Brian Francis (writer)

Brian Francis
Francis speaking at Glad Day Bookshop in Toronto in 2019
Born1971 (age 54–55)
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
OccupationNovelist
Writing career
Period2000s-present
Notable workFruit
Websitebrian-francis.com

Brian Francis (born 1971) is a Canadian writer best known for his 2004 debut novel Fruit.

Career

Fruit

Francis' debut 2004 novel Fruit was published in Canada by ECW Press and released on May 4, 2004. Fruit is the story of Peter Paddington, a teenager living in Sarnia. Overweight, gay and a social outsider, Paddington regularly retreats into an active fantasy life which includes his own nipples talking to him, and the novel traces his journey toward self-acceptance.[1]

The novel was published in paperback format in the United States by Harper Perennial on August 2, 2005, under the title The Secret Fruit of Peter Paddington. In 2014, Amazon included the novel on its list of "100 Canadian Books to Read in a Lifetime."[2]

Fruit was well received by critics, with Entertainment Weekly referring to it as "sweet, tart, and forbidden in all the right places."[3]

The novel was selected for the 2009 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by novelist and CBC Radio One broadcaster Jen Sookfong Lee.[4] It finished the competition as the runner-up, making the last vote against the eventual winner, Lawrence Hill's The Book of Negroes.[5]

In January 2022, Toronto production company Hawkeye Pictures and Ottawa’s Big Jump Entertainment announced they were planning to develop Fruit as an animated series.[6]

Natural Order

Francis' second novel, Natural Order, published by Doubleday Canada, was released on August 23, 2011.[7] The novel tells the story of a mother coming to terms with the death of her adult son.[8]

Natural Order was positively reviewed by critics and made Best Books of 2011 lists by the Toronto Star[9] and The Georgia Straight.[10] The novel was shortlisted for the Ontario Library Association's 2012 Evergreen Award[11] and 2012 CBC Bookie Awards.[12] Natural Order was a Top 40 selection for Canada Reads 2014.[13]

Break in Case of Emergency

Francis' third novel, Break in Case of Emergency, was published on September 10, 2019, by HarperCollins Canada[14] and marked his young adult debut.[15] The novel, about a 15-year-old girl and her estranged female impersonator father, deals with issues about teen mental health, suicide and sexual orientation. The novel was well received by critics, with Apple Books calling it a "knockout,"[16] and The Globe and Mail saying it "packs a powerful punch."[17] The novel was also chosen as a Best Book of 2019 by The Globe and Mail,[18] Quill & Quire,[19] Apple Books[20] and CBC Books.[21] The novel was published in the United States in February 2020 by Inkyard Press.[22]

Break in Case of Emergency was selected as a finalist for the 2019 Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature.[23] The novel was also nominated for a 2021 Forest of Reading White Pine Award for fiction.[24]

Box 4901

In August 2018, Francis debuted a performance piece, Box 4901, as part of the Summerworks Lab Series. Directed and co-created by Rob Kempson, featuring a cast of 13 actors and performed in part by Francis himself, Box 4901 recounts Francis's attempt at finding love via a personal ad he placed in 1992. NOW magazine gave the piece 5 Ns and said it was full of "wisdom, humour and heartbreaking honesty."[25] The Globe and Mail called the piece a "knockout," "fascinating," and "haunting."[26]

In May 2019, Timeshare Performance announced Box 4901 would be part of the Buddies in Bad Times' 2019/2020 season, running from February 27 to March 8, 2020.[27] Box 4901 performed to sold-out audiences.[28] CBC called it a “profound must-see,”[29] Mooney on Theatre called it “a lovely memoir that is absolutely worth seeing,”[30] and NOW magazine said that “Francis’s writing has the sparkle of the best of David Sedaris, and his insights into his life are heartbreaking in their honesty.”[31] The cast of Box 4901 included Colin Asuncion, Hume Baugh, Samson Bonkeabantu Brown, Keith Cole, daniel jelani ellis, Daniel Krolik, Michael Hughes, Indrit Kasapi, Eric Morin, G Kyle Shields, Chy Ryan Spain and Geoffrey Whynot.[32] Box 4901 was nominated for three 2020 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, including Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble (Independent Theatre Division), Outstanding Lighting Design (Independent Theatre Division) and Outstanding Sound Design/Composition (Independent Theatre Division).[33]

On August 17, 2021, Francis published the book version of Box 4901, retitled Missed Connections: A Memoir in Letters Never Sent.[34] It was selected as a Loan Stars August 2021 Adult Top 10 Pick,[35] and the Toronto Star called it “thoughtful, funny, poignant, insightful and honest.”[36] The book was selected as one of five finalists for the 2022 Trillium Book Awards.[37]

Other writing

In 2011, Francis created Caker Cooking, a weekly humour blog featuring "the best of the worst of mangiacake cuisine."[38]

In March 2015, Quill & Quire magazine debuted Francis' advice column, "Ask the Agony Editor". The monthly humour column fielded questions from readers about publishing and writing.[39]

In its Summer 2018 issue, Taddle Creek magazine debuted a humour food column by Francis that featured retro and vintage recipes from Francis's collection of community cookbooks.[40]

Francis, who is gay,[41] has also written for the Toronto publications Xtra![42] and NOW.[43]

Awards

He was awarded an Honour of Distinction citation by the Writers' Trust of Canada's Dayne Ogilvie Prize, a literary award for emerging LGBT writers in Canada, in 2008.[44] In 2010, he served on the Dayne Ogilvie Prize jury, selecting Nancy Jo Cullen as that year's prize winner.[45]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hunt, Ken (2004-04-08). "Fruit: A Novel About a Boy and His Nipples". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  2. ↑ "100 Canadian Books to Read in a Lifetime (124 books)". Goodreads. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  3. ↑ Goldblatt, Henry (August 20, 2004). "Fruit". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2010-08-17.
  4. ↑ Cole, Susan G. (2008-11-27). "Canada Reads goes queer". NOW Toronto. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  5. ↑ "Lawrence Hill's 'The Book of Negroes' wins Canada Reads". Charlottetown Guardian. March 7, 2009. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03.
  6. ↑ Andreas Wiseman (January 28, 2022). "Canadian Firms Team For 'Fruit' Animated Series; Outpost VFX Hire In London; JoBlo YouTube Features Expansion — Global Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "Natural Order by Brian Francis". Penguin Random House Canada. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  8. ↑ Cameron (2013-07-29). "Natural Order". Toronto Public Library Blog. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  9. ↑ "Our reviewers' Top 100 books of 2011. What's yours?". The Toronto Star. 2011-12-02. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  10. ↑ "Critics make year-end book picks". The Georgia Straight. 2011-12-14. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  11. ↑ Carter, Sue (2012-02-13). "OLA announces 2012 Evergreen Award shortlist". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  12. ↑ "The second annual CBC Bookie Awards!". CBC Books. March 8, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-03-10.
  13. ↑ "Canada Reads Top 40: Explore the books". CBC Radio. October 24, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-10-24.
  14. ↑ "Break in Case of Emergency". HarperCollins Canada. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  15. ↑ Morocco, Lauren (December 4, 2018). "HARPERCOLLINS ACQUIRES BRIAN FRANCIS'S YA DEBUT, BREAK IN CASE OF EMERGENCY". HarperCollins Canada. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  16. ↑ "Break in Case of Emergency". Apple Books. Archived from the original on October 11, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  17. ↑ Canton, Jeffrey (October 1, 2019). "October's Best Bets for Children's Books". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  18. ↑ Cannon, Margaret; Canton, Jeffrey; Colbert, Jade; Rogers, Sean; Scott, Alec (November 29, 2019). "The Globe 100: Books that shaped 2019". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  19. ↑ Deziel, Shanda (December 5, 2019). "2019 Books of the Year: Books for Young People". Quill & Quire. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  20. ↑ Sonya (December 3, 2019). "APPLE RELEASES LIST OF BEST BOOKS OF 2019 IN CANADA". Auburn Lane.
  21. ↑ "The best Canadian YA and middle-grade books of 2019". CBC Books. December 19, 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  22. ↑ "Break in Case of Emergency". Harlequin. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  23. ↑ "Past GGBooks winners and finalists". Governor General's Literary Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  24. ↑ "White Pine Nominees, 2021". Queen's University Library Research Guides. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  25. ↑ Sumi, Glenn (13 August 2018). "SummerWorks review: Box 4901". NOW. Toronto. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  26. ↑ Schabas, Martha (23 August 2018). "Review: Vivid examples from real life spill into art at the Summerworks Performance Festival". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  27. ↑ "BOX 4901". Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  28. ↑ Kempson, Rob (May 13, 2020). "Theatre stages may be empty, but virtual rehearsals are keeping our spirits in full zoom". CBC Arts.
  29. ↑ Peter Knegt (March 4, 2020). "Box 4901 might be the gayest play ever produced in Canada, and it's a profound must-see". CBC. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  30. ↑ Schwartz Fagan, Rachel (March 4, 2020). "REVIEW: BOX 4901 (TIMESHARE PERFORMANCE)". Mooney on Theatre. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  31. ↑ Sumi, Glenn (March 3, 2020). "Box 4901 is a profound and moving look at seeking connection". NOW. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  32. ↑ Smith, Mae (2020-06-29). "2020 Dora Mavor Moore Award Winners". Intermission Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  33. ↑ Smith, Mae (2020-06-08). "2020 Dora Mavor Moore Awards Nominees Announced". Intermission Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  34. ↑ "Missed Connections: A Memoir in Letters Never Sent". Penguin Random House Canada. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  35. ↑ "August 2021 Adult Top 10 Picks". Loan Stars. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  36. ↑ Dundas, Deborah (August 18, 2021). "'Missed Connections,' the book version of Brian Francis's play 'Box 4901,' is thoughtful, funny and insightful". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  37. ↑ "Finalists – 2022 Trillium Book Award". Ontario Creates. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  38. ↑ Francis, Brian (August 25, 2011). "Cooking lessons". National Post.
  39. ↑ Francis, Brian (2015-02-17). "Ask the agony editor: firing publicists and book launch drinking". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  40. ↑ Francis, Brian (Summer 2018). "Devilishly Elegant". Taddle Creek. Toronto. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  41. ↑ Giese, Rachel (July 22, 2004). "Pulpy, fleshy difference". Xtra Archives. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12.
  42. ↑ "Brian Francis". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  43. ↑ "Brian Francis". NOW Toronto. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  44. ↑ "Zoe Whittall wins Dayne Ogilvie Grant". Quill & Quire. June 17, 2008.
  45. ↑ Vallejos, Jorge Antonio (2010-09-08). "Writer Nancy Jo Cullen is a rising talent". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
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