Terry Fallis
Terry Fallis at the Eden Mills Writers' Festival in 2013
Fallis at the Eden Mills Writers' Festival in 2013
Born1959 (age 66–67)
Occupations
  • Novelist
  • public relations consultant
Writing career
Period2000s–present
Notable works
  • The Best Laid Plans
  • No Relation
Websiteterryfallis.com

Terry Fallis (born 1959) is a Canadian writer and public relations consultant. He is a two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, winning in 2008 for his debut novel The Best Laid Plans[1] and in 2015 for No Relation.[2]

The Best Laid Plans is a satire of Canadian politics, in which a burned-out political strategist's plan to terminate his own credibility and get out of politics by managing an unelectable candidate in a federal election is thrown into turmoil when the candidate becomes unexpectedly popular with the voters.[3] Due to lack of publisher interest, Fallis originally released the entire novel, chapter by chapter, in podcast format, later turning to the print-on-demand company iUniverse to self-publish a paper edition. The podcast was subsequently picked up for broadcast on Radioropa.[1]

Following his Leacock Medal win, Fallis signed with McClelland & Stewart (M&S),[4] which republished The Best Laid Plans through its Douglas Gibson imprint in September 2008.[5] He has published all his subsequent books through M&S.[6] A sequel, The High Road, was published in September 2010 and was a finalist for the 2011 Leacock Medal.[7] His third novel, Up and Down, debuted on The Globe and Mail Bestsellers list in September 2012.[6] It was a finalist for the 2013 Leacock Medal[8] and won the 2013 Ontario Library Association Evergreen Award.[9] His fourth book, No Relation, was published by Douglas Gibson in May 2014[10] and won the 2015 Leacock Medal.[11] His fifth novel, Poles Apart, was published in 2015,[12] opened on The Globe and Mail Bestsellers list,[6] and was again a finalist for the Leacock Medal in 2016.[13]

The Best Laid Plans also won the 2011 edition of Canada Reads as the "essential Canadian novel of the decade", defended by journalist Ali Velshi.[14] In 2013, CBC Television announced plans to adapt the novel into a six-part television series,[15] The Best Laid Plans, which debuted in January 2014.[16] The Best Laid Plans was also developed as a stage musical by Touchstone Theatre and Patrick Street Productions in Vancouver,[17] where it enjoyed a successful run in the fall of 2015.[18]

In June 2013, Fallis won the Libris Award for Author of the Year presented by the Canadian Booksellers Association.[19]

Fallis attended McMaster University, where he earned a Bachelor of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering degree and became involved in student politics, eventually becoming president of the student union.[20] After graduating he began a career in federal politics.[21] He is a former Liberal Party strategist, having worked on the campaign and legislative staffs of Jean Chrétien, Jean Lapierre, Robert Nixon, and Michael Ignatieff.[22][23] In 1995, he co-founded Thornley Fallis, a public relations and social/digital media agency with offices in Toronto and Ottawa.[citation needed]

In 2014 he received the L.W. Shemilt Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award from McMaster.[21]

Works

  • The Best Laid Plans (2008)
  • The High Road (2010)
  • Up and Down (2012)
  • No Relation (2014)
  • Poles Apart (2015)
  • One Brother Shy (2017)
  • Albatross (2019)
  • Operation Angus (2021)
  • A New Season (2023)
  • The Marionette (2025)
  • An End in Itself (2026)

References

  1. ^ a b "Self-published novel by Terry Fallis wins Leacock award". CBC. April 30, 2008.
  2. ^ Kester, Sarah (2015-04-30). "Terry Fallis wins second Leacock Medal for No Relation". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  3. ^ "The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis, (Paperback)". Indigo. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  4. ^ "Terry Fallis, B.Eng.,Writer". School of Continuing Studies - University of Toronto. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  5. ^ Cerny, Dory (2013-01-03). "Up and Down". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  6. ^ a b c "Terry Fallis". The Writers' Union of Canada. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  7. ^ "The High Road by Terry Fallis: 9780771047879". PenguinRandomHouse.com. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  8. ^ "Here's the shortlist for this year's Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour Writing". McNally Robinson Booksellers. April 11, 2013. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  9. ^ Carter, Sue (2013-11-18). "Terry Fallis wins Forest of Reading's Evergreen Award". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  10. ^ "Staff Picks for May - Books". WWAC. 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  11. ^ "Leacock Medal for Humour 2015 winner". McNally Robinson Booksellers. May 12, 2015. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  12. ^ "Poles Apart". CBC Books. June 27, 2018.
  13. ^ Carter, Sue (2016-05-06). "Newcomer Sarah Mian joins Terry Fallis, Susan Juby on Leacock shortlist". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  14. ^ Medley, Mark (February 9, 2011). "Terry Fallis' The Best Laid Plans wins Canada Reads competition". National Post.
  15. ^ Vlessing, Etan (2013-03-06). "Canada's CBC Gives Six-Episode Order to 'Best Laid Plans' Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  16. ^ Brioux, Bill (2014-01-04). "'Best Laid Plans' turns satiric focus on politics". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  17. ^ Robertson, Becky (2015-09-17). "Q&A: artistic director Katrina Dunn on the stage adaptation of Terry Fallis's The Best Laid Plans". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  18. ^ Nestruck, J. Kelly (2015-10-02). "A homegrown musical-theatre movement emerges across Canada". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  19. ^ Siassina, Maria (2013-06-04). "CBA Libris Awards announced". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  20. ^ "Big ideas: engineering as a foundation for anything". Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University. May 16, 2018. Archived from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  21. ^ a b "The L.W. Shemilt Distinguished Alumni Award". Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University. Archived from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  22. ^ Paikin, Steve (May 8, 2025). "My lunch with old political friends". TVO Today. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  23. ^ Belanger, Joe (November 3, 2021). "Leacock-winning humour writer Terry Fallis opens Words literary festival". London Free Press.