Bestselling author Linwood Barclay boycotts U.S. to protest Trump's travel ban

Canadian thriller writer Linwood Barclay is known for keeping readers in suspense. But nowthe bestselling author will be keeping his American fans at a distance, after cancellinghis scheduled U.S. public appearancesas a form of protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban.

"I started thinking, what if I were in line to cross the border and I were with that Iranian director who has been nominated for an Academy Award and now can't come to the Oscars? What would I tell him? What would I say to him as I waltz through to the U.S.?

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I just don't feelcomfortablegoing while this travel ban is in effect,' Barclay, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen who said he didn't vote for Trump,told CBC News.

After announcing his decisionon social media Monday, he received an outpouring of support fromfans and readers.

"My Twitter feed has gone insane. I've heard from a lot of people who I would say 99 per cent support it," he said.

Barclay wasslatedto attendtwo book festivals in Arizona, but for now he's staying home.Even the organizers of the events he will no longer attend said they understood his decision, he added.

"They said 'We hope we can have you back at a later date.' And I thought: 'Wow if I were them, I'd never invite me again.'"

Although Barclay hasn'theard of any other authors or artists following his lead, he described the decision as purely a personal one andnot telling others what to do.

'I just have to be able to look in the mirror:' Linwood Barclay protests Trump travel ban

8 years ago

Duration 1:25

The bestselling Canadian-U.S. crime author on Trump's travel ban and his decision to cancel upcoming book events in the U.S.

"I'm not setting out to accomplish anything. I didn't go into this with any illusions I'm going to change the world," he said during an interview Tuesday at his Oakville, Ont. home.

"SteveBannonin the White House [won't] say 'Gee Barclay'snot coming.We better rethinkeverything.' I just have to be able to look inthe mirror. Everyone else has to do what they want. If you want to go, go. But I just didn't feel I could do it.

"To me the border right now looks like this enormous picket line that's several times higher than the wall Trump wants to build and I don't feel comfortable crossing it."

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As for the future, Barclay admitted he wasn't sure how long he would keep his protest up beyond the 90-day executive order travel ban. But he also noted that the administration's "outrages" are becoming a daily occurrence.

"Millions of us north and south of the border are looking ahead to the next four years and wondering what will we feel we have to do next to resist and fight back against what we feel are reallyunfairideologically based decisions that are hateful."