Vendor
	Liepman Literary Agency Marc Koralnik
Original language
English
Categories
Fiction & Related items

PROOF I WAS HERE

Becky Blake

Where the existential threading of Alix Ohlin's Dual Citizens meets the maverick travelogues of Cheryl Strayed's Wild, there lies PROOF I WAS HERE by two-time CBC Literary Prize winner Becky Blake.

Days after she arrives in Barcelona, Niki's world is turned upside down when her fiancé calls off their engagement. Unwilling to return to Toronto and face a looming assault charge, she turns to life on the streets. Living among pickpockets, squatters and graffiti artists in a city she barely knows, she is challenged to reassess her ideas about family, luck and art. With the help of a passionate Catalan separatist who dreams of building a new country from the ground up, Niki realizes that starting her life over from scratch could be an opportunityif she can just find a way to clear her name.

Becky Blake is a two-time winner of the CBC Literary Prize (for Non-Fiction in 2017 and Short Story in 2013). Her fiction and essays have appeared in publications across Canada. She holds an MFA from the University of Guelph, and teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Education. Becky currently lives in Toronto where she's working on a second novel and a memoir-in-essays. Becky is now represented by Carolyn and as such we wanted to refresh this submission and get your impression on whether there might be a publisher in your territory who might be a good fit.

Available products
Book Published 2019-05-01 by Buckrider Books

Comments

"A Torontonian thief reboots her life on the streets of Barcelona with the help of a Catalan separatist in this debut novel: a story about luck, art and rebuilding a country or yourself from the ground up." The Globe and Mail

"Proof I Was Here offers an interesting twist on the conventional expat narrative. This vibrancy imbues the novel with freshness and an energy that helps propel it toward a satisfying conclusion."

"Why we're taking notice: This is Barcelona like you've never seen it in a tourist guidebook. In her debut novel, Blake paints a rich and colourful view of the city." - 11 Books that Write the World

Most Anticipated: Our Spring 2019 Fiction Preview

"I think we have all been in certain situations where we think going somewhere else or a new person or city is going to change our lives and get rid of our problems. And we soon discover that's not the case."

"After being charged with assault, Niki flees Toronto for Barcelona where she begins to reinvent her life. Niki, a thief who dreams of becoming an artist, is inspired by the passion of Catalan separatist and decides to try to clear her name." - 28 Works of Canadian Fiction to Watch for in Spring 2019