Yann Martel out that he could not have stolen from a work he had not at the time read, and he willingly acknowledged being influenced by the New York Times review of Scliar's work and thanked him in the Author's Note of Life of Pi. "Life of Pi" was later chosen for the 2003 edition of CBC Radio's "Canada Reads" competition, where it was championed by author Nancy Lee. In addition, its French translation, "Histoire de Pi", was included in the French version of the competition, "Le combat des livres", in 2004, championed by singer Louise Forestier. Martel was the Samuel Fischer
Richard Parker (potter) Richard Parker (potter) Richard John Parker (born Nelson, 1946) is a New Zealand potter who has been based in Kaeo for most of his career. Parker attended Nelson College from 1960 to 1964, and graduated from Christchurch Teachers Training College with a diploma in primary school teaching in 1966. Between 1967 and 1973 he taught at a number of schools around New Zealand. In Nelson, Parker was exposed to the work of early studio potters including Harry Davis, May Davis, and Mirek Smisek. In 1973 Parker attended a workshop run by potter Yvonne Rust in Northland, which prompted his decision