Terry Fallis is a Canadian writer and public relations consultant, whose debut novel The Best Laid Plans was awarded the Stephen Leacock Medal in 2008.[1]
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 in order to kill off his own credibility is thrown into turmoil when the candidate becomes unexpectedly popular with the voters.[2] Due to lack of publisher interest, Fallis originally released excerpts from the novel in podcast format, later turning to the print-on-demand company iUniverse to self-publish a paper edition.[1] The podcast was subsequently picked up for broadcast on Radioropa.[1]
Following his award win, Fallis signed with McClelland and Stewart, who republished The Best Laid Plans in September 2008. A sequel novel, The High Road, was published by McClelland and Stewart in September 2010.
The Best Laid Plans won the 2011 edition of Canada Reads, where it was defended by journalist Ali Velshi.
Fallis is himself a former Liberal Party strategist, who has worked on the campaign and legislative staffs of Jean Chrétien, Jean Lapierre, Robert Nixon and Michael Ignatieff. He is a partner in his own public relations firm in Toronto, Thornley Fallis.