Publisher Description

Why are there so few women in politics? Why is public space, whether it's the street or social media, still so inhospitable to women? What does Carrie Fisher have to do with Mary Wollstonecraft? And why is a wedding ceremony Satan's playground?These are some of the questions that bestselling author and acclaimed journalist Elizabeth Renzetti examines in her new collection of original essays. Drawing upon her decades of reporting on feminist issues, Shrewed is a book about feminism's crossroads. From Hillary Clinton's failed campaign to the quest for equal pay, from the lessons we can learn from old ladies to the future of feminism in a turbulent world, Renzetti takes a pointed, witty look at how far we've come - and how far we have to go. If Nellie McClung and Erma Bombeck had an IVF baby, this book would be the result. If they'd lived at the same time. And in the same country. And if IVF had been invented. Well, you get the point.

Author Biography

ELIZABETH RENZETTI is a bestselling Canadian author and journalist. She has worked for the Globe and Mail as a reporter, editor, and columnist. In 2020 she won the Landsberg Award for her reporting on gender equality. She is the author of the essay collection Shrewed: A Wry and Closely Observed Look at the Lives of Women and Girls and the novel Based on a True Story. Her book What She Said: Conversations about Equality will be published in 2024. She lives in Toronto with her family.

Review

Artfully examines the considerable achievements of women. * Reader's Digest *
Renzetti's wit and fierce intelligence are on display in full force in this essay collection . . . This is a book that will make you laugh, then move you to tears, and you're going to want to give a copy to every woman you know. * 49th Shelf *
Renzetti's prose is clever, witty, and accessible, making the book fun for feminists and a good gift for anyone who questions why feminism is still necessary. * Publishers Weekly *
Renzetti moves effortlessly between serious systemic inequality and the equally enraging, if sometimes amusing, everyday absurdities women face, effectively capturing this cultural moment and offering a resounding call to recognize — and organize against — the pernicious sexism that still exists in the world. * Booklist *
Renzetti takes a pointed look at how far we've come — and how far we have left to go. * Bookseller *

Promotional

U.S. OUTREACH:

• Renzetti attended Winter Institute in 2016 so many booksellers will be familiar with her work.

REVIEW COPIES

• Publishers Weekly
• Booklist
• Kirkus Reviews

Review Quote

PRAISE FOR ELIZABETH RENZETTI AND BASED ON A TRUE STORY Finalist, Kobo Emerging Writer Prize Canadian Bestseller A Winnipeg Free Press Top Read of 2014 "I'm a big Elizabeth Renzetti fan . . . This novel is a hell of a lot of fun . . . Made me laugh so hard I cried . . . Incisive, street-wise, and written with the deft hand of a truly talented scribe." -- Globe and Mail "At the madly beating heart of Elizabeth Renzetti's debut novel Based on a True Story is a great female buddy movie . . . The novel is packed with absolutely fabulous lines . . . A seriously funny book." -- National Post "Witty debut . . . wild, rollicking tale of celebrity culture, reinvention in mid-life, addiction, ambition, motherhood, and confronting past regrets." -- Zoomer "A winner . . . By turns hilarious and dark, always riveting, and crammed with satirical observations . . . [Augusta and Frances's] antics remind you of those in the popular 1991 buddy movie Thelma and Louise, and Renzetti pulls them off with similar aplomb. In her weekly column, Renzetti uses her considerable wit and skill to make any topic engaging. She uses the same talents to make you care about Augusta and Frances -- despite their flaws -- and as a consequence her first novel succeeds admirably." -- Winnipeg Free Press "A hilarious and bizarrely fascinating look at functioning drug addiction. I couldn't put it down." -- Geist "Powered by quick-fire dialogue and flamboyant characters, Renzetti deftly renders disparate personality types who are lovable despite (or, in some cases, because of) their myriad failings . . . Renzetti succeeds in showcasing the unreliable nature of storytelling. In one tableau, Augusta quips to a beleaguered Frances, 'Darling, no one wants the facts of life. They want the story.' This idea is at the core of Renzetti's tale. Telling one's own story is a powerful gesture, and the author has managed to relay that notion in a fun, frolicking way, through the lens of an unlikely yet tender female friendship." -- Quill & Quire "An unforgettable character that brings out a variety of emotions from the reader. Augusta Price is both infuriating and irresistible . . . Then there are unexpected moments when she makes you laugh. Before you know it, you're rooting for her, hoping she can get her life together." -- NewsTalk 1010, Bookends "Based on a True Story is a wry and daring debut, serving up razor-sharp wit that cuts through the tangled webs (and cobwebs) of human desire, friendship, and motherhood. Fans of Hollywood -- old and new -- will embrace Elizabeth Renzetti's troubled heroine, with her dash of Norma Desmond. From page one it's obvious that this is a novelist who is ready for her literary close-up." -- Kim Izzo, author of The Jane Austen Marriage Manual "Elizabeth Renzetti writes like an angel . . . I laughed my way through her transatlantic tour of the absurdities of television, publishing, and journalism, and I also connected with her all-too-human characters." -- Katherine Ashenburg, author of The Dirt on Clean and The Mourner's Dance

Promotional "Headline"

U.S. OUTREACH: Renzetti attended Winter Institute in 2016 so many booksellers will be familiar with her work. REVIEW COPIES Publishers Weekly Booklist Kirkus Reviews

Feature

LARGE MARKET FOR BOOKS ON FEMINISM AND WOMEN'S ISSUES: There's a huge market for books on feminist literature and ongoing popular discussion of women's issues in traditional media and social media. Everyone from Caitlin Moran to Roxane Gay and even Lindy West have tackled women's issues with intelligence and humour, and Elizabeth Renzetti will do the same, discussing everything from the personal to the political, public and private spaces, patriarchy vs. matriarchy, and more, with her trademark wit and piercing, intelligent observation. PUBLICATION TO COINCIDE WITH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: We will publish the book in early March 2018 to coincide with International Women's Day on March 8, 2018. Renzetti is extremely well connected in the media and literary world, and we will work with her to effectively market and promote the book to women's long lead magazines and national literary media (magazines, newspapers, radio, TV, podcasts, blogs), which will no doubt receive a lot of attention. HUGELY POPULAR COLUMNIST: Elizabeth Renzetti is the author of the debut novel Based on a True Story and a widely read and hugely popular columnist at Canada's Globe and Mail. Renzetti has a large fan base: so many of the people who came to her events for Based on a True Story told her directly how much they love her column. Similar to Renzetti's columns, Based on a True Story received fabulous praise for its incredible wit and humour. Shrewed will be no exception and will be sure to delight Renzetti followers.

New Feature

LARGE MARKET FOR BOOKS ON FEMINISM AND WOMEN'S ISSUES: There's a huge market for books on feminist literature and ongoing popular discussion of women's issues in traditional media and social media. Everyone from Caitlin Moran to Roxane Gay and even Lindy West have tackled women's issues with intelligence and humour, and Elizabeth Renzetti will do the same, discussing everything from the personal to the political, public and private spaces, patriarchy vs. matriarchy, and more, with her trademark wit and piercing, intelligent observation. PUBLICATION TO COINCIDE WITH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: We will publish the book in early March 2018 to coincide with International Women's Day on March 8, 2018. Renzetti is extremely well connected in the media and literary world, and we will work with her to effectively market and promote the book to women's long lead magazines and national literary media (magazines, newspapers, radio, TV, podcasts, blogs), which will no doubt receive a lot of attention. HUGELY POPULAR COLUMNIST: Elizabeth Renzetti is the author of the debut novel Based on a True Storyand a widely read and hugely popular columnist at Canada's Globe and Mail. Renzetti has a large fan base: so many of the people who came to her events for Based on a True Storytold her directly how much they love her column. Similar to Renzetti's columns, Based on a True Storyreceived fabulous praise for its incredible wit and humour. Shrewedwill be no exception and will be sure to delight Renzetti followers.

Description for Sales People

LARGE MARKET FOR BOOKS ON FEMINISM AND WOMEN'S ISSUES: There's a huge market for books on feminist literature and ongoing popular discussion of women's issues in traditional media and social media. Everyone from Caitlin Moran to Roxane Gay and even Lindy West have tackled women's issues with intelligence and humour, and Elizabeth Renzetti will do the same, discussing everything from the personal to the political, public and private spaces, patriarchy vs. matriarchy, and more, with her trademark wit and piercing, intelligent observation. PUBLICATION TO COINCIDE WITH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: We will publish the book in early March 2018 to coincide with International Women's Day on March 8, 2018. Renzetti is extremely well connected in the media and literary world, and we will work with her to effectively market and promote the book to women's long lead magazines and national literary media (magazines, newspapers, radio, TV, podcasts, blogs), which will no doubt receive a lot of attention. HUGELY POPULAR COLUMNIST: Elizabeth Renzetti is the author of the debut novel Based on a True Story and a widely read and hugely popular columnist at Canada's Globe and Mail. Renzetti has a large fan base: so many of the people who came to her events for Based on a True Story told her directly how much they love her column. Similar to Renzetti's columns, Based on a True Story received fabulous praise for its incredible wit and humour. Shrewed will be no exception and will be sure to delight Renzetti followers.

Details