Saturday 30 January 2010

Travel Destination Press Conference - only freelancers learned 'bout "Trashing the Dress" trend




Yawn. For beat reporters and photographers covering a travel destination media conference there is precious little to do aside from nibble on the great food and proudly refuse the free booze that flows like lava out of a spewing volcano. Why? There isn't usually any new news given out. In fact almost everything you learn at the press conference could have been emailed over to the newsroom (and they probably still wouldn't have used it).
Air Canada will soon be flying non-stop Charlottetown to Ottawa. Canadian money offered at par in the Buckeye State. Hilton Head Island Goes Green. Those are real headlines from recent press conferences. And the photo ops? travel destination press conference invented the Grip and Grin.
It is a different story for freelancers. It is a chance to meet up with visiting destination officials (usually the tourism minister), tour operators and fellow travel writers. Freelance writers are under no moral obligation to avoid the libations,turn down free trips or take home bags of swag. And if you are covering a destination you no real well, and have the chance to ask probing questions you do find out some neat things. Take for example a presser I attended in January, put on by the Cayman Island Tourist Board.
Cayman has long advertised in Diver Magazine. I go there a lot. It is one of the best destinations in the Caribbean for diving and there are non-stop flights from Toronto (which means you don't have to pass through the US).
I am a Cayman junkee. I listen to Cayman Lime Radio. I read the Cayman Compass. My Google News scans 24.7 for Cayman News. Even so, this presser held out nothing for me, it was a two-hour session all about out-of-country weddings. Sure there have been underwater weddings, but, that is a story that has been told many times already.No, I didn't for see learning about anything that I could transfer into an article for Diver (or even a posting on my website for that matter).
I was wrong! I did learn a few neat factoids about travel destination weddings from Cayman's guest talking head Rebecca Grinnals of Engaging Concepts based in Celebration, Florida. Grinnals talked in person to over 30 travel experts at the Yorkville movie industry friendly Sassafraz Restaurant. At the same time she was conversing with a whack of bloggers, tweeters and God knows who else was lurking on line in real time.
Her message? Despite a recession in 2009, destination weddings (especially in the Cayman Islands) are hotter than ever.
“The world’s largest financial crisis last year really fuelled the trend of destination weddings,” she said “While the industry was bracing for the worst, the opposite occurred. Brides began to reprioritize and rethink everything about their wedding. More brides opted for simplicity, choosing to wed away from home in a more casual setting.”
Grinnal referenced a 2009 study conducted by Destination Weddings & Honeymoons magazine. It says that the market for destination weddings is on the rise. In 2009, the market ballooned to $16 billion up from $3 billion in 2001. A couple’s destination wedding budget has also grown from US $19,800 in 2008 to US $20,600 in 2009 with the average number of attendees rising to 48 guests.
Some of the factoids I learned at the conference?
Marrying Passions – “Over 9,000 Chinese couples married on the opening day of the Beijing Olympics and I anticipate many will choose to do the same during the Vancouver Olympics,” says Grinnals. “Couples who have a love of sports or the great outdoors are choosing to share their passion,” she says. From diving out of an airplane to getting married underwater in dive gear, couples are pushing the boundaries of tradition.
Two Dress Brides – Brides who travel to marry are tending to buy two wedding dresses. Faced with so many stylish options at great prices, Grinnals says brides are opting for a ceremony dress and a fun, party dress for later in the evening.
Dramatic Getaways – When the big day comes to a close and the couple is ready to make their exit, they’re doing it in style. From skiing down a mountain, riding off in a hot air balloon or speeding away on a yacht, the fun is all in the big finale.
DIY DJ – “Whether at home or abroad, couples are ditching the DJ in favour of creating their own play lists on an iPod,” says Grinnals. “Plus they’re downloading music from local artists to create a unique party mix.”
Hitched in High-Tech – Brides are fully immersed in technology, using their mobile device to coordinate planning and vote on bridal party choices. “Social media is particularly popular for the destination wedding couple who are using sites like Twitter and Facebook to keep everyone up-to-date, especially those unable to attend,” she says. “Some brides are even designating a ‘tweet of honour’ who’s responsible for giving a blow-by-blow of the wedding, while others are using webcast services like http://www.ourcaymanwedding.com/ so those at home can still feel a part of the festivities.”
Eco Everything – Because it’s easier than ever to go green at your destination wedding, Grinnals says brides are embracing the trend. “From venues to vendors, they are making green choices in an effort to give back to the environment,” she says.
Map It Out – Couples are creating custom maps of the destination which are given to guests upon arrival. “It’s a great way to make your guests feel welcome as soon as they arrive and immediately orients them by providing attractions, restaurants and other information they’ll need while there,”. She suggests http://www.weddingmapper.com/
Trashing the Dress – “Popular in Caribbean locales, the couple holds a photo shoot the next day and jumps into the ocean in their wedding outfits,” says Grinnals. “It’s a chance for the couple to really let their hair down after all the stress and pressure from the months leading up to the big day. It’s one of my favourite trends and I don’t see it losing steam anytime soon.”

Photos by Stephen Weir
Cutline: Below: Rebecca Grinnals at the Cayman Island podium
Above: Tweeters and Bloggers followed Grinnals hour long Toronto, Canada presentation.

BLOGGERS INVITED TO MEET EAST COAST ARTIST TOM FORRESTALL AND TOUR HIS NEW EXHIBITION



.

PUBLIC GALLERY SENDS OUT INVITE TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO MEET EAST COAST ARTIST TOM FORRESTALL AND TOUR HIS NEW EXHIBITION

Renowned Canadian realist painter Thomas DeVany Forrestall will be at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection Sunday January 31st. SOCIAL MEDIA / BLOGGERS are invited to attend the Member’s Opening of Tom Forrestall: Paintings, Drawings, Writings



When Sunday, January 28, 2010, noon. – 1:30 p.m.
Where McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 10365 Islington Avenue, Kleinburg (just north of the Major Mackenzie Drive, Islington Avenue intersection)
Why Tom Forrestall: Paintings, Drawings, Writings organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and curated by McMichael Canadian Art Collection Executive Director and CEO, Tom Smart, is a retrospective exhibition which chronicles the artist’s curious observation and exploration of his surroundings, the nature of his creativity, and the source of his visions, through his works. Forrestall’s art has been classified as Magic Realism – an imprecise term often used to describe the work of a coterie of East Coast Canadian painters who emerged after the Second World War (Alex Colville, Christopher Pratt, Mary Pratt). Although their geographic roots, styles and vocabularies were similar, these artists applied themselves differently, each adapting naturalism in a personal way.
Who Meet artist Tom Forrestall and exhibition curator and author, Tom Smart, McMichael Executive Director and CEO.
What A rare opportunity to meet East Coast artist Tom Forrestall. Mr. Forrestall will tour the exhibit with visiting media. Tom Smart has written a book, which traces the development of Forrestall's art and the depth of his long artistic career and will be attending the Sunday event. The exhibition opens Saturday January 30th and runs to April 25th. Mr. Forrestall with speak and sign books at the Member’s Opening on Sunday January 31st.
Free admission for invited Bloggers and their guests (one free guest ticket per blogger) Sunday only.
.
About the Gallery
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Government of Ontario and acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Culture. It is the foremost venue in the country showcasing the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. In addition to touring exhibitions, its permanent collection consists of more than 5,500 artworks, including paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, First Nations, and Inuit artists.
The gallery is located on Islington Avenue, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in Kleinburg, and is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students and $30 for families. There is a $5 fee for parking. For more information about the gallery visit www.mcmichael.com.

Sunday 24 January 2010

There is an E-Talk truck in the driveway





E-TALK IS NOW PRIZE-TALK. CAMERA HUNTS DOWN AND CAPTURES (ON TAPE) THE STARS OF THE 2010 CHARLES TAYLOR PRIZE FOR LITERARY NON-FICTION


CTV's popular entertainment newsmagazine E-Talk, is producing a special show on the 2010 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction. The programme will be aired nationally in February shortly after the Awards Luncheon.
The E-Talk crew is in the process of interviewing the "stars" of this year's Award programme. E-Talk is interviewing the authors and members of the Prize Foundation in relevant settings. Short-listed author Kenneth Whyte was interviewed in his Maclean's Magazine office (he is the publisher). Francophone Daniel Poliquin was interviewed in Toronto's most famous French Bistro, Le Select. Ian Brown was filmed in his home and at his desk in the Globe and Mail newsroom. Dr. John English will be interviewed soon. And Prize trustee Dr. David Staines? Against a backdrop of a private library of course!
David is a professor of English at the University of Ottawa. He is a founding member of the Scotiabank Giller Prize Advisory Board and he also serves as General Editor of the New Canadian Library and Editor of The Journal of Canadian Poetry.
This year's short-listed authors are:
Globe and Mail columnist Ian Brown - The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Search For His Disabled Son;
Dr. John English - Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 1968-2000;
Dr. Daniel Poliquin - Rene Levesque;
Maclean's Magazine publisher Kenneth Whyte - The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst.
The Prize commemorates the late Charles Taylor, one of Canada's foremost essayists, a foreign correspondent and a prominent member of the Canadian literary community whose dream was to raise the public profile of literary non-fiction.
The Prize consists of $25,000 for the winning author and $2,000 for each runner-up with promotional support for each shortlisted title.
The winner of the 2010 Prize will be announced at a Gala Luncheon and Awards Ceremony on Monday, February 8th. The Prize is presented by the Charles Taylor Foundation with generous support from Bravo!, Book Television, Ben McNally Books, CTV, CNW Group, Event Source, Windfield Farm Limited, Le Meridien King Edward Hotel, The Globe and Mail, and Quill & Quire. For more information:www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca.
Photographs by Stephen Weir
CUTLINES: Top - Dr. David Staines under the glare of the E-Talk camera lights
Bottom - There is an E-Talk truck in the driveway!

Saturday 23 January 2010

Book 'Em Danno - Literary Non-Fiction Event Makes For Television Magic







Book 'Em Danno at Non-Fiction Book Lovers Love-In

Close to 150 Toronto book lovers crowded into the downtown Masonic Temple to watch the live taping of a literary discussion between the four short-listed authors for this year's Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction and CTV host
Seamus O'Regan. The taping was for an upcoming hour-long Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction special Arts & Minds special on Bravo! and Book Television.
The Friday evening taping had Seamus O'Regan asking the authors "what literary non-fiction is?". Over the course of the hour long show, each man talked about his book and gave O'Regan a take on the meaning of the genre. Audience members asked questions, books were given away and television magic was made!
And when it was all over? Indigo Books had set up a table in the Masonic Temple where audience members could purchase the four books and (if you were quick) get them signed by the authors.
All of this year’s four short-listed authors appeared at the Masonic Temple. Those authors are:

Globe and Mail columnist Ian Brown - The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Search For His Disabled Son;
Dr. John English - Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 1968-2000;
Dr. Daniel Poliquin - Rene Levesque;
Maclean's Magazine publisher Kenneth Whyte - The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst

The Charles Taylor Prize is the country's most prestigious non-fiction award. Since 2000, the Prize has been a major driving force behind the recognition and growth of Canadian non-fiction. Now in its 9th year, the privately-funded prize celebrates Canada's literary voices, recognizing the exceptional authors and journalists who captivate us with their stories, insights, and writing style. More than 125 submissions competed for a place on the 2010 Shortlist. Originally awarded every two years, since 2005 the Prize has been awarded annually to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception.
The Prize commemorates the late Charles Taylor, one of Canada's foremost essayists, a foreign correspondent and a prominent member of the Canadian literary community whose dream was to raise the public profile of literary non-fiction.
The Prize consists of $25,000 for the winning author and $2,000 for each runner-up with promotional support for each shortlisted title.
The winner of the 2010 Prize will be announced at a Gala Luncheon and Awards Ceremony on Monday, February 8th. The Prize is presented by the Charles Taylor Foundation with generous support from Bravo!, Book Television, Ben McNally Books, CTV, CNW Group, Event Source, Windfield Farm Limited, Le Meridien King Edward Hotel, The Globe and Mail, and Quill & Quire. For more information: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca.

Photographs by Andrew Weir
CUTLINES

Top:
Journalist and author Allan Fotheringham and fine art dealer Anne Fotheringham were in the audience. Author Ken Whyte can be seen in the background.
Second from Top - left: Ken Whyte (back to camera) talks to fellow short-listed author Ian Brown.
Second from Top - right: Isme Bennie, vice president and general manager of Bravo! was the driving force behind the evening taping. She attended the one-hour literary discussion
Bottom - The empty chairs on stage

Tuesday 19 January 2010

MEDIA PREVIEW WITH EAST COAST ARTIST TOM FORRESTALL AT THE McMICHAEL



.

McMichael Canadian Art Collection’s Tom Smart curates exhibition and writes the book about renowned Canadian realist painter, Thomas DeVany Forrestall.
Artist to attend Thursday media preview and Sunday opening for
Tom Forrestall: Paintings, Drawings, Writings


When Thursday, January 28, 2010, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Where McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 10365 Islington Avenue, Kleinburg (just north of the Major Mackenzie Drive, Islington Avenue intersection)
Why Tom Forrestall: Paintings, Drawings, Writings organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and curated by McMichael Canadian Art Collection Executive Director and CEO, Tom Smart, is a retrospective exhibition which chronicles the artist’s curious observation and exploration of his surroundings, the nature of his creativity, and the source of his visions, through his works. Forrestall’s art has been classified as Magic Realism – an imprecise term often used to describe the work of a coterie of East Coast Canadian painters who emerged after the Second World War (Alex Colville, Christopher Pratt, Mary Pratt). Although their geographic roots, styles and vocabularies were similar, these artists applied themselves differently, each adapting naturalism in a personal way.
Who Meet artist Tom Forrestall and exhibition curator and author, Tom Smart, McMichael Executive Director and CEO.
What A rare opportunity to meet East Coast artist Tom Forrestall. Mr. Forrestall will tour the exhibition with visiting media. Tom Smart has written a book which traces the development of Forrestall’s art and the depth of his long artistic career, and will be attending the Media Preview. The exhibition opens Saturday, January 30 and runs to April 25, 2010. Mr. Forrestall will speak and sign books at the exhibition opening on Sunday, January 31 at 1:00 p.m.
About the Gallery
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Government of Ontario and acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Culture. It is the foremost venue in the country showcasing the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. In addition to touring exhibitions, its permanent collection consists of more than 5,500 artworks, including paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, First Nations, and Inuit artists.
The gallery is located on Islington Avenue, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in Kleinburg, and is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students and $30 for families. There is a $5 fee for parking. For more information about the gallery visit www.mcmichael.com.

-30-

To RSVP, for further information or to receive high resolution photographs, contact:
Stephen Weir, Publicist
Gallery: 905.893.1121 ext. 2529
Toronto Office: 416.489.5868
Cell: 416.801.3101
sweir@mcmichael.com
Cathy Lepiane, Communications Coordinator
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
905.893.1121 ext. 2210
clepiane@mcmichael.com

Friday 15 January 2010

Charles Taylor Prize Authors to speak at a TV special Writer's Circle in Toronto



Charles Taylor Prize Authors to speak at a TV special Writer's Circle in Toronto. Media and public welcome. Friday January 22nd, 7pm

TORONTO, Jan. 15 /CNW/ -

WHAT:
Taping of a literary discussion between the short-listed authors of this
year's Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction and CTV host Seamus
O'Regan. Public free to attend. RSVP is required. The taping is for an
upcoming Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction special on Bravo!

WHEN:
Friday, January 22, 2010 Doors Open: 7:00 pm. Taping Begins: 7:30 pm

WHERE:
MASONIC TEMPLE, 888 Yonge St (at Davenport)

WHO:

Ian Brown - The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Search For His Disabled Son,
John English - Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 1968 -
2000,
Daniel Poliquin - Rene Levesque
Kenneth Whyte - The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William
Randolph Hearst

WHY:

This is the only opportunity for the public to hear the short-listed
authors. The public should rsvp at: audience@bravo.ca.

The Charles Taylor Prize is the country's most prestigious non-fiction award. Since 2000, the Prize has been a major driving force behind the recognition and growth of Canadian non-fiction. Now in its 9th year, the privately-funded prize celebrates Canada's literary voices, recognizing the exceptional authors and journalists who captivate us with their stories, insights, and writing style. More than 125 submissions are competing for a place on the 2010 Shortlist. Originally awarded every two years, since 2005 the Prize has been awarded annually to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception.
The Prize commemorates the late Charles Taylor, one of Canada's foremost essayists, a foreign correspondent and a prominent member of the Canadian literary community whose dream was to raise the public profile of literary non-fiction.
The Prize consists of $25,000 for the winning author and $2,000 for each runner-up with promotional support for each shortlisted title.
The winner of the 2010 Prize will be announced at a Gala Luncheon and Awards Ceremony on Monday, February 8th. The Prize is presented by the Charles Taylor Foundation with generous support from Bravo!, Ben McNally Books, CTV, CNW Group, Event Source, Windfield Farms Limited, Le Meridien King Edward Hotel, The Globe and Mail, and Quill & Quire. For more information: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca.
For further information: Media are requested to confirm their attendance with Stephen Weir & Associates: Stephen Weir: (416) 489-5868, cell: (416) 801-3101, sweir5492@rogers.com; Linda Crane: (905) 257-6033, cell: (416) 727-0112, cranepr@cogeco.ca

Friday 8 January 2010

Media Launch All Wet at Toronto's Indoor Lake





.


Boat Show Friday morning Media Launch leaves other media events in its wake and snowbank.

My associate Linda Crane penned the slogan "Put a Little Summer in Your Winter at the Toronto Boat Show" over a decade ago. It worked then and it works now - a visit to the boat show does wonders for me ... it is uplifting, fun and it makes you think warm weather is just days away (even though it is so cold security is running around the CNE grounds giving battery boosts!)
I briefly attended a Photo Opportunity at the Boat Show on Friday (January 7th) the day before the show officially opened even though I had other important (i.e. paying) jobs to look after. The Media Alert issued to the boating media by Holmes Communication is printed below.
Videographer George Socka (Beach Digital) met up with me at The Lake, Canada's only temporary indoor lake. It is 4ft deep and the size of an AHL Hockey Rink ( not a surprising because in fact, after the boat show ends, it becomes a hockey rink for the Toronto Marlies).
Although it is a small space for wakeboarding, the Boat Show was able to put on an interesting aerial display for video crews and still photographers (I might have been the only print journalist there).
The wakeboarders didn't use a tow boat to get them up to jumping speed. Instead, a high speed wire whip winch was employed to pull the performers across the water and onto a jumping ramp. In the sport of wakeboarding it is important that one climbs the ramp at a high rate of speed - the faster you go, the higher you can fly off the ramp.
On Friday the wire winch was pulling slow, so there were spills and chills (the water is near freezing) along with thrills as the boat show performers went aerial at a very slow speed!
Pictured are Mississauga's Scott Duke (white helmet and vest), Oakville's Matt Sacchitiello (red & grey safety vest), Chris Guard (the upside down wakeboarder who has just lost his white helmet) and Port Carling's Dan Brown (in grey).
The media event was well attended by the electronic media (CP-24, CITY TV and Global TV) but less so by the dailies. The Toronto Sun dropped by briefly to take pictures,while the Star, the embattered National Post and the Globe gave the event a pass. Always an opportunist, I took four of George Socka's pictures shown above and offered them to the Star City Desk gratis. It was late in the day, it was an event they had passed on, and, I didn't send them cutlines ... so, the pictures printed above never did see the light of day beyond this website.

For Immediate Release January 7, 2010 MEDIA ALERT/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

Wild Wakeboard Riders Perform
on The Lake Inside Ricoh Coliseum


What: Professional wakeboarders and wakeskaters will take to the water to perform on the world’s largest indoor recreational venue in a sample of the spectacular Winch Jam at the Toronto International Boat Show. These incredible athletes will demonstrate the range of their skills and provide a sample of their show jam-packed with grinds, tricks and flips.

Performers:
• Scott Duke/Wakeboard
Manages North America’s largest wakeboard camp
• Chris Guard/Wakeboard
Global Team Rider for Gater Boards
• Dan Brown/Wakeskate
One of Canada’s top wakeskaters
Where: Ricoh Coliseum, 100 Princes’ Blvd (enter via Heritage Court on the West side of Direct Energy Centre)
When: 10am sharp, Friday January 8, 2010
Media should contact the Toronto International Boat Show PR contact for access to the event:

-30-
Media Contact:
Chris McDowall
cmcdowall@hccink.com
(416) 628-5648
www.HolmesCreativeCommunications.com

Tuesday 5 January 2010

Four Authors Chosen For This Year's Charles Taylor Prize Short-List

.

The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction Announces its 2010 Shortlist

TORONTO, Jan. 5 - This morning, at a news conference at Toronto's Le Meridien King Edward Hotel, Noreen Taylor, prize founder and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, announced that the jury - composed of award-winning author Andrew Cohen (Ottawa), Tim Cook (Ottawa), winner of the 2009 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, and award-winning translator Sheila Fischman (Montréal) - read 125 Canadian-authored books, submitted by 34 publishers from across North America. Mrs. Taylor went on to introduce Mr. Cohen who made the following announcement before an audience of publishers, media, and booksellers:
The 2010 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction finalists are:
Ian Brown for The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Search For His Disabled Son, published by Random House Canada.
The jury notes, "In telling the story of his son afficted with a rare, mysterious disease, Ian Brown takes us into a netherworld where medicine and morality meet. He recounts the quotidian struggles of Walker with artless candour, quirky humour and unsparing detail. Marshalling a journalist's investigative tools, Brown searches out the disabled and finds not only them, but a community of geneticists, neurologists, ethicists, and secular saints. His account of his journey is deeply discomfiting and deeply affecting. Along the way, Brown discovers himself - and the capacity for love."
John English for Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 1968 - 2000, published by Knopf Canada.
The jury notes, "Just Watch Me, the second of a two-volume biography, examines the leadership of Pierre Elliott Trudeau as he manages the threats to Canada's unity and prosperity in the last third of the twentieth century. A master of synthesis, John English brings the sharp eye and deft pen of the seasoned historian to his engaging interpretation of Canada's most provocative, if erratic, prime minister. Here is a memorable portrait of Trudeau at full flood - as nation-builder, strongman, electioneer, aesthete, intellectual, outdoorsman, husband, father, and lover - drawn with authority, humanity and sympathy."
Daniel Poliquin for René Lévesque, published by Penguin Canada.
The jury notes, "Daniel Poliquin offers an engaging portrait of René Lévesque: a nation-building hero to some, a nation-destroying villain to others. Richly insightful and deftly written, Poliquin pivots easily from the man and society, his enemies and friends, his victories and defeats, all the while capturing his complexity and conflicts. René Lévesque is a high-octane narrative."
Kenneth Whyte for The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst, published by Random House Canada.
The jury notes: "In masterful prose, Kenneth Whyte recounts the struggle between America's two greatest newspaper publishers, William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. Based on prodigious research and a deep understanding of late-nineteenth-century newspaper empires, he reveals how these megalomaniac millionaires reshaped the publishing world, capturing the conflict and struggle as they gambled with their fortunes to win readers and drive their enemies into bankruptcy. The Uncrowned King is a page-turner; readers will never look the same way at their daily newspapers."
The prestigious Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing. Since its inception the prize has fostered a growing interest in non-fiction, engaged Canadians in the genre of literary non-fiction, and boosted sales of the winning authors' books. Founded in commemoration of the late Charles Taylor, one of Canada's foremost essayists and a prominent member of the Canadian literary community, the prize is awarded annually to the author whose book best combines a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception.
The 2010 prize finalists will be in Toronto for media days in mid-January and then again from February 6 - 8, 2010. On Sunday, February 7, they will speak about their writing at a special instalment of The Globe and Mail/Ben McNally Books brunch series event. The finalists will be honoured and the winner announced at a Gala Luncheon and Awards Ceremony the following day. Both the Sunday and Monday events will take place at Le Meridien King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto. The prize consists of $25,000 for the winning author and $2,000 for each of the remaining finalists, as well as promotional and publicity support to help all of the shortlisted books stand out in the national media, bookstores, and libraries.
The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is presented by the Charles Taylor Foundation with the generous support of its partners: Ben McNally Books, Bravo! and Book Television, Canada Newswire (CNW), Event Source, Le Meridien King Edward Hotel, Quill & Quire, The Globe and Mail, and Windfields Farm.
To Download high-resolution images of the jury, finalists, and shortlisted titles, please go to:
http://www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca/2010/photogallery_10.asp
For more information please visit: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca
Follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/taylorprize
For further information: Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates, Stephen Weir: (416) 489-5868, cell: (416) 801-3101, stephen@stephenweir.com; Linda Crane: (905) 257-6033, cell: (416) 727-0112, cranepr@cogeco.ca

.

.

Cutlines: Top - Noreen Taylor at the podium. Photograph by Dave Tollington
Middle: Author and journalist Andrew Cohen, one of the jurors for the 2010 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction joins Prize chair and founder, Noreen Taylor following the announcement of this year's finalists. This year's Shortlist was announced today (Jan. 5) in Toronto. (CNW Group/Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction)
Bottom: Duking it out...Noreen Taylor, founder of The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is ready for the match between two of this year's finalists. Coincidentally books about political adversaries (Pierre Trudeau and René Lévesque) were among the four shortlisted books. This year's shortlisted authors are: Ian Brown for The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Search For His Disabled Son; John English for Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau; Daniel Poliquin for René Lévesque; and Kenneth Whyte for The Crowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst. The finalists were announced today (Jan. 5) in Toronto. (CNW Group/Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction)