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51 Visit insidehalton.com for m ore coverage Oakville author pens second book - this one about Soviet spies in Canada Nikki Wesley/MetrolandOakville Author Joyce Wayne recently published her second book Last Night of the World. JULIE SLACK jslack@miltoncanadian champion.com Joyce Wayne is techni­ cally retired, but she's busier now than she's ever been. The retired Sheridan College professor figures she needs a holiday now that her second book is completed. Last Night of the World is quite different from her first book -- the historical novel The Cook's Tempta­ tion. This one takes read­ ers to Ottawa in 1945, when Soviet agent Freda Lin­ ton's world is about to fall apart. The 248-page paperback is based on true stories Wayne's own father shared with her when she was a child. He lived in Montreal and he knew a lot of the people she writes about. "He liked to tell me sto­ ries," she said. "Nobody -- literally nobody -- knows this story." She said it revolves around 20 Soviet spies, all of whom are Canadian. Many of them went to jail after everything came to light. She crafted the compel­ ling narrative of Last Night of the World, knowing full well the world of Soviet spy Freda Linton. She herself grew up in a family where her father was a devoted member of the Communist Party of Canada until he lost his faith in the Bolshe­ viks. As such, she has inti­ mate knowledge and in­ sights into the characters. As a "red diaper baby" she had direct experience and understanding of many of the characters in her novel. She said she was fortu­ nate to be able to write about this transformative period of Canadian history and the forces and person­ alities who provoked the beginning of the Cold War. She explains that dur­ ing the Second World War, they were trying to hunt down the formula for the atomic bomb. "This was espionage at a really huge level," she said. Today, she added, things are exactly the same. "You read about these Russian spies, and the tactics are exactly the same. They meddle in the affairs of oth­ er countries, posing as dip­ lomats."Her main character, a strong, brave woman, was a major spy for the Soviets. "Most of the characters -- 90 per cent -- really ex­ isted," Wayne, 67, said. "They're long dead, so I used their real names. I was finding stuff that I couldn't believe. "It all makes for a grip­ ping spy story of massive international implications, and with the main action set in Canada. "I've heard tales of Igor Gouzenko's defection from the time I was a child," she said. "Last Night of the World is the book I've al­ ways wanted to write. It is the story of the spark that ignited the Cold War from the point of view of the Ca­ nadian-Soviet spies ex­ posed by Gouzenko, and who were charged with treason by the Canadian government. When I watched the TV series, The Americans, I knew the time was right to tell this story." Her first novel took five years to complete, while this one took three years. And yes, a third one is defi­ nitely in the works -- just not right now. Wayne said her main character, Freda, has more stories to be told. Wayne, who was for many years the head of the journalism program at Sheridan College where she launched the Sheridan Centre for Internationally Trained Individuals, said she typically spends five to six hours writing when she's got a book in the works. After a few months, she sends it for an early read or edit. This process continues for many months, she said, adding each novel has quite a few drafts from beginning to end.As the former editor at Quill and Quire, a literary magazine, she admits all that editing took a while to get used to. "I found it difficult; I just didn't get it," she laughed. "To write a good novel, it has to go through a number of drafts until you get it to the point where you feel in your heart, you can't take it any further." She credits many people for their help on the novel, including Oakville's Mosa­ ic Press, which is one of the few literary presses that's managed to last this long-- it's been in business more than 40 years, where both her novels have been printed. Oakville Public Library, Central branch will hold An Evening With Joyce Wayne on Thursday, April 19,7 to 8:30 p.m. in the audi­ torium. Cost is $15. Tickets are available at all branch­es now. Last Night of the World is available at Amazon, Chapters-Indigo and Wayne will be selling it at the Oakville Library event, for those who would like a signed copy. AGH 2018 ARTS ALE PAINTING | CERAM ICS | TEXTILES | PHOTOGRAPHY PRINTMAKING | ILLUSTRATION | GLASS | JEWELLERY l FREE \ ADMISSION / Yangyang Pan, Spring Light, 30X30 inches, oil on canvas, 2017. ......... Image courtesy o f A rt Gallery o f Hamilton's A rt Rental and Sales. April 12-15 Thursday, April 12 5 - 9 pm Friday, April 13 11 - 9 pm Saturday, April 14 12-5 pm Sunday, April 15 12-5 pm A G Art Gallery of Hamilton 123 King Street West, Ham ilton dow ntow n artgalleryofham ilton.com artsale@ artgalleryofham ilton.com | O akville Beaver | Thursday, April 5, 2018 insidehalton.com mailto:artsale@artgalleryofhamilton.com