Imagine you wrote a bestselling autobiography but barely earned a penny from it. While this may seem like it would be limited to deceased or possibly incarcerated authors, it is a grim reality for Vancouver-based theatre artist and writer Carmen Aguirre.
In 2012, her debut book Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter won the popular CBC’s Canada Reads contest where five prominent Canadians champion five different books. It consequently received a considerable bump in sales, perhaps even more than winners typically do after Quebec panelist Anne-France Goldwater made the bizarre accusation the Chilean-born author was “a bloody terrorist” for having been part of the resistance movement against the genocidal regime of General Augusto Pinochet as a teenager.
Unfortunately, Aguirre’s publisher Douglas & McIntyre went bankrupt shortly afterward with more than $6 million still owing to authors and other creditors.
“I did get a small sum up front to write the book, but then after it won Canada Reads it was on the bestseller list all across the country,” said Aguirre, a 46-year-old single mother of a young son. “Basically I was owed $60,000 in royalties that I never saw and the bulk of it is from that year, from 2012. It was very hard to say the least.”
Although Random House is republishing the book, it’s unlikely to earn anything close to the buzz-generated royalties of two years ago. Which is why a diverse mix of people from Vancouver’s artistic community is hoping to raise the missing 60 grand themselves at a special “Gran Malón in Solidarity” fundraiser June 9 at Heritage Hall.
Gran malón is a Chilean term that originally referred to raids by indigenous people on their Spanish conquerors but has since come to simply mean a big party that takes over someone’s house. The night will feature readings and performances by Aguirre as well as Lucia Frangione, Leanna Brodie, Carmen Rodriguez and Jovanni Sy. As with any large gathering with a high number of Latinos present, there will also be music and dancing.
Aguirre’s high-profile advocate during CBC’s 2012 battle of the books, hip hop musician Shad, is one of many local artists who plans on attending.
“It was very tough to hear when Carmen gave me the news,” he told the Courier. “I hope the community can come together and figure something out. It’s a cool concept and I like the spirit behind it.”
Shad knows a thing or two about what it’s like to have a sudden surge in public interest in your work — and what it might be like to not see the related pay cheque — after winning a Juno for best rap album over more heavily favoured fellow artist Drake in 2011.
“There was just more of a general interest in what I was doing,” said Shad. “That’s what these kinds of things are there for, to increase your profile and get your [stuff] out there more. Hopefully there are enough people who have been moved by the book to help out. Certainly enough people have read it.”
Despite being burned by the book business on her first attempt, Aguirre is nonetheless working on a follow-up.
“The new book is called Mexican Hooker Number One,” she said. “It’s a memoir that takes off where Something Fierce left off and that’ll be published by Random House in the next couple of years.”
Tickets to the event can be purchased or donations made here.
