For the first time, ever, a Canadian author’s novel has been published in Russia before any other country, including his own. Harvey’s latest, Reinventing the Rose, just released by Russia’s Centrepolygraph, is currently being shopped around Canada and the US by Harvey’s newly acquired North American agent, the renowned Peter Mason.  Reinventing the Rose only comes with a nutshell summary for now (but Salty Ink will be sure to get more details closer to its publication date) . It is the story of a pregnant artist and her gynecologist boyfriend, who takes her to court with the intention of forcing her to have an abortion. The story proper, the battle between the man and woman, is interlaced with a detailed development of the embryo.

Reinventing the Rose is Harvey’s fifth book to be translated into Russian and published there. Others include his CanLit masterpiece, Inside, the internationally acclaimed powerhouse, The Town that Forgot How to Breathe, an early collection of short fiction, Directions for an Opened Body, and Stalkers.

When the Quill & Quire asked why he’s had such success in Russia, Harvey honestly answered, ““It’s all voodoo to me, you never know what’s going to happen.” There is undeniably a fair bit of voodoo and chance in this industry, but what’s even more concrete and certain: Very few modern Canadian writers are as prolific, talented, diverse in content, or internationally well-received as Kenneth J. Harvey.  Another key to success in Harvey’s career: clever marketing and innovation. He created the idea of a “transcomposite narrative” when he wrote Skin Hound and Blackstrap Hawco, Inside spawned a new and apt genre called GritLit, and each of his last three novels came out with marketing bangs like “Written in only six months,” (Inside) “A book fifteen years in the making” (Blackstrap Hawco), and “The first book published in Russia before its home country” (Reinventing the Rose). All remarkable feats AND useful marketing angles.

It should be no surprise that Harvey would be the first Canadian author published in Russia before anywhere else. Harvey has had tremendous success with his books outside of Canada. The Town That Forgot How to Breath, for instance, has been published in over a dozen countries since its 2003 release, and Inside won Italy’s prestigious Libro Del Mare Award. He was the first Canadian author to do so.

Salty Ink: You’ve had tremendous success with foreign sales of your work. The strength of your novels is obviously the key, but, can you pinpoint the most crucial step or two you’ve taken that have played the biggest role in your foreign success?

Kenneth J. Harvey: The biggest step was taking the initiative to contact foreign agents on my own and attempt to have them take me on.

Salty Ink: What are three most memorable moments, in terms or foreign success, in your writing career?

Kenneth J. Harvey:

1.) Winning Italy’s Libro del Mare and travelling to Italy to collect it at an extravagant ceremony atop a casino with half-naked dancing Vegas girls and Chinese contortionists. The media travelled from all over Italy to do interviews, and there were even TV cameras. I felt like a criminal mastermind and/or a nutcase celebrity.

2.) Receiving my biggest advance ever from my UK publisher.

3.) Reading at the Edinburgh Writers Festival in Scotland.

A Random Sampling of The Many Faces of The Town That Forgot How to Breath

Canada                                                 China                      Dutch                        France                            Germany

Italy                                                       Russia                      Sweeden                    UK                               US