David Bergen

What fascinates me as a writer is the stuff underneath, To me, what drives a novel is the curiosity behind the character and the depths that you want to find in that character. ”

An editor is an accomplice, looking in from the outside. That objective view is essential. We don't write in a vacuum, and we don't publish in a vacuum. ”

That's the novelist's job: to peel back the layers and look underneath. ”

Every year, the Giller jury is different. You write the best book you can and throw it out there. ”

Though I loved books as a young boy, I loved sports even more. I wanted to be a quarterback in the CFL. ”

As a writer, you write the book, you give it to your editor, it's copy edited, it's published, it's thrown out there, and then there's a response. ”

As a writer, I'm always aware of the fact that there are so many books out there. ”

The first accepted piece of writing is the most exciting. No other publishing experience matches it. Perhaps jaundice sets in, or expectations are raised, or one starts to think that one is better than is the truth. ”

In my brief writing life, it means I am still lucky that I have at least one more novel to complete. I do not expect that a story will arrive just because it is time to write another novel. It doesn't happen that way. ”

A mentor, a 'teacher,' is like an editor. I absolutely value my editor, who is my teacher. ”