Get to know Canada Reads author Andre Alexis

Humble The Poet championed Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis all the way to a win during Canada Reads 2017. 

But before all that, CBC Books had Humble The Poet pose a series of questions to André Alexis so they could get to know each other. Watch the video above, or check out André's answers below.

Canada Reads took place March 27–30. Check out all the details and get to know the contenders here.

Would you rather give up reading or writing?

I'd rather give up writing.

Describe your book in five words.

Gods. Dogs. Much death comes.

Do you have nice handwriting?

Lovely handwriting. It's like my mom's and I love my mom's handwriting.

Robertson Davies said writers are cat people. Agree or Disagree?

No. They're not any kind of people. They love all animals. Maybe.

What is your favourite word in any language?

That's tough. The French language is so much its own symphonic qualities. Rouge. Rougier. Réanimer. Anything with the 'R' in it, which sounds so French. But in English I like tough. Clean. Mother is nice but that's more because of the associations. Sirocco's nice. Bread is nice.

What is your favourite place to visit in Canada?

In terms of the places that I think are the most beautiful in the country, it's a toss-up between Quebec City and Vancouver. In terms of the place that holds most of my soul and my heart, it's Ottawa.

What is the strangest thing you've done to research a book?

Go into a library and read about the 1980s political situation in Ottawa. It's not so much strange, but impossibly boring. I felt I was mummifying as I was reading.

What is the best writing advice you've ever received?

The best writing advice I ever received was not given to me, but was given in an answer to a question by Graeme Gibson by Mordecai Richler. I won't go into details, but basically, you are the only one that can stop you from writing. If you want to be a writer, keep writing.