Longlisted for the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize
A debut novel from a rising literary star that brings the modern queer and Indigenous experience into sharp relief.
In the stark expanse of Northern Alberta, a queer Indigenous doctoral student steps away from his dissertation to write a novel, informed by a series of poignant encounters: a heart-to-heart with fellow doctoral student River over the mounting pressure placed on marginalized scholars; a meeting with Michael, a closeted man from his hometown whose vulnerability and loneliness punctuate the realities of queer life on the fringe. Woven throughout these conversations are memories of Jack, a cousin caught in the cycle of police violence, drugs, and survival. Jack’s life parallels the narrator’s own; the possibilities of escape and imprisonment are left to chance with colonialism stacking the odds. A Minor Chorus introduces a dazzling new literary voice whose vision and fearlessness shine much-needed light on the realities of Indigenous survival.
Genre: Literary Fiction
A debut novel from a rising literary star that brings the modern queer and Indigenous experience into sharp relief.
In the stark expanse of Northern Alberta, a queer Indigenous doctoral student steps away from his dissertation to write a novel, informed by a series of poignant encounters: a heart-to-heart with fellow doctoral student River over the mounting pressure placed on marginalized scholars; a meeting with Michael, a closeted man from his hometown whose vulnerability and loneliness punctuate the realities of queer life on the fringe. Woven throughout these conversations are memories of Jack, a cousin caught in the cycle of police violence, drugs, and survival. Jack’s life parallels the narrator’s own; the possibilities of escape and imprisonment are left to chance with colonialism stacking the odds. A Minor Chorus introduces a dazzling new literary voice whose vision and fearlessness shine much-needed light on the realities of Indigenous survival.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"An absolutely dazzling confluence of big ideas and raw emotions, told in Billy-Ray Belcourt's singular poetic voice. A Minor Chorus is about loving, questioning, and fighting for your life, and it's as compelling a debut novel as I've read in years." - Jami Attenberg
"No one breaks your heart as elegantly as Billy-Ray Belcourt. Innovative, intimate, and meticulous." - Eden Robinson
"A truly exceptional novel about how the disregarded sometimes live the most remarkable lives. A Minor Chorus?is like a song that's over too soon; I want to play it on repeat, to memorize the words so that I can sing them to myself." - Katherena Vermette
"No one breaks your heart as elegantly as Billy-Ray Belcourt. Innovative, intimate, and meticulous." - Eden Robinson
"A truly exceptional novel about how the disregarded sometimes live the most remarkable lives. A Minor Chorus?is like a song that's over too soon; I want to play it on repeat, to memorize the words so that I can sing them to myself." - Katherena Vermette
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