# Terry Fallis

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**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](/source/Stephen_Leacock_Memorial_Medal_for_Humour), winning in 2008 for his [debut novel](/source/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 get out of politics by managing an unelectable candidate in a federal election to terminate his own credibility 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](/source/Podcast) format, later turning to the [print-on-demand](/source/Print-on-demand) company [iUniverse](/source/IUniverse) to self-publish a paper edition.[1] The podcast was subsequently picked up for broadcast on [Radioropa](/source/Radioropa).[1]

Following his award win, Fallis signed with [McClelland & Stewart](/source/McClelland_%26_Stewart), which republished *The Best Laid Plans* through its [Douglas Gibson Books](/source/Douglas_Gibson_Books) imprint in September 2008. He has published all his subsequent books through M&S. A sequel, *The High Road*, was published in September 2010 and was a finalist for the 2011 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. His third novel, *Up and Down*, debuted on *[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)* Bestsellers list in September 2012. It was a finalist for the 2013 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour and won the 2013 Ontario Library Association Evergreen Award. His fourth book, *No Relation*, was published by Douglas Gibson Books in May 2014 and won the 2015 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. His fifth novel, *Poles Apart*, was published in the fall of 2015 and opened on the *Globe and Mail* bestsellers list, and was again a shortlisted finalist for the Stephen Leacock Award in 2016.

*The Best Laid Plans* also won the 2011 edition of *[Canada Reads](/source/Canada_Reads)* as the "essential Canadian novel of the decade", defended by journalist [Ali Velshi](/source/Ali_Velshi).[4] In 2013, [CBC Television](/source/CBC_Television) announced plans to adapt the novel into a six-part television series,[5] *[The Best Laid Plans](/source/The_Best_Laid_Plans_(TV_series))*, which debuted in January 2014.[6] *The Best Laid Plans* was also developed as a stage musical by Touchstone Theatre and Patrick Street Productions in Vancouver where it enjoyed a successful run in the fall of 2015.

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

Fallis attended [McMaster University](/source/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.[7] After graduating he began a career in federal politics.[8] He is a former [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Canada) strategist, who has worked on the campaign and legislative staffs of [Jean Chrétien](/source/Jean_Chr%C3%A9tien), [Jean Lapierre](/source/Jean_Lapierre), [Robert Nixon](/source/Robert_Nixon_(politician)) and [Michael Ignatieff](/source/Michael_Ignatieff). In 1995, he co-founded Thornley Fallis, a public relations and social/digital media agency with offices in [Toronto](/source/Toronto) and Ottawa.

In 2014 he received the L.W. Shemilt Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award from McMaster.[8]

## 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)

## References

1. ["Self-published novel by Terry Fallis wins Leacock award"](https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/self-published-novel-by-terry-fallis-wins-leacock-award-1.710236?ref=rss), [cbc.ca](/source/Cbc.ca), April 30, 2008.

1. ["Terry Fallis wins second Leacock Medal for No Relation"](http://www.quillandquire.com/book-news/2015/04/30/terry-fallis-wins-second-leacock-medal-for-no-relation/). *[Quill & Quire](/source/Quill_%26_Quire)*, April 30, 2015.

1. [*The Best Laid Plans*](http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Best-Laid-Plans-Novel-Terry-Fallis/9780595428724-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527The+Best+Laid+Plans%2527&pticket=qc4iyvyv2xruzlz1gspfvbuiOJKfYYLJazGFc1O9T4pDL%2bBxklY%3d) at [chapters.indigo.ca](/source/Indigo_Books_and_Music).

1. ["Terry Fallis’ The Best Laid Plans wins Canada Reads competition"](https://nationalpost.com/afterword/terry-fallis-the-best-laid-plans-wins-canada-reads-competition). *[National Post](/source/National_Post)*, February 9, 2011.

1. ["CBC brings political satire ‘Best Laid Plans’ to series"](http://www.theloop.ca/showbiz/tv-guide/news/article/-/a/2015886/CBC-brings-political-satire-Best-Laid-Plans-to-series) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130509001505/http://www.theloop.ca/showbiz/tv-guide/news/article/-/a/2015886/CBC-brings-political-satire-Best-Laid-Plans-to-series) 2013-05-09 at the Wayback Machine. *[TV Guide Canada](/source/TV_Guide_Canada)*, March 8, 2013.

1. Bill Brioux, ["‘Best Laid Plans’ turns satiric focus on politics"](https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2014/01/04/best_laid_plans_turns_satiric_focus_on_politics.html). *[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)*, January 4, 2014.

1. ["Big ideas: engineering as a foundation for anything"](https://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/news/big-ideas-engineering-foundation-anything). *Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University*. May 16, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.

1. ["The L.W. Shemilt Distinguished Alumni Award"](https://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/lw-shemilt-distinguished-alumni-award). *Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University*. Retrieved August 9, 2018.

## External links

- [Terry Fallis](http://terryfallis.com/)
- [Terry Fallis](https://terryfallis.substack.com) on [Substack](/source/Substack)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Terry Fallis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Fallis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Fallis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.