The author and broadcaster Noah Richler discusses his new book The Candidate: Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail (Doubleday, 2016), a memoir about running in the 2015 federal election as a candidate for the NDP, with Joseph Planta.

The Candidate: Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail by Noah Richler (Doubleday, 2016). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Candidate

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, at TheCommentary.ca.

Noah Richler’s new book, The Candidate: Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, is probably the first memoir from the 2015 federal election campaign that saw the Harper Government defeated, and the Justin Trudeau Liberals swept into office, leaving the official opposition NDP and its leader Thomas Mulcair in third place. Mr. Richler was a candidate in last year’s election. He was one of those high profile candidates that run because of name recognition, the ability to fundraise, as well of course the desire to serve the constituency they seek to represent. In riding of Toronto-St. Paul’s, Noah Richler was up against a Liberal incumbent who had been in office 18 years up to that point. He recounts in the book, why he ran, how he did it, and the myriad of challenges along the way. The book provides insight into a historic election, as well as the stuff that candidates have to go through, whether it’s campaigning door-to-door, reflecting a national party in one’s riding, reacting to events outside the riding that invariably have an effect on how people vote, as well as the party apparatus that is very often there to simply confound candidates. Noah Richler is a writer and broadcaster, who for fourteen years made documentaries and features for BBC Radio, before returning to Canada in 1998, when he joined the National Post as its books editor, then a literary columnist. He’s contributed to a number of noted publications including The Guardian, Punch, The Daily Telegraph, The Walrus, Maisonneuve, Saturday Night, the Toronto Star, and the Globe and Mail. His previous book, This is My Country, What’s Yours? was the recipient of the 2007 BC National Award for Canadian Non Fiction. Noah will be participating in at least two events at this year’s Vancouver Writers Fest. Visit www.writersfest.bc.ca for tickets and information. The book is published by Doubleday. @knowwhereyouare is the Twitter handle. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, from Toronto today, Noah Richler; Mr. Richler, good morning.

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