'After years of lies and hiding, I was finally out': Mark Tewksbury on why he champions Washington Black
On Canada Reads 2022, Mark Tewksbury is championing the novel Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
WARNING: The video clip contains strong language.
During Day Three of Canada Reads 2022, the three panellists left in contention were asked about how they made the decision to champion their respective books — and why their chosen book is the right book for them.
In the opening round of the day's debates, Mark Tewksbury reflected on how he connected with the novel he's championing, Washington Black by Esi Edugyan.
Washington Black tells the story of an 11-year-old boy named Wash, who was born into slavery on a Barbados sugar plantation. His master is Christopher Wilde, an English inventor obsessed with developing a machine that can fly. The two develop a bond, but when a man is killed, Wilde must choose between his family and saving Washington's life — and the choice results in an unforgettable adventure around the world.
Though Wash is freed from slavery, he struggles to move on mentally from his past life. He travels from country to country always looking over his shoulder. Gradually, Wash learns how to take control of his agency, developing his talent as an artist, discovering a passion for conservation and falling in love for the first time.
Washington Black won the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was a finalist for the 2018 Man Booker Prize and the 2018 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.
WATCH | The book trailer for Washington Black
Tewksbury shared that there were aspects of Wash's self-discovery — and the realization that being physically free does not mean you are mentally free — that resonated with him.
Read his argument below.
Mark Tewksbury: "On December 15, 1998, [the] front page headline on the Globe and Mail was 'Sports Hero Declares His Homosexuality.'
"After years of lies and hiding. I was finally out. I was free, but was I?
"Publicly? Sure. But what about inside my head? My heart?
"That tape that kept playing: 'Yeah, but you're gay....You're not worth it.'
"It would be six years later, after my own journey of healing, that that voice inside my head finally stopped.
"But to this day, my journey of self-discovery, like all of us, continues.
"I'm free in mind, body and spirit here now. But all it takes is a trip to one of 71 countries in the world to remind me it's criminal to be myself, to be gay.
But to this day, my journey of self-discovery, like all of us, continues.
"What freedom means shifts — for each of us and the societies we live in. I'm still only free to a point, like Washington Black."
LISTEN | Learn more about Washington Black
Canada Reads 2022
Meet the champions and their chosen books:
- Ojibway author and Vogue fashion writer Christian Allaire champions Five Little Indians by Michelle Good
- Actor and activist Malia Baker champions Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez
- Entrepreneur and former Syrian refugee Tareq Hadhad champions What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad
- Forest ecologist and author Suzanne Simard champions Life In the City of Dirty Water by Clayton Thomas-Müller
- Olympian and LGBTQ2S+ advocate Mark Tewksbury champions Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Here's how you can tune into Canada Reads 2022:
ON RADIO: Canada Reads will air on CBC Radio at 11:05 a.m. ET, CST, MT, PT; at 1:05 p.m. in AT, and at 1:35 p.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador. It replays at 8 p.m. local time and 8:30 p.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador.
ON TV: CBC TV will broadcast Canada Reads at 1 p.m. ET, CST, MT, PT; at 2 p.m. in AT, and at 2:30 p.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador.
ONLINE: CBC Books will livestream the debates at 11 a.m. ET on CBCBooks.ca, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Gem. The debates will be available to replay online each day. The livestreams on YouTube and Facebook will be available to watch outside Canada.
- DAY ONE livestreams: CBC Books, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter
- DAY TWO livestreams: CBC Books, CBC Gem, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter
PODCAST: Listen to the debates as a podcast on CBC Listen. The episode will be posted each day after the live airing.
WARNING: The books chosen for Canada Reads deal with difficult topics, such as trauma and abuse. These stories may be shared during the broadcast. Click this link to find publicly available resources for support.
