Despite the freezing temperatures outside, the Gladstone Hotel was packed on Jan. 14 for the launch of Priscilla Uppal’s new novel, To Whom It May Concern. In this modern, multicultural re-telling of King Lear, Uppal explores the vulnerability and complexity of family and inheritance. Hosted by Pages Books and This Is Not a Reading Series, it was a most enjoyable evening for all.

The show started off with five of Priscila’s friends and colleagues discussing their own personal Shakespeare/King Lear stories. The line-up included our very own Andrew Pyper and Anthony De Sa, as well as playwright Linda Griffiths, Prof. Deanne Williams, and author Shyam Selvadurai. All five monologues were passionate, personal, and thoroughly enjoyable. Personally, I loved Anthony’s tale of teaching King Lear to his high school English class. He hooked them with ‘the angle’: King Lear was a pervert.

In the second part of the evening, Quill & Quire review editor Steven Beattie interviewed Priscila about To Whom It May Concern. She explained that her aim was to explore the tragic and comedic dimensions of failing to communicate, of keeping secrets, especially from family, and the consequences of our betrayals. Unlike characters in the play, Uppal and Beattie discussed how characters in her novel are not one-dimensionally ‘good’ or ‘evil’. Uppal’s characters are well-rounded and very human, each having their secrets and their redeeming qualities.

Despite the fact that this was “work” (I was hosting the Booklounge.ca VIP contest winners), I thoroughly enjoyed myself. To Whom It May Concern has been added to my nightstand’s ‘to be read’ pile.