(Old) News
Here's What Happened....
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, NSFact 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 ScotiaAn 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 ScotiaMmmmmm...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.cfmMe 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...
For tickets: http://www.twoplanks.ca/current/offthegridschedule08.cfm
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)
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 JournalTake 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 InterviewI 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 - 2007Ami McKay's The Birth House long listed for the 2008 IMPAC Literary AwardOrganizers 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.
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!)
Read by the Sea
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
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!!!
It was a thrill to have the award presented by president, Trudy Carey of Halifax’s wonderful Woozles. http://www.woozles.com/
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.
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 CentreI'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 CollegeFor a full listing of events across the Atlantic region, please visit
http://www.writers.ns.ca/bookfest07/events.htmlPlus- 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 PageCelebrating 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!February 2007
Here's what's happening in the bleak mid-winter…
These are the Days -
Chatelaine Cover - Feb, 1929
Alicia and the wonderful staff over at Chatelaine.com have asked me to share the joys, frustrations and hilarious moments from my life during the month of February. I hope you'll read my journal / blog, join in the conversation, and leave a comment or two (or three or four or more!)
Ami's Chatelaine Journal
The Mad March Hare
March will be a crazy month for me! The Canadian launch of the trade paperback edition of The Birth House is March 6, and after that, I'll be hopping across Canada to visit libraries, bookstores and literary festivals. (Wolfville, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Cobourg, Waterloo, Halifax) Check out my Appearances Page for all the details.
January 2007
Happy New Year! I hope you had a beautiful holiday season and that you're looking forward to a brilliant 2007. Here's what's new in my corner of the world…
Interview with Her Circle E-Zine
http://www.hercircleezine.com/AmiMcKay.html
Editor, Misty K. Erickson asks me about inspiration, women's health past and present, drawing characters, love, friendship and my next novel, The Virgin Cure. Her Circle is an international literature and arts magazine - exploring the feminine experience in the world community.A Space of One's Own
I now have a MySpace page! Stop by and say, 'hi'.
http://www.myspace.com/amimckay
My Wedding DressA few months ago, I was asked to contribute to this wonderful anthology. Now I'm pleased to say it's out in Canada!
My Wedding Dress explores the wedding outfit as a touchstone garment in women's lives. (The stories behind the dress…True-Life Tales of Lace, Laughter, Tears and Tulle) In the tradition of Dropped Threads, this collection offers twenty-six true stories from well-known writers and fresh new literary voices. (Some of the other contributors are: Michele Landsberg, Anita Rau Badami, and Edeet Ravel.)So you wanna be a writer?
The Writers' Union of Canada is currently accepting entries for their annual postcard competition. It's a great way to kick-start your writing…5-loonies, 250 words (or less), deadline, February 14, 2007. You gotta start somewhere!
(open to Canadian citizens and landed immigrants)
WUC's Post Card Competition Details
http://www.writersunion.ca/psc.html
As we head in to 2007, I want to take a moment to say "thanks". Last year was one huge journey for me and I feel as if you've all been along with me for the ride. Because of you - family, friends, readers, librarians, booksellers, bloggers, writers, and all my publishing pals - my words made their way around the world. Stay tuned for a fabulous '07 - blogging at Chatelaine.com, making spring appearances here and there, working on my first play, and dropping a few hints for book #2, The Virgin Cure. Until then, here are just a few year-end presents that Santa left under my tree. I share them with you! Amazing.
One of Quill and Quire's Books of the Year - …the book's biggest ally was word of mouth, spurred on by the book's narrative momentum and its portrayal of the challenges faced by an earlier generation of women. - from Quill and Quire, December 2006
2006: A tale of early midwifery beats all comers.
Bestsellers: Debut novelist Ami McKay catches a word of mouth whirlwind, turning her historical novel, The Birth House into the surprise blockbuster of the year. #1 Book of Original Fiction for 2006 -the Toronto Star - December 30, 2006#1 Customer favourite at Amazon.ca
The Birth House leads our list of the top 50 topselling books on Amazon.ca during 2006.
SassyMonkey Reads Pick for 2006 - The Birth House by Ami McKay was my break-away favourite this year. I felt compelled to not only to tell people about it but to buy copies to mail to people because I felt that people *must* read it.
Chosen as a Readers Pick - Irish Times 2006
Vancouver Sun Books of 2006 - One of the first books I read this year and easily the best novel I encountered in 2006, this account of a midwife in turn-of-the-(20th)-century Nova Scotia is everything a novel should be: funny and tragic, joyful and sorrowful, filled with rich, carefully drawn characters and experiences that linger long in the mind.
The Birth House spent most of the year on bestseller lists and marked the arrival of a splendid new talent. I can't wait to see what Ami McKay does next. - Robert Wiersema, for the Vancouver Sun.
November 2006 News
Two Nova Scotia Appearances!
November 22
I'll be signing books and answering questions at the Dartmouth Chapters. Come have a relaxing evening, a little chit-chat, and get a book signed before the holiday rush hits!
7pm - 8:15
41 MicMac Boulevard, Dartmouth NS.
(902) 466-1640November 29
The Fieldwood Heritage Society presents:
Ami McKay - Fact into Fiction: the stories, inspiration and history behind The Birth House.
7:30pm Canning Fire Hall.
What a treat to read and speak in a town with so much history and so many ties to my work! I hope you'll join us - open to all! (It's a free event, but I hope you'll consider donating to the Society. They have a lovely museum above the Canning Library and they are currently renovating the old Dickie-Baxter house - donations are appreciated.A Holiday Gift for Readers!!!!
This has been such a tremendous year for me, so I thought I'd find a way to say 'thank-you' to my readers. If you send me an email with a request, I'll send you a personalized, signed bookplate along with a holiday card/note. (Normally you have to send a self-addressed stamped envelope to get a bookplate…) It can be personalized to someone special that you're giving the book to, or it can be for yourself…I won't tell Santa.
Requests can be from anywhere on the planet, just be sure you get them to my email box by December 12, 2006. (Please put "Holiday Card" in the subject line.)
ami@amimckay.com
And speaking of Holiday Cheer…Barnes and Noble Booksellers has chosen The Birth House as a Holiday 2006 Selection for their Discover Great New Writers program. The Birth House will be featured in all Barnes and Noble stores for the months of November, December and January!"Lovers of historical fiction are in for a treat with McKay's absorbing debut novel…A woman's right to control her own body is a theme that still resonates today and McKay explores it with insight, sensitivity and tremendous passion."
Cozy Cover Girl
Check out the December issue of Quill and Quire…I'm featured in a story/interview by Susan Catto. (photo by the amazing Kevin Kelly!)Bloggy- Love
Two wonderful reviews have appeared in blogs this past month. Both blogs are part of web sites and organizations that I adore!The Birth Ecology Project
The Birth Ecology Project advocates for gentle birth and parenting practices that are conscientious of the mother-baby relationship and ecological balance. We promote healing the state of birth on our planet through midwifery, doula care, natural birth, conscious parenting, sustainable living, and tolerance for all kinds of families.Lunapads
Lunapads is a women-owned small business based in Vancouver, Canada. Our mission is to help women have healthier and more positive experiences of their menstrual cycles, and by extension, their bodies overall.
October 2006 News
I heart IFOA!
There's a saying that gets thrown around with exuberance during college basketball playoff season in Indiana…if your team makes it to the Sweet Sixteen finals, you're 'going to the Big Dance.' For small schools with scrappy players, nothing beats a chance to dance. It's that bookish (Drew Barrymore in Never Been Kissed) girl getting asked to the prom kind of feeling - and exactly how I felt when I was asked to read at this year's International Festival of Authors in Toronto. (Yes, I actually squealed when my I got the good news.)October 22 - 1pm - Premiere Dance Theatre
I'm reading with Bernice Eisenstein, Rosemary Sullivan, and Sarah Waters!October 25 - 7pm - Studio Theatre
There will be a roundtable discussion with Janet Fitch, Claire Messud, Meg Wolitzer and me…moderated by Shinan Govani.Tickets are on sale now!!! For Box Office and Info:
416-973-4000 http://www.readings.org/
I'm proud to announce that The Birth House has been picked as a Booksense Notable for October! Booksense is a wonderful group of indie booksellers in the US and I'm thrilled and honoured to have their support."Like the tidal surge in the Bay of Fundy, McKay's wonderful novel pulls you in. A great book club pick!" - Maryjude Hoeffel, Bookin' It, Little Falls, MN.
All the world's a stage…
Two Planks and Passion Theatre Co. is celebrating its 15 anniversary this year! They have some wonderful things in the works…a musical adaptation of the CBC Canada Reads winner, Frank Parker Day's Rockbound, an outdoor production of The Odyssey, and I'm currently developing a play based on an enduring Nova Scotia mystery - the story of Jerome. To read more about the mystery behind the tale, (or to contribute your own bit of Jerome's story) please see my blog entry, Searching for Jerome.Just the FAQ's
I tried out FAQQILY a couple of months ago and really got hooked on the idea of an interactive FAQ. It's a wonderful mix of comments, questions, book club, and community and I find it less intimidating than trying to run a forum (that never seems to be free of glitches or spam!) So, in the spirit of "out with the old and in with the new", I'm shutting down the Kitchen Table Forums and revving up my FAQQLY page! Please stop by - questions and comments are welcome!
If you are a member of MySpace you may also wish to drop by my new MySpace Page.Oktober Fest!
How fitting that I was sent the cover art for the German edition of The Birth House this month! It's knefla and sauerbraten at my house in anticipation of the upcoming publication by btb / Random House Germany - March 2007. And, if you've got keen eyes, you'll have noticed that they changed to title to In Mondnachten. Doesn't it just sing? I love it!
http://www.randomhouse.de/btb/Filly.ca
Stop by "Halifax's Chick Website" to read an interview with Filly writer, Shannon Webb-Campbell.
September 2006 News
Lots of readings in store this fall (Indianapolis, Halifax, Toronto and Windsor, ON)…take your pick and I hope to see you soon!
September 14 - Big Hat Books in Broad Ripple Village - Indy.
September 25 - Word on the Street - Halifax
September 27 - Reading with Wayne Johnston - Halifax
For times, locations, tickets etc. as well as readings in October and November, please visit the Appearances Page.
News Flash!
Karen Brody, playwright and creator of BOLD, has chosen The Birth House as the first pick for her BOLD book club.
What's most exciting to me about the BOLD book club is that it's all about community.
Starting September 1, readers around the world will be discussing The Birth House via listserve. And, I'll even get to have a call-in phone conversation with all of you!
For the official announcement and information on how to join, please visit the BOLD book club page
Reviews have been coming in from the UK and the US. Here's a sampling of what's being said about The Birth House…
"This is an impressive novel, laced with quirky research and rippling with muscular poetry." - The Observer
"McKay has done her research…and along with her lyrical prose and deft storytelling, she cements the historical context with clippings of advertisements, news articles and correspondence among the characters." - The Chicago Sun-Times
"I can honestly state that The Birth House is incredible in all sense of the word."
-Amelia's Passion
The Wise Women Blog Tour was a smash!
If you happened to miss it and would like
to take the tour, it's not too late!
Just head over to the WWBT page and click the links.
Thanks to everyone who participated. What an amazing experience!experience!By the way, I'll be guest blogging at Giving Birth With Confidence for the entire month of September, so be sure to check it out!
August 2006 News
To celebrate the UK and US publications of The Birth House, as well as the six-month anniversary of the Canadian edition, I'm hosting The Wise Women Blog Tour.The WWBT runs from August 21 -August 29, and will include rants, reviews, interviews, essays and photos. Best of all, it can include you too! This is the beauty of the blogging community…comments for discussion are encouraged along the way. Click here to find out more!
August 22
The Birth House will be released in the USA by
Wm. Morrow/HarperCollins!
Click here for details on how to pre-order or find a local bookseller...August 7
The Birth House will be officially launched in the
UK by 4th Estate/ HarperCollins!
I've already had my first print review in SHE magazine.
"This is truly a captivating read…"
and an amazing review from a terrific blogger, Dovegreyreader. Click here for details on how to pre-order or find a local bookseller...Historically Speaking
I'm pleased to announce that The Birth House has been chosen as an "Editor's Pick" by The Historical Novel Society!
"The author is a fresh new voice in Canadian writing… Wise, wry, witty and yet deeply serious, this novel reminds me of the novel L. M. Montgomery might have written about Anne Shirley had she been allowed, and had her heroine chosen to become a midwife and not a teacher."
Visit the HNS site and scroll down the page to read the entire review. (By the way, if you love historical fiction, this is THE place to go to read about what's coming next!)Announcing the release of The Birth House in The Netherlands…Het Geboortehuis is published by Luitingh ~ Sijthoff.
Visit my blog, Incidental Pieces to read more about it and to see a Dutch review (as well as the wacky babelfish translation of it!)
For your listening pleasure…
The Globe and Mail has a recording of me reading the "Vibration is Life" portion of the novel on their web site.
For your viewing pleasure…
You probably noticed the nifty 'trailer' that now appears on thebirthhouse.com, but I wanted to let you know about another Birth House inspired book trailer that was recently created by the daughter of the owners of The Inside Story bookstore. It even has a soundtrack!
For your reading pleasure…
My Canadian editor at Knopf Canada, Angelika Glover, was kind enough to answer a few behind-the-scenes questions about the editorial process. Check out my interview with her at my blog, Incidental Pieces.The Fall Line-up!
Autumn 2006 is shaping up to be a busy but exciting time for me.
September will bring a trip to the States (details TBA), and two readings in Halifax.
October is the International Festival of Authors in Toronto.
November brings a reading at the Toronto Reference Library and the Windsor Book Fest.
For all the nitty-grtty, times and places, please visit my appearances page.June-July, 2006
Wm. Morrow/HarperCollins USA has chosen The Birth House as part of their "First Look" program.Although The Birth House won't be released in bookstores in the US until August 22nd, you can visit the following page and sign up to be one of the first in the States to read and review the US edition. (You'll get a free advanced reading edition of the book - that's a proof of the book before it comes out in hardcover - something that's pretty collectable these days!)
The deadline for signing up is July 31st.
Here's the link:
First Look - The Birth House
Holy Podcasts, Batman!
The Ottawa International Writers Festival chose little-old me for their first podcast from the 2006 Spring fest.
It's from the reading I gave in April at the Library and Archives...I talk a bit about historical research and then read from the portion of the novel that covers the Halifax Explosion. Listen here.July 10-14 Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, NS
I'll be teaching a creative writing course for youth (ages 11+) at The Ross Creek Centre for the Arts during their Summer Arts Camp!
The class is filling up fast, so if you know of a young person interested in attending, go to the Ross Creek Site for details.
July 15 Ross Creek Centre for the Arts - Art on the Mountaintop Summer Stretch for Adult Writers - Now the grown-ups can come and play too!
Spend an afternoon stretching your creative muscles.
Whether your focus is fiction or non-fiction, this workshop can help you see your writing in new ways. Break into something new, or break out of a rut, with writing exercises, tips, and shop talk. Special emphasis will be given to writing practice and finding voice.1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Writing workshop
and for the package deal…stay for supper (6 -7) and a performance by Zuppa Circus.
for complete details, check out the online brochure.
May 2006 - News
Book Give-Aways and a Book Club Contest!
Visit my blog, Incidental Pieces, for information about two online book give-aways as well as a book club contest sponsored by CBC Radio.
The Best Things in Life Are…
On the Road Again…
Here's where I'll be in the next few weeks. Come out and say 'hello', I love meeting readers! (For full details and a longer listing of events, please visit the appearances page.
May 28, 2006
Fredericton, New Brunswick
7pm - 9pm @ Chapters Books
June 11. 2006
Toronto, ON
Metro Toronto Convention Centre,
North Building
Book Expo Canada from 12 noon - 12:30 @ the Random House boothJune 17, 2006
Halifax NS
My Fair Baby
I'll be reading from 1:30 to 2:00 PM and then signing books at the Venus Envy booth.
St David's Presbyterian Church hall, Brunswick Street, Halifax (right behind the Spring Garden Library)Isn't She Lovely?
In honour of the upcoming home birth week in Wales
(March 27 - 31 - isn't that one of the coolest things you've ever heard?) I thought I'd give you a sneak peek of the cover for the UK edition of The Birth House…
Published by 4th Estate, an imprint of Harper Collins UK - On Sale August 7, 2006
(But you can pre-order at your local bookseller or at Amazon.co.uk)
Book Club Alert!
I'm pleased to announce that Erica Ehm has chosen The Birth House as a book club pick over at Yummy Mummy!
Yes, the Erica Ehm. If you haven't heard, she's got a nifty TV show devoted to motherhood, finding balance in your life, and "parking your guilt at the door". (Gotta love that!)
Best of all, there's a web site to go along with her show and it's full of all kinds of helpful hints, interesting conversation, and a "between the covers" book club.
MORE Book club goodness…
If your book club (on or off line) has chosen The Birth House to read, I'd love to hear from you! ami@amimckay.com
In the next few weeks I'll be starting a new section on the site devoted to comments from readers, recipes from book clubs and snapshots of club gatherings!
(It seems chapters of The Occasional Knitters Society are popping up all over the place…) If you've got book club tales or photos you'd like to share, let me know. Your club could be featured on the web site. (Also, watch for an O.K.S. contest…coming soon. And…plans for a big book club event in Halifax are in the works.)
Spring AppearancesApril 29 - Canning, NS
ArtCan Gallery and Café @ 9:00pm.$5.00 per person.
Limited seating so please call to reserve your tickets.
582 7071May 3 - Middleton, NS (7pm)
Reading and conversation at the Macdonald Museum, hosted by The Inside Story, Greenwood. For information call: 1-902-765-6116May 28 - Fredericton, NB
Reading at Chapters (details TBA)
April News 2006A big week for The Birth House!
#1 Canadian Booksellers Association (week ending April 8)
#1 Quill and Quire (week of April 2- 8)
#1 Maclean's (week of April 10)
# 1 National Post (April 15)
#1 The Globe and Mail (April 15)
#1 Bravo.ca
The Birth House has been making bestseller lists across Canada! For the weekMarch 26-Apr 1st, it was # 2 on the following fiction lists:
The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Booksellers Association, and Maclean's.
Once again, my sincerest thanks to YOU (readers, booksellers, librarians, midwives, doulas, and many more) who are sharing the book with others!Oh, Oh Shelagh! - April 5, 2006
The CBC Radio Sounds Like Canada interview with Shelagh Rogers is now available as an audio file online:
And while you're listening, check out Ami's blog entry, including photos of her day at the CBC studios in Halifax.
The feature story in The Coast this week (April 6 - April 13) is all about The Birth House and midwifery in Nova Scotia! Read Sue Carter-Flynn's wonderful article online.Spring Readings in Halifax, Ottawa, Halifax (again) and even Middleton NS.
(for further details and contact information, plus listings for other events, please check out the Appearances page.April 8 - Halifax (7pm The Lord Nelson Hotel)
Reading at the Halifax International Writers' Festival (with Lynn Coady and Bapsi Sidwa)April 19 - Ottawa
(8:30pm The Auditorum at the Library and Archives)
Reading at the Ottawa International Writers' Festival (Spring Edition, with Madeline Thien and Anar Ali)April 20 - Halifax (7pm)
Reading and conversation at the Spring Garden Public LibraryMay 3 - Middleton, NS (7pm)
Reading and conversation at the Macdonald Museum, hosted by The Inside Story, Greenwood.Talk of Women's Lives, The Community of Birth, and The Writing Life
A recent interview with CKUT's Mahalia Verna is now available online. I had a wonderful time chatting with her! (and it brought back memories of my campus radio days…)You can listen to it via the CKUT website. Select the "sound" icon next to "The Wednesday Morning After". Once the Archive box pops up, then choose either the streaming audio or download next to "Entire Show" (I was later in the second half of the first hour, but you'll have to choose the entire show, since it went over the first hour mark.) The interview lasts about 20 minutes.Everybody's Talkin'
The Kitchen Table Forums are open for conversation…everything from book discussions, the writing life, and general chit-chat.
March News 2006
March 5, 2006 The Birth House has made the Globe and Mail's bestseller list at # 9!
(It's also #1 this week on the Chronicle Herald's Nova Scotian bestsellers list and in it's third week on the Calgary bestseller list it's climbed to #1.) Thank-you , thank-you, thank-you readers!
I'm on and off the road for the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll see some of you along the way. Here are some things that are coming up…
Reviews and interviews have appeared in many publications and web sites (such as CBC.ca Arts, The Ottawa Citizen, The National Post, The Calgary Herald, and the Globe & Mail etc.) Click HERE to find a complete listing of online links.
I'm proud to announce that The Birth House has been chosen as a Chapters/Indigo Heather's Pick! Visit the Chapters.ca website to read Heather Reisman's wonderful Review.
Vancouver - Thursday March 9 - 7:00PM
Ami will be reading along with Gail Anderson Dargatz
@ Fireside Books
2652 Arbutus Street, Vancouver
ph: 604-734-7323
http://www.firesidebooks.ca/
March - Chatelaine Special Guest Forum
The special guest forum at Chatelaine.com is opening. I'll be making a special 'live chat' appearance at the forum (between 12 and 2pm EST.) to answer the questions that have been posted and to chat with those who visit the forum when I'm online. (If you can't make the chat on the 10th, feel free to leave a question anytime from the 6th -10th, but I hope to see you there!)
The publication date in the UK (4th Estate/Harper Collins UK) has been set for August 7, 2006! Publication in the USA (Wm. Morrow/Harper Collins USA) to follow shortly after. You can now pre-order The Birth House in the UK and the US, click HERE for details on how to order from Canada, the UK or the US.
February News - 2006Lots of things happening this month!
*Readings, Events, and upcoming media spots are listed on the Appearances Page.
Read a wonderful interview and feature with writer Andrea Curtis at the CBC.ca Arts website.
*The New Face of Fiction is Here!
Knopf Canada has recently re-launched their NFoF web site. It features author profiles, book descriptions, author interviews, and a look at the past ten years. Yes, it features yours truly for 2006, but better than that is the NFoF Library Contest! You could win all 30 books published in the NFoF program. To enter, go Here.*Chatelaine magazine now features from the March issue online, including an exclusive chapter from The Birth House. AND…jot down your questions now…I'll be dropping by the Chatelaine online book forum March 6-10 to have a chat about books, the writing life, and The Birth House. I took a peek the other day…It's a wonderful place to hang out and talk books!
*Book Club ALERTS!
- Book Giveaway! Starting February 14, The Birth House will be featured for two weeks in the Bookclubs.ca giveaway contest. Bookclubs.ca is a great resource for bookclubs…book descriptions, readings guides, etc.- Speaking of sites for bookclubs…The Novelties page is up and running here at thebirthhouse.com. You can find all kinds of goodies there. (reading guide, signed bookplates, author interview, recipes, take the hysteria quiz or have your tea leaves read.)
- CBC Radio Halifax's Mainstreet Bookclub has chosen The Birth House as this month's title! Read along and then tune in to Carmen Klassen and the rest of the club in early March to hear the discussion.
* Check out my latest blog entries…including an interview with Kelly Hill, the amazing woman who designed the Knopf Canada edition of The Birth House.
January News
Happy New Year!
In a little over a month The Birth House will be out in the world. The in-store date in Canada is February 14, 2006. Valentine's Day. Wow.I'll be posting updates throughout the next few weeks, but here's the latest…Tickets are now available for the February 15th launch in Wolfville, NS!Reading, Reception and Book Signing at the Acadia Cinema - 7:30pmWednesday, February 15, 2006
Tickets $2 - available at The Box of Delights Bookstore (542-9511) All proceeds go to The Midwifery Coalition of Nova Scotia.Events and media appearances are currently being scheduled in Halifax, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Details to be posted soon!
My first online interview…An author's Q&A has been posted at the Random House Canada website. Click here to read it.
And for those who can't get to one of the cities on the tour, I'm putting together a Virtual Book Tour to take place in March. I'll be making a week-long "guest appearance" at a book club forum, writing essays and being interviewed at various web sites and blogs. If you have a blog or online journal and you'd like to participate, please email me. The more the merrier! Email Ami
November 2005
An excerpt from The Birth House will appear in the March issue of Chatelaine. (It hits newsstands mid-February) Chatelaine Magazine has a long and wonderful history and I'm proud to say that I'll soon be a part of it!
A special 'thanks' to the members of CAM (the Canadian Association of Midwives) for inviting me to speak at their national conference in Halifax. The luncheon reading on November 11 was the perfect way to introduce The Birth House to my first audience. To read more about this wonderful day, visit my blog entry:
October 2005
The first words are in…
Read what authors Marjorie Anderson, Joan Clark, Chisty Ann Conlin, and Beth Powning have to say about The Birth House.
Advanced Praise for The Birth HouseMark Your Calendar!
February 15, 2006 - A Reading, reception and launch will be held in Wolfville, Nova Scotia for The Birth House.
Check out the Appearances page for more details or to see when I'll be coming to a city near you.Scrapbook Update…
Discover the story behind the novel. My interactive scrapbook now includes essays and features on The Conception of the Novel, The Occasional Knitters Society, and The Halifax Explosion. Here.
September 2005
The Birth House will be published February 14, 2006 by Knopf Canada as the only title for the 10th anniversary of their New Face of Fiction program. (Alumni of the program include, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Gail Anderson-Dargatz, Steven Heighton, Lori Lansens, Yann Martel, Mary Lawson, and Lilian Nattel to name a few)
I'm also thrilled to announce that The Birth House has been scooped up in the UK and the US! Clare Reihill of 4th Estate/Harper Collins UK has acquired it for a publication date of August 2006. Claire Wachtel (editor of A. Manette Ansay's Vinegar Hill and Dennis Lehane's Mystic River) acquired it on behalf of Wm. Morrow/Harper Collins USA for publication January 2007.
German and Dutch translation rights were previously sold to btb Verlag (an imprint of Random House Germany) and Luitingh Sijthoff, respectively.November 2005
An excerpt from The Birth House will appear in the March issue of Chatelaine. (It hits newsstands mid-February) Chatelaine Magazine has a long and wonderful history and I'm proud to say that I'll soon be a part of it!
A special 'thanks' to the members of CAM (the Canadian Association of Midwives) for inviting me to speak at their national conference in Halifax. The luncheon reading on November 11 was the perfect way to introduce The Birth House to my first audience. To read more about this wonderful day, visit my blog entry:
October 2005
The first words are in…
Read what authors Marjorie Anderson, Joan Clark, Chisty Ann Conlin, and Beth Powning have to say about The Birth House. Advanced Praise for The Birth HouseMark Your Calendar!
February 15, 2006 - A Reading, reception and launch will be held in Wolfville, Nova Scotia for The Birth House. Check out the Appearances page for more details or to see when I'll be coming to a city near you.Scrapbook Update…
Discover the story behind the novel. My interactive scrapbook now includes essays and features on The Conception of the Novel, The Occasional Knitters Society, and The Halifax Explosion. Here.September 2005
I'm pleased to announce that The Birth House has been scooped up in the UK and the US! Clare Reihill of 4th Estate/Harper Collins UK has acquired it for a publication date of August 2006. Claire Wachtel (editor of A. Manette Ansay's Vinegar Hill and Dennis Lehane's Mystic River) acquired it on behalf of Wm. Morrow/Harper Collins USA for publication January 2007.
Ellie Update!
Case closed. I found "Ellie". (Actually, she found me.) Yesterday I received the following email...read more and the original Ellie poem here.
BIG NEWS!!!!
You can now pre-order The Birth House from the major online bookstores. Click here for Chapters.ca, Amazon.ca or head on down to your local independent bookseller and put your order in. Release date is 14 February, 2006.
Spring 2005Midwives in Balance: Partnership and Practice for Normal Birth
I'm pleased to announce that I'll be presenting at the 2005 Canadian Association of Midwives conference, November 9-11 in Halifax.
I'll post the details soon.We Have a Winner!
Congratulations to Gritessa over at The Kitchen Table Boards for her personal and insightful version of an Ellie Poem.
She recieved a copy of Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird to help keep her pen moving.
Thanks to all those who participated. (We've had so much interest in writing over at the Kitchen Table that we're starting a writing circle. Please email me if you're interested in joining us!
ami@amimckay.comMore Good News
I recently got the news that the German rights to The Birth House have been sold to btb Verlag, an imprint of Random House Germany.
My First Review
Mary Baken at New Pages reviewed the issue of Room of One's Own in which my short story, Christ on a Bike, appeared.
New Pages is a great resource for literary journal reviews and more.
Short and sweet, here it is. And here's an updated link to Christ on a Bike.
February 2005
My short story, Christ on a Bike, will be featured in Vol 28:1 of Room of One's Own, a Canadian literary journal for women writers.
I'm pleased to announce the official launch of The Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit - seventeen female authors blogging together to create an online conversation about books, writing, and life. This month's featured writer is Alison Pace, author of If Andy Warhol had a Girlfriend.
From Publisher's Marketplace: Dutch rights to Ami McKay's THE BIRTH HOUSE, the fictional memoir/scrapbook of a midwife working in a Nova Scotia fishing village in the early part of the 20th century, to Marga de Boer at Luitingh Sijthoff, by the Marsh Agency on behalf of the Helen Heller Agency.
November 2004 - Maritime midwife
Knopf Canada publisher Diane Martin has signed a deal with first-time novelist Ami McKay for The Birth House. The book is about a young apprentice midwife who lives in a Nova Scotian fishing village during the first half of the 20th century, a period when modern obstetrics were still looked upon with suspicion. McKay based the book loosely upon the history of her own house in Scots Bay, Nova Scotia, which used to be occupied by a midwife. Publication is set for spring 2006.
- from Quill and QuireDecember 2004
I'm proud to say I can add my name to the list of associate editors of fiction at The Antigonish Review.Summer 2004
I was awarded a Creation Grant from The Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage for The Birth House.
Midwifery is an important part of women's lives in Nova Scotia (as well as around the world). In July I was honoured to be a guest speaker at the The Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women's Health's Midwifery Way Conference.
In September I spent a wonderful evening sharing stories about the history of midwifery at the Second Story Women's Centre in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.
Midwives in Nova Scotia are still struggling for recognition and a place within the medical system. Please visit The Midwifery Coalition of Nova Scotia to find out how you can help.
