James Cañón

“Tales from the Town of Widows” Goes to the Big Screen!

New York-based producer Anthony Moody has hired award winning film-maker Gabriela Tagliavini to adapt and direct a film adaptation of James Cañón’s award winning debut novel “Tales From The Town Of Widows.”
The film, tentatively titled “Without Men,” is set to shoot in mid-2010. The script has been completed and is now out to cast.

Tagliavini, whose film ”Ladies Night” remains one of the most successful Mexican films in Mexican box office history, said, “I finished reading Tales the same day my agent sent it to me, and I knew immediately that I had to bring these amazing women to life on screen.”

“It’s so rare to find a project that sits so squarely on the shoulders of so many strong, wonderful female characters” says Moody, who will produce under his Indalo Productions label.

“La Aldea de las Viudas” out in Spain!

"La Aldea de las Viudas,” the Spanish version of James Cañón’s awarded first novel “Tales from the Town of Widows,” has just been released in Spain by Editorial La Otra Orilla (Grupo Editorial Norma). The novel was translated by Colombian journalist Juan Fernando Merino, who has translated authors such as Mark Twain, Daniel Defoe, Herman Melville and Roddy Doyle, among others.

“Tales” shortlisted for the 2009 Prix des Lecteurs du Télégramme!

The influential French daily Télégramme has announced the ten books named finalists for its prestigious literary award, the 7th Prix des Lecteurs du Télégramme. The price is aimed at rewarding a book of fiction or nonfiction by a living French or foreign author. Between March and June, nearly 1,000 registered voters will read the finalist books, meet the authors and finally choose the one book that blows their minds and hearts away. The winner will be announced in June. To see the shortlist, please click here.

“Tales from the Town of Widows” longlisted for the 2009 IMPAC Literary Award!

The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is the largest and most international prize of its kind involving libraries from all corners of the globe, and is open to books written in any language (and subsequently translated into English). The nomination process for the Award is unique as nominations are made by libraries in capital and major cities throughout the world. The shortlist will be announced on April 2, 2009, and the winner on June 11, 2009.

James Cañón chosen as the 2009 #1 Latino Author to Watch and Read!

LatinoStories.com, the most important Latino literature website in the US, has chosen James Cañón as #1 among the 2009 Top Ten “New” Latino Authors to Watch (and Read). The announcement was posted last week on the website. Here is what the editor wrote:
“When we nominated [James Cañón] for our One Brown Book, One Nation program earlier this year, we knew that this author was something special. In fact, if I had to choose one must-read Latino author this year, Cañón would be it. This book has already won significant awards including France’s prestigious Best First Foreign Novel Prize. I really believe that it will be a short time before Cañón becomes one of the most widely read authors in the U.S.”
Other authors among the Top Ten are Fred Arroyo, The Region of Lost Names, Cecilia Samartin, Broken Paradise, and Matt De La Peña, Mexican WhiteBoy.
READ the complete announcement.

“Tales” wins the 2008 Prize for Best First Foreign Novel in France!

The 2008 French Prizes for Best First Novels were announced in Paris on Tuesday, November 18th. Le Prix du Premier Roman Etranger (Best First Foreign Novel Prize) went to Dans la Ville des Veuves Intrépides (Tales from the Town of Widows) by Colombian author James Cañón. The novel was published by Belfond and translated from the English by Robert Davreu. The Prize for Best First French Novel went to Hôtel de Lausanne by Thierry Dancourt. The jury was composed of 12 renowned French authors, journalists and literary critics.
Related Link

James Cañón Wins “Le Prix des Lecteurs Vincennes 2008”!

A jury constituted by 15 people chose James Cañón’s debut novel, Dans la Ville des Veuves Intrépides (Tales from the Town of Widows), as the 2008 winner. The award, which is given every two years, will be presented during the second edition of Le Festival America in Vincennes on September 27th.
The other finalists were: L’Ile des amours éternelles by Daina Chaviano, Dawson kid by Simon Girard, De Niro’s game by Rawi Hage, L’Intégriste malgré lui by Mohsin Hamid, Bêtes sans patrie by Uzodinma Iweala, and Les Hommes perdus by Brian Leung.

James Cañón has been awarded a 2008 NYFA Fellowship in Fiction.

> READ the New York Foundation for the Arts Press Release.

Tales from the Town of Widows, a finalist in the “One Brown Book, One Nation” Program.

In commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month, LatinoStories.Com has announced this year’s selection for its “One Brown Book, One Nation” program that highlights Latino literature across the United States and promotes one book by a Latino author. This year’s winner, Bless Me, Ultima by Chicano author Rudolfo Anaya was hailed for its powerful prose by a national committee. It was originally published in 1972.  The other two finalists in this year’s program were James Cañón’s Tales from the Town of Widows and Fred Arroyo’s The Region of Lost Names. 

“Tales from the Town of Widows,” the movie!

Producer Anthony Moody from Indalo Productions (Day Zero, Turning Green), has bought an option on the film rights to James Cañón’s debut novel, Tales from the Town of Widows. Moody is currently in talks with well-known directors about the project.

“Tales from the Town of Widows” out in Israel!

publisher: matar publishing house
more info (in Hebrew) HERE

James Cañón’s “Mariquita” in Bookforum.

The April/May issue of BOOKFORUM features an article on The International Forum on the Novel, which will be held in Lyon, France, from May 26th to June 1st. This year’s forty-seven participants were asked to choose a key-word which best reflects the ideas behind their work, and to write a short essay about it. BOOKFORUM has published a selection of these short essays, including James Cañón’s, Jonathan Lethem’s, Daniel Mendelsohn’s, Annie Proulx’s and Elif Shafak’s.
READ THE ARTICLE.

“Tales from the Town of Widows” out in Germany!

Publisher: Ullstein
Buy it from:
> amazon.de
> mayersche
> lehmanns

Tales from the Town of Widows shortlisted for a “Lambda Literary Award.”

The winners in all 21 categories will be announced at a gala ceremony in West Hollywood, CA, on May 29th.
READ MORE.

Tales from the Town of Widows shortlisted for the “Edmund White Debut Fiction Award.”

The winner of this year’s edition will be announced on Monday, April 28th at the New School in New York.
READ MORE.