The critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author Tom Rachman discusses his much talked about debut novel, The Imperfectionists (Anchor, 2010), which has just been published in softcover, with Joseph Planta; they also discuss journalism, newspapers, writing, and Vancouver, where he grew up.

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. (Anchor, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Imperfectionists

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at THECOMMENTARY.CA.

Tom Rachman joins me now. The former journalist is the author of the critical and bestselling hit novel, The Imperfectionists. It was a New York Times bestseller and on the long list for the Giller Prize. It’s an astonishing novel about the men and women at an international English-language newspaper based in Rome. Each chapter is the story of a particular character, like the first is on the Paris correspondent Lloyd Burko, while others include the editor-in-chief Kathleen, the corrections editor Herman Cohen, a reader of the paper Ornella De Monterecchi, the publisher of the paper Oliver Ott, among many others. Throughout these stories we get a sense of what’s happening at the paper, and an interesting look at the times. We also have between the chapters, these stories about the background of the paper, its founders, its founding, and more. I couldn’t put this book down, and I didn’t want it to end. It’s a remarkable book, whose rights have already been purchased by Hollywood. Brad Pitt’s production company has optioned the film rights for the book. Tom Rachman was born in London, where he lives, but he grew up here in Vancouver, and studied film in Toronto, and journalism at Columbia. He was a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press, and was an editor based in Paris for the International Herald Tribune. www.tomrachman.com is his website. The soft cover is from Anchor Books. In Vancouver today, please welcome to the Planta: On the Line Program, Tom Rachman; Good morning, Mr. Rachman.

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