64 The Tie That Binds

Peter Behrens

Quebec / United States

Tessa McWatt

Ontario / United Kingdom

Rosemary Nixon

Alberta

Peter Behrens, Quebec / United States

Peter Behrens is the author of the Governor General’s Award-winning novel The Law of Dreams, published around the world to wide acclaim, and a collection of short stories, Night Driving. His short stories and essays have appeared in Atlantic, Tin House, Saturday Night and the National Post. He was born in Montreal and lives on the coast of Maine with his wife and son. His new novel, The O’Briens, follows the family from The Law of Dreams two generations later. Read more

Tessa McWatt, Ontario / United Kingdom

Tessa McWatt was born in Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana), moved to Canada with her family when she was three and grew up in Toronto. She is the author of five previous novels; her second, Dragons Cry, was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction and the City of Toronto Book Award. She divides her time between London and Toronto. Her latest novel is Vital Signs. Read more

Rosemary Nixon, Alberta

Rosemary Nixon penned her acclaimed new novel, Kalila, on two continents over 15 years. She is the author of two previous short story collections, Mostly Country and The Cock’s Egg, winner of the Howard O’Hagan Short Fiction Award. Nixon has taught creative writing at the University of Calgary, Chinook College and at the Sage Hill Writing Experience. She was Canadian Writer-in-Residence for the Markin-Flanagan Distinguished Writers Program and is now Writer-in-Residence at the University of Windsor. Read more

Host: Marsha Lederman
Sunday, October 23, 2011 - 10:30am
Studio 1398
$17

Marriage is probably the most complicated relationship that we will ever experience. And over time, marriage is a relationship that blooms and fades and blooms again. Peter Behrens explores the oil-and-water relationship of Joe and Iseult in his novel The O’Briens, sequel to The Law of Dreams. Rosemary Nixon puts the marriage of Maggie and Brodie to the test as their newborn struggles to survive its first days. And Tessa McWatt takes us deep inside the long marriage of Mike and Anna as Anna changes under the pressure of a brain tumour. These three novelists put marriage under the microscope to provide new insights, one of the many benefits of reading great fiction.

64 The Tie That Binds

2011 Festival