Brian Francis (born 1971) is a Canadian writer. His 2004 novel ''Fruit'' was selected for inclusion in the 2009 edition of
Canada Reads
''Canada Reads'' is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC. The program has aired in two distinct editions, the English-language ''Canada Reads'' on CBC Radio One, and the Fren ...
, where it was championed by novelist and
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of ...
personality
Jen Sookfong Lee
Jen Sookfong Lee is a Chinese Canadian broadcaster and novelist. A radio personality for CBC Radio One in Vancouver, British Columbia, she contributes a regular literary segment called "Westcoast Words" to ''On the Coast'' and ''All Points West ...
. It finished the competition as the runner-up, making the last vote against the eventual winner, Lawrence Hill's ''
The Book of Negroes
The ''Book of Negroes'' is a document created by Brigadier General Samuel Birch, under the direction of Sir Guy Carleton, that records names and descriptions of 3,000 Black Loyalists, enslaved Africans who escaped to the British lines durin ...
''.
Published in Canada by
ECW Press
ECW Press is a Canadian book publisher located in Toronto, Ontario. It was founded by Jack David and Robert Lecker in 1974 as a Canadian literary magazine named ''Essays on Canadian Writing''. They started publishing trade and scholarly books ...
and released on May 4, 2004, ''Fruit'' is the story of Peter Paddington, a teenager living in
Sarnia
Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes where Lake Huron ...
Quill & Quire
''Quill & Quire'' is a Canadian magazine about the book and publishing industry. The magazine was launched in 1935 and has an average circulation of 5,000 copies per issue, with a publisher-claimed readership of 25,000. ''Quill & Quire'' reviews ...
'', May 2004. Overweight, gay and a social outsider, Paddington regularly retreats into an active fantasy life which includes his own
nipple
The nipple is a raised region of tissue on the surface of the breast from which, in females, milk leaves the breast through the lactiferous ducts to feed an infant. The milk can flow through the nipple passively or it can be ejected by smooth ...
s talking to him, and the novel traces his journey toward self-acceptance.
The novel was published in paperback format in the United States by
Harper Perennial
Harper Perennial is a paperback imprint of the publishing house HarperCollins Publishers.
Overview
Harper Perennial has divisions located in New York, London, Toronto, and Sydney. The imprint is descended from the Perennial Library imprint foun ...
on August 2, 2005 under the title ''The Secret Fruit of Peter Paddington''. In 2014,
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
included the novel on its list of "100 Canadian Books to Read in a Lifetime."
''Fruit'' was well received by critics, with ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...
'' referring to it as "sweet, tart, and forbidden in all the right places."
In January 2022, Toronto production company Hawkeye Pictures and Ottawa’s Big Jump Entertainment announced they were developing ''Fruit'' as an animated series.
Francis' second novel, ''Natural Order'', published by
Doubleday Canada
Doubleday Canada is an imprint of the publishing company Penguin Random House Canada. The company used to be known as Forboys. It was incorporated in 1936, and since 1945 it has been known as Doubleday Canada Limited. In 1986 parent company Doubl ...
, was released on August 23, 2011. The novel tells the story of a mother coming to terms with the death of her adult son.
''Natural Order'' was positively reviewed by critics and made Best Books of 2011 lists for the ''
Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and pa ...
'' and ''
The Georgia Straight
''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools ...
''. The novel was short-listed for the
Ontario Library Association
The Ontario Library Association (OLA) was established in 1900 and is the oldest continually operating library association in Canada. With 5,000 members, OLA is also the largest library association in Canada and among the 10 largest library associ ...
's 2012 Evergreen Award and 2012 CBC Bookie Awards. ''Natural Order'' was designated a Top 40 selection for Canada Reads 2014.
He was awarded an Honour of Distinction citation by the
Writers' Trust of Canada
The Writers' Trust of Canada (french: La Société d'encouragement aux écrivains du Canada) is a registered charity which provides financial support to Canadian writers.
Founded by Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, Margaret Laur ...
's
Dayne Ogilvie Prize
The Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ Emerging Writers is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to an emerging Canadian writer who is part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer community. Origin ...
, a literary award for emerging LGBT writers in Canada, in 2008. In 2010, he served on the Dayne Ogilvie Prize jury, selecting
Nancy Jo Cullen
Nancy Jo Cullen is a Canadian poet and fiction writer, who won the 2010 Dayne Ogilvie Prize from the Writers' Trust of Canada for an emerging lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender writer."Writer Nancy Jo Cullen is a rising talent" , ''
Xtra!
''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former p ...
'', September 9, 2010.
In 2011, Francis created Caker Cooking, a weekly humour blog featuring "the best of the worst of mangiacake cuisine."
In March 2015, ''
Quill & Quire
''Quill & Quire'' is a Canadian magazine about the book and publishing industry. The magazine was launched in 1935 and has an average circulation of 5,000 copies per issue, with a publisher-claimed readership of 25,000. ''Quill & Quire'' reviews ...
'' magazine debuted Francis' advice column, "Ask the Agony Editor." The monthly humour column fields questions from readers about publishing and writing.
In its Summer 2018 issue, '' Taddle Creek'' magazine debuted a new humour food column by Francis that features retro and vintage recipes from Francis's collection of community
cookbook
A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes.
Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food.
Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (appetizer, first cour ...
s.
In August 2018, Francis debuted a new performance piece, ''Box 4901'', as part of the Summerworks Lab Series. Directed and co-created by Rob Kempson, featuring a cast of 13 actors and performed in part by Francis himself, ''Box 4901'' recounts Francis's attempt at finding love via a personals ad he placed in 1992. '' NOW'' magazine gave the piece 5 Ns and said it was full of "wisdom, humour and heartbreaking honesty". '' The Globe and Mail'' called the piece a "knockout," "fascinating," and "haunting."
In May 2019, Timeshare Performance announced ''Box 4901'' would be part of the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre 2019/2020 season, running from February 27 to March 8, 2020. ''Box 4901'' performed to sold-out audiences.CBC.ca called it a “profound must-see,” ''Mooney on Theatre'' called it “a lovely memoir that is absolutely worth seeing,” and ''NOW'' magazine said, “Francis’s writing has the sparkle of the best of
David Sedaris
David Raymond Sedaris (; born December 26, 1956) is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries.” He published his first co ...
, and his insights into his life are heartbreaking in their honesty.” ''Box 4901'' was nominated for three 2020
Dora Mavor Moore Award
The Dora Mavor Moore Award (also known as the Dora Award) is an award presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts which honours theatre, dance and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moore, who helped est ...
s, including Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble (Independent Theatre Division), Outstanding Lighting Design (Independent Theatre Division) and Outstanding Sound Design/Composition (Independent Theatre Division).
Francis' third novel, ''Break in Case of Emergency'', was published September 10, 2019 by
HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News C ...
Canada and marked his YA debut. The novel, about a 15-year-old girl and her estranged
female impersonator
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part ...
father, deals with issues about teen
mental health
Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...
,
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...
and
sexual orientation
Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generally ...
. The novel was well received by critics with
Apple Books
Apple Books (formerly known as iBooks between January 2010 and September 2018) is an e-book reading and store application by Apple Inc. for its iOS and macOS operating systems and List of iOS devices, devices. It was announced, under the name i ...
calling it a "knockout," and ''The Globe and Mail'' saying it "packs a powerful punch." The novel was also chosen as a Best Book of 2019 by ''The Globe and Mail'', ''Quill and Quire'', Apple Books and CBC Books. The novel was published in the United States in February 2020 with Inkyard Press.
''Break in Case of Emergency'' was selected as a finalist for the 2019
Governor General's Literary Awards
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields.
The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
in the category of Young People's Literature - Text. The novel was also nominated for a 2021
Forest of Reading
The Forest of Reading is Canada's largest recreational reading program, featuring ten award programs and run by the Ontario Library Association (OLA). Programs are primarily geared towards French and English readers in kindergarten to grade twelv ...
White Pine Award
The ''White Pine Award'' is one of the annual literature Forest of Reading awards sponsored by the Ontario Library Association (OLA).
Every year, 10 books are nominated for the award and students vote their favourite book.
The White Pine Nonfi ...
for fiction.
On August 17, 2021, Francis published the book version of ''Box 4901'', retitled ''Missed Connections: A Memoir in Letters Never Sent''. It was selected as a Loan Stars August 2021 Adult Top 10 Pick, and the ''Toronto Star'' called it “thoughtful, funny, poignant, insightful and honest.” The book was selected as one of five finalists for the 2022 Trillium Book Awards.
Francis, who is gay,"Pulpy, fleshy difference" , ''
Xtra!
''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former p ...
'', July 22, 2004. has also worked for the
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...
publications ''
Xtra!
''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former p ...
'' and ''NOW''.
See also
*
List of Canadian writers
This is a list of Canadian literary figures, including poets, novelists, children's writers, essayists, and scholars.
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Canadian literature
Canadian literature is the literature of a multicultural country, written in languages including Canadian English, Canadian French, Indigenous languages, and many others such as Canadian Gaelic. Influences on Canadian writers are broad both ...