''The Favourite Game'' is the

first novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

. It was first published by

Secker and Warburg Harvill Secker is a British publishing company formed in 2005 from the merger of Secker & Warburg and the Harvill Press. History Secker & Warburg Secker & Warburg was formed in 1935 from a takeover of Martin Secker, which was in receivership, ...

in the fall of 1963. In 1959, Cohen was awarded a $2,000

Canada Council The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal i ...

grant, which he used to live cheaply in London and on the Greek island of Hydra while he wrote the novel, then titled ''Beauty at Close Quarters''. When he returned to Canada in 1960, it was rejected by his publisher,

McClelland & Stewart McClelland & Stewart Limited is a Canadian publishing company. It is owned by Penguin Random House of Canada, a branch of Penguin Random House, the international book publishing division of German media giant Bertelsmann. History It was founded ...

. Jack McClelland was concerned about the autobiographical content and found the novel to be tedious and preoccupied with sex. He suggested major revisions, without guaranteeing publication once those revisions were made.''The Favorite Game'', by T.F. Rigelhof, The Globe and Mail, January 22, 2000
/ref> Cohen placed the book with publishers in England and America who requested a shorter length, so he cut the book in half. He wrote, "anyone with an ear will know I've torn apart orchestras to arrive at my straight, melodic line." ''The Favourite Game'' was published in England in October, 1963, and in New York in September, 1964. The book was only available as an import in Canada until McClelland & Stewart published a

New Canadian Library The New Canadian Library is a publishing imprint of the Canadian company McClelland and Stewart. The series aims to present classic works of Canadian literature in paperback. Each work published in the series includes a short essay by another nota ...

paperback edition in 1970. The current Canadian edition includes an afterword by

Paul Quarrington Paul Lewis Quarrington (July 22, 1953 – January 21, 2010) was a Canadian novelist, playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, musician and educator. Background Born in Toronto as the middle of three sons in the family of four of Bruce Quarrington,

References

1963 Canadian novels Novels by Leonard Cohen New Canadian Library Secker & Warburg books 1963 debut novels {{Canada-novel-stub