Nobody can accuse Canadian author Yann Martel of not following through on his ideas. His latest book, What is Stephen Harper Reading?, chronicles a passionate four-year campaign that involved sending a book and a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper two times per month. Martel is in town tomorrow to take part in a Kama Reading Series event.
Martel’s story begins in 2007, when he and a group of Canadian artists descended to Ottawa en masse to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Canada Council for the Arts — to some, a rather big deal. Not the Stanley Cup, but still. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and company gave the group the cold shoulder, barely acknowledging its existence, let alone celebrating its vast contributions to Canadian culture. Martel was moved to action.
On April 16, 2007, Martel sent off a copy of Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, along with a thoughtful letter outlining his reasons for choosing the book and his hopes of hearing back from the country’s headmaster. And he did it 100 more times over the course of four years before finally stopping at 101 in 2011.
Did he hear back? He did receive a couple of words from an underling of one type or another, but nothing from “the man” himself.
“I gather that he was made aware of my little campaign when it started,” says Martel. “But being an entirely political animal and nothing else, he must have decided that it could do him no harm, and so he has studiously ignored it.”
But it isn’t like Martel only sent the heavyweights such as Tolstoy. On his exhaustive list are a few Toronto books — including Dave Bidini’s Tropic of Hockey, and King Leary by the late, great Paul Quarrington — which might, in theory, be right up the PM’s literary alley.
It is for this reason, among others, that Martel is left perplexed and a little miffed at the four-year snub.
“A strange thing that he should refuse to discuss his reading habits. Why shouldn’t he say, ‘I like this or that book?’” Martel says. “I think he’s embarrassed to admit that he hasn’t read any novel, play or poem in 30 years. The reading habits of ordinary citizens is none of anyone else’s business, but I think we expect more of our prime ministers — who should be exceptional beings, no? We want them to be well-rounded and wise, no? And I don’t know how one can be well-rounded and wise in our complex, literate society without reading.”
Despite failing to meet his goal of reaching and corresponding with Stephen Harper, Martel’s What Is Stephen Harper Reading? is a splendid read, and his letters outlining the books and what they might offer are wonderful in and of themselves, in addition to inspiring readers to delve into the tomes.
One book not on the list is Life of Pi, Martel’s groundbreaking 2001 novel that has been turned into one of the most visually stunning and critically acclaimed films of 2012. A book that will take Martel to the Oscar ceremony in Hollywood this month.
“I loved writing Life of Pi, and I loved its success. It’s so rare to have a book connect with so many readers,” says Martel, who calls director Ang Lee’s movie “visually ravishing and faithful to the book.”
Kama Benefit Reading Series with Yann Martel and Elizabeth May, The Park Hyatt Toronto, 4 Avenue Rd. Feb 20