BookTelevision's 3-Day Novel
After two years, we can finally congratulate Gayleen Froese, winner of the second season of the televised 3-Day Novel Contest. The season was filmed during the 2007 International 3-Day Novel Contest and, after a long process involving media mergers and licensing and other things beyond our ken, the last of 7 episodes aired on BookTelevision last night. The 12 contestants slept, ate and wrote their novels in public in a Chapters bookstore in Edmonton. Gayleen won with The Dominion, a wonderful fantasy novel that also made the 2007 3DN shortlist.
We participated in the filming and loved the experience. The producers, crew, contestants and fellow judges were great fun, and it was fascinating to be present and witness contestants writing their novels, which is something we don’t often get to see as we furiously coordinate the event from down in our secret underground bunker.
A big thanks to Gayleen and her partners in suffering: runners-up Paul Matwychuk and Matthew J. Trafford, and their excellent co-contestants Nancy Belgue, James Burns, Marty Chan, Joe Goodwill, Jennifer Isaac, Gordon Kirkland, Rebecca Shuttleworth, Lorna Sloukji and Tracy Thompson. Thanks also to the crew, to Rachel Harry, the show’s charming host, to our fellow judges Minister Faust and Todd Babiak, and to Tate Young and Rachel Sentes, who helped bring the show to fruition.
We’re not sure if BookTelevision plans to re-air either season of the show, so if you want to see it, contact them and maybe they will! You can get a taste by watching a trailer for the first season on YouTube.