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The Audlib Project: Home 2020
We asked five celebrated Canadian storytellers to explore home, as inspired by the creativity of their nominated work. They responded with an audio experience unlike any other, weaving together the lives and shared experiences of neighbours in an apartment building in Canada.
A single rose bush in a courtyard serves as the centerpiece for a sequence of stories of vastly different lives with unexpected connections. A young girl dares to test her limits of safety, a woman is pained by a tragic loss and the stigma she now carries because of it, and a neighbour wishes for connection and understanding in a deeply divided time. An expat yearns to be closer to her treasured family members, and a café owner grapples with the changes that gradually eat away at her in small but significant ways.
The five finalists of the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize were tasked with creating an original story linked through a shared environment: a building with windows overlooking a rose bush in a communal courtyard. Each author was asked to write a brief section of the story and then pass the work along to a fellow finalist, who would then complete their section and pass the story along again.
In celebration of the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize finalists, Audible is illuminating the art of storytelling with a unique work, The Audlib Project. This Audible Original is an ad-lib collaborative short story, written collectively by all of the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize finalists: Gil Adamson (Ridgerunner), David Bergen (Here the Dark), Shani Mootoo (Polar Vortex), Emily St. John Mandel (The Glass Hotel), and Souvankham Thammavongsa (How to Pronounce Knife).
The Giller Prize, founded by Jack Rabinovitch in 1994, highlights the very best in Canadian fiction year after year. In 2005, the prize teamed up with Scotiabank, who increased the winnings four-fold. Audible has been the exclusive audiobook sponsor since 2017 and is committed to supporting talented Canadian authors and creators.
A single rose bush in a courtyard serves as the centerpiece for a sequence of stories of vastly different lives with unexpected connections. A young girl dares to test her limits of safety, a woman is pained by a tragic loss and the stigma she now carries because of it, and a neighbour wishes for connection and understanding in a deeply divided time. An expat yearns to be closer to her treasured family members, and a café owner grapples with the changes that gradually eat away at her in small but significant ways.
The five finalists of the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize were tasked with creating an original story linked through a shared environment: a building with windows overlooking a rose bush in a communal courtyard. Each author was asked to write a brief section of the story and then pass the work along to a fellow finalist, who would then complete their section and pass the story along again.
In celebration of the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize finalists, Audible is illuminating the art of storytelling with a unique work, The Audlib Project. This Audible Original is an ad-lib collaborative short story, written collectively by all of the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize finalists: Gil Adamson (Ridgerunner), David Bergen (Here the Dark), Shani Mootoo (Polar Vortex), Emily St. John Mandel (The Glass Hotel), and Souvankham Thammavongsa (How to Pronounce Knife).
The Giller Prize, founded by Jack Rabinovitch in 1994, highlights the very best in Canadian fiction year after year. In 2005, the prize teamed up with Scotiabank, who increased the winnings four-fold. Audible has been the exclusive audiobook sponsor since 2017 and is committed to supporting talented Canadian authors and creators.
- GenresShort StoriesAudiobook
Audio CD
Published July 20, 2021
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Gil Adamson
10 books187 followersGil Adamson (born Gillian Adamson, 1961) is a Canadian writer. She won the Books in Canada First Novel Award in 2008 for her 2007 novel The Outlander.
Adamson's first published work was "Primitive," a volume of poetry, in 1991. She followed up with the short story collection "Help Me, Jacques Cousteau" in 1995 and a second volume of poetry, "Ashland," in 2003, as well as multiple chapbooks and a commissioned fan biography of Gillian Anderson, "Mulder, It’s Me," which she coauthored with her sister-in-law Dawn Connolly in 1998.
"The Outlander," a novel set in the Canadian West at the turn of the 20th century, was published by House of Anansi in the spring of 2007 and won the Hammett Prize that year. The novel was later selected for the 2009 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by actor Nicholas Campbell.
Adamson currently lives in Toronto with poet Kevin Connolly.
Adamson's first published work was "Primitive," a volume of poetry, in 1991. She followed up with the short story collection "Help Me, Jacques Cousteau" in 1995 and a second volume of poetry, "Ashland," in 2003, as well as multiple chapbooks and a commissioned fan biography of Gillian Anderson, "Mulder, It’s Me," which she coauthored with her sister-in-law Dawn Connolly in 1998.
"The Outlander," a novel set in the Canadian West at the turn of the 20th century, was published by House of Anansi in the spring of 2007 and won the Hammett Prize that year. The novel was later selected for the 2009 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by actor Nicholas Campbell.
Adamson currently lives in Toronto with poet Kevin Connolly.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 11, 2021
Nice stories.
February 9, 2025
7/10. Being a fan of Mandel was my reason for being made aware of this, and her brief contribution to this story was (perhaps because of my bias) the highlight with a daughter, recently relocated to NYC, the streets screaming with emergency service sirens as she talks to her mother over video, who despite being distant and only connected by technology finds comfort in the portal to her childhood home, seeing her mother and observing the background of a time gone by of her childhood home… the pictures from her childhood still up on the wall.
This endeavour had similarities to her Station 11 novel (and perhaps the other authors, but I must confess to not knowing their work and if they explored Covid within their output), but it taps into that unique moment in time where everyone had never been more isolated - held prisoner in their homes and often dying alone - and yet never more united as a planet. The various stories explore people isolated experiences, shared by geography, overlooking the same courtyard and rose bush as we observe other peoples behaviour and wonder if they too are aware of us.
An interesting experiment in a terrifying and unifying world event. Too short to really have impact, but there is a lot to take away or perhaps consider a springboard for a further project. I am biased towards Mandel, but also enjoyed the childhood perspective and unlocking of the characters past in Gil and David’s stories. However, the contributions and vocal deliveries made by Shani and Souvankham were slightly jarring in contrast to the other 3 parts.
This endeavour had similarities to her Station 11 novel (and perhaps the other authors, but I must confess to not knowing their work and if they explored Covid within their output), but it taps into that unique moment in time where everyone had never been more isolated - held prisoner in their homes and often dying alone - and yet never more united as a planet. The various stories explore people isolated experiences, shared by geography, overlooking the same courtyard and rose bush as we observe other peoples behaviour and wonder if they too are aware of us.
An interesting experiment in a terrifying and unifying world event. Too short to really have impact, but there is a lot to take away or perhaps consider a springboard for a further project. I am biased towards Mandel, but also enjoyed the childhood perspective and unlocking of the characters past in Gil and David’s stories. However, the contributions and vocal deliveries made by Shani and Souvankham were slightly jarring in contrast to the other 3 parts.
September 25, 2023
Snapshot of Covid Life of an Apartment
CW: Covid
Five Canadian writers contribute to a short anthology of micro fiction that depict the connections and fractures between the people of an apartment during the acknowledged height of the pandemic.
I like the idea for this project much more than the result. There's no doubt these are great writers and decent narrators, but I didn't connect with any of the stories or their links. It almost seems like it might be too much of a naturalistic snapshot without a lot of emotional weight, not enough space to explore, and competent prose that doesn't sparkle. There are serious and sad events happening, but, as somone who cried at the drop of the hat when I am bought in, I was reminded just how autistic I am.
I will mention that my partner and I being in seriously in the at risk category due to our chronic conditions that we are looking at a version of lockdown living indefinitely, so perhaps this somewhat laissez-faire attitude to Covid kept me at a distance.
CW: Covid
Five Canadian writers contribute to a short anthology of micro fiction that depict the connections and fractures between the people of an apartment during the acknowledged height of the pandemic.
I like the idea for this project much more than the result. There's no doubt these are great writers and decent narrators, but I didn't connect with any of the stories or their links. It almost seems like it might be too much of a naturalistic snapshot without a lot of emotional weight, not enough space to explore, and competent prose that doesn't sparkle. There are serious and sad events happening, but, as somone who cried at the drop of the hat when I am bought in, I was reminded just how autistic I am.
I will mention that my partner and I being in seriously in the at risk category due to our chronic conditions that we are looking at a version of lockdown living indefinitely, so perhaps this somewhat laissez-faire attitude to Covid kept me at a distance.
December 19, 2022
An interesting little project that was created during the early days of the pandemic - some authors I really liked collaborated to create an ad-libbed story that connects to home.
This will probably will be a footnote in these author's retrospectives but it is good to have a record of what they were thinking during the world-shattering time.
This will probably will be a footnote in these author's retrospectives but it is good to have a record of what they were thinking during the world-shattering time.
November 25, 2024
What a great concept! Unfortunately and as often with short stories, I am already entrenched in these characters! I’m sorry the Project is so short, but with such gifted storytelling I know them each already and need to know how the little dramas might have played out.
I will definitely be seeking out these 2020 Giller prize authors and maybe I’ll find resolution to this too-short Project.
I will definitely be seeking out these 2020 Giller prize authors and maybe I’ll find resolution to this too-short Project.
December 24, 2022
This was an interesting experience. Although I do feel that I could have taken a lot more of this book in I wish they had written more. I hope there are more projects like this in the future.
September 25, 2023
An interesting project, set during lockdown, but not my cup of tea.
September 7, 2024
Background noise.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews