Terry Fallis’s The Best Laid Plans won the 10th edition of CBC Radio’s Canada Reads competition this morning. Defended by broadcast journalist Ali Velshi, Fallis’ novel beat out Ami McKay’s novel The Birth House in the final round of the popular book battle.

Contacted by phone after the big announcement, the political satirist told Canada Reads host Jian Ghomeshi he was curled in fetal position on the floor of his library, breathing into a paper bag.

The Best Laid Plans was originally self-published through iUniverse in 2007, won the 2008 Stephen Leacock Award for Humour, and was then republished by McClelland & Stewart. A sequel, The High Road, was published in September 2010.