I am very proud of this article I wrote for CrimeReads, the crime fiction division of LitHub, a very prominent literature website. “The Classics of Boxing Literature” gives a list of great books about boxing, both fiction and non, and why boxing came to be featured in my novel Undercard. While I don’t claim to know all boxing literature, or anywhere close to it – this is therefore by no means an exhaustive list – I worked very hard on articulating why these books in particular resonated with me, and I’m very happy with how it turned out. I’m also very pleased with the response the article received with people both in literary and boxing circles.
https://davidalbertyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/box-literature-2.jpg440800David Albertynhttps://davidalbertyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/site-logo.pngDavid Albertyn2020-07-18 18:17:152020-07-26 13:56:14My Article on Boxing Literature for CrimeReads
I was very honoured to have Undercard reviewed in the New York Journal of Books. The reviewer, Michael J. McCann, said of the novel, “[Albertyn] successfully generates a gritty, dark atmosphere in the novel that draws on the best elements of noir to keep readers edgy and absorbed. His interiors are dark and gloomy, and his exteriors make us feel agoraphobic and threatened in a vague, undefined way…Also good are Albertyn’s characters…A good crime novel and a solid debut for David Albertyn.” Click here to read the full review.
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This was a very fun interview with Lisa de Nikolits, who very kindly introduced me with, “Today I am chatting with David Albertyn who is as talented as his smile is wide.” The questions were different to those I’ve had in other interviews, so I was able to share thoughts on different things, including my favourite movie. I couldn’t pick one but chose to write about Dr. Strangelove. Check out the interview to find out why!
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It has been very exciting and rewarding to learn of the positive reception of Riposte in France. Released by HarperCollins France in March, Riposte means both “retaliation” and “counter”, as in counterpunch in boxing, a perfect title for the French translation of Undercard. Riposte has received several reviews, described and linked below. If you cannot read French, Google Chrome does translate the articles into English. While the computer-generated translation isn’t perfect, it still gives a sense of the articles. I’m so appreciative of these reviews and my invite to the Quais du Polar festival, and I hope you enjoy them.
News of the Virtual Edition of Quais du Polar 2020 The French Noir/Crime Fiction festival Quais du Polar, which takes place every year in Lyon, was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus. I was supposed to speak at the physical version of the festival in early April. However, Quais du Polar still held a virtual festival, and for it I shared my thoughts on the noir genre by video. The French publishing trade magazine wrote an article about this virtual festival and I happened to be in their featured photo.
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I was delighted to write an article for Post City Magazine about the 50 year anniversary of a Greater Toronto Area institution, Mayfair Clubs, a group of sports, health, and wellness facilities, with an emphasis on indoor tennis and squash. Read the article to find out about the incredible community Mayfair Clubs has created, and its contributions to tennis, squash, fitness and wellness in Toronto.
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Murder in Common, a blog that is “Passionate About Crime Fiction Books”, has reviewed Undercard. The blogger, June Lorraine Roberts, writes:
“Finally got around to reading this explosive book by David Albertyn, and I can say, Undercard is the book for you… Taking place over 24-hours this story of complex and complicated people who grew up together will have you reeling. Highly recommended!”
I’m so appreciative of this review. It’s wonderful that bloggers take the time to read so many books and help readers find new titles, and this is a blog well worth checking out for crime fiction fans.
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I was stunned to find out on Jan 31 that Undercard has been nominated for the Evergreen Award in the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading, “Canada’s largest recreational reading program … to encourage a love of reading in people of all ages.” As much of an honour of being nominated for this award is who I have been nominated with. To share company with such great writers is rewarding indeed. This is a wonderful validation of Undercard’s literary merits. Yes, Undercard is a thriller, as exciting as any of them, but it is also a literary novel, dealing with a host of issues, and I’m very pleased, proud, and appreciative that it has been acknowledged in this way.
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In just its first month The Authors’ Book Club has attracted over 35 authors to be a part of it, listing themselves and their books on our site, with links to contact them, and the initiative has also garnered the attention of Sue Carter and the Quill and Quire. We so appreciate the captivating and generous feature story on The Authors’ Book Club, which provides a great understanding of how this project came to be and what it hopes to be.
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At the start of January 2020, a friend of mine, Ann Y.K. Choi (who is also a Toronto-based author), and I started a new initiative, The Authors’ Book Club, with the goal of connecting book clubs with authors, to help facilitate book clubs reaching out to authors to speak at their events, and on a broader level, to promote Canadian and Indigenous voices. Fiona Ross, a teacher-librarian, was of immense help to us early on in building this initiative and has since joined us as an organizer. The goal is for The Authors’ Book Club to be a central hub for book clubs in Canada to go to in order to find authors to speak at their events, in person or via a video chat. We were so pleased that The Toronto Star’s Deborah Dundas took note of our efforts and wrote about us in her article.
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I was surprised and honoured to learn that Undercard made 49th Shelf’s list of Top Fiction in 2019. It was a remarkable year for me, a year of endless firsts. It was thrilling, overwhelming, and endlessly rewarding, and this recognition by 49th Shelf made for an extremely satisfying conclusion to it. It has amazed me how much people have enjoyed Undercard. Despite how much effort it took, I loved writing it, and it’s fulfilled a lifelong dream to know that people have loved reading it.
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