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
