!
Join in the conversation with Stephen Clare and other readers from the Halifax region and around the world. I’ll be answering your questions at the end of the session. Happy Reading!

THANKS SO MUCH!!!
My sincerest thanks to the Atlantic Independent Booksellers’ Association for honouring The Birth House with this year’s Bookseller’s Choice Award at the Atlantic Book Awards.
It was a thrill to have the award presented by president, Trudy Carey of Halifax’s wonderful Woozles. http://www.woozles.com/

April 2007 News
So Honoured…

2007 Atlantic Book Festival
The Birth House has been shortlisted for two of the Atlantic Book Festival Awards!
The Atlantic independent Booksellers' Choice Award
The Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Fiction Prize
Congratulations to all the other authors shortlisted for prizes!

As part of the celebrations I'll be headed (for the first time ever) to Newfoundland!
St. John's Newfoundland
Tuesday May 8
7pm @ the Masonic Temple (with Mary Dalton, Stephen Kimber, and Elaine McClusky,)
Wednesday May 9
7pm @ AC Hunter Library, The St. John's Culture Centre
I'll also be reading the night before
the awards ceremony in Halifax
Halifax, NS
Thursday May 10
7pm - A Shortlist Sampler (with Mary Dalton, Linden MacIntyre, and Pete Sanger) @ the Alumni Hall, University of King's College
For a full listing of events across the Atlantic region, please visit
http://www.writers.ns.ca/bookfest07/events.html
Plus- Join in the fun for a chance to win free shortlisted books via The Halifax Public Libraries contest: Bookie's Best Bet

The CBA (Canadian Booksellers Association) Libris Awards 2007 Shortlists have been announced and The Birth House has been nominated in three categories:
Fiction Book of the Year, Author of the Year, and Book Design of the Year.
For a full list of all the categories and finalists, vist the CBA's official Libris Page
Celebrating the Best in the Business and voted on by members of the Canadian book industry, CBA Libris Award Winners will be announced during CBA's Libris Awards Presentation, June 10, 2007, at Metro Toronto Convention Centre during BookExpo Canada 2007.
Picture This…

The first steps have been taken towards putting
Dora up on the big screen!
Producer Camelia Frieberg recently optioned The Birth House for film. I'm thrilled to be working with her on this project - she's an amazing woman and has collaborated with talents such as Atom Egoyan, Jeremy Podeswa, Deepa Mehta, and Amnon Buchbinder.
Click here to read about her most recent film, A Stone's Throw

Living East
CBC Television's Heidi Petracek came all the way out to Scots Bay to interview me. We spent some time in my writing studio, chatting about the writing life and what it means to me to be "living east." Get the behind-the scenes scoop and see the whole chat, including footage of the real birth house!

For an archive of past news items, please visit our archive