Publication and Sales
The book was released in October 2008 as Atwood began the Massey lecture series in St. John's, Newfoundland, on October 12. The second lecture took place in Vancouver on the 15th, followed by Winnipeg on the 17th, Montreal on the 20th, and ending on November 1 in Toronto. The series was recorded then aired on CBC Radio One's Ideas between November 10 and 14. At each event Atwood fielded questions from the audience and participated in book signings.
Payback entered The Globe and Mail bestseller list at #6 and peaked at #1 on October 25. It became the best selling Massey Lecture book to date and was in its fourth printing by the end of November. Excerpts were printed in The Times and the Financial Times. In April 2009, it was a finalist for the annual National Business Book Award and won a silver medal in the Business Ethics category of the Axiom Business Book Awards. That same month, the National Film Board of Canada acquired the film rights, with plans to adapt Payback as a feature-length documentary. They announced the involvement of Jennifer Baichwal as director and Ravida Din as producer. In June 2009, the book was awarded a Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Award for Non-Fiction Book of the Year.
Almost all reviewers commented upon the timeliness of the book's release as the magnitude and causes of the most recent financial crisis were becoming apparent. Some reviewers also commented upon the timeliness of her previous books, like her novel in which society is devastated by a genetically engineered virus, Oryx and Crake, which coincided with the SARS outbreak. Playing off this theme Canadian magazine The Walrus, at a fund-raiser gala for its charitable foundation, auctioned a crystal decanter with five predictions written by Atwood sealed inside. Journalist Rebecca Eckler was the winning bidder and wrote about the predictions, which include the diminished use of fabric softener and the rise in use of industrial hemp, in an article for Maclean's magazine.
Read more about this topic: Payback: Debt And The Shadow Side Of Wealth
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