2013 Literary Prize Season Begins on January 9 in Toronto

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Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction

2013 Shortlist Announcement In Toronto

  Wednesday, January 9th    ●     10:00 a.m. sharp!

KING EDWARD HOTEL

Consort Bar, Main Floor, 37 King St. East, Toronto

The 2013 Literary Prize Season in Canada begins when The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction (CTP) presented by RBC Wealth Management announces its Shortlist for 2013 on January 9th.  This prestigious book award recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. Now in its 12^th year, the CTP has been instrumental in fostering the growth of non-fiction in Canada.

Who will be there:   

Host: Noreen Taylor, Founder and Chair, The Charles Taylor Prize Foundation

2013 Jurors: Suzanne Boyce, Richard Gwyn, and Joseph Kertes

Vijay Parmar, Vice President, RBC Wealth Management

Dr. David Staines, Prize Trustee

Canadian publishers & book editors available for comment

What's happening:              

Announcing the authors and titles that have been shortlisted for the 12th awarding of The Charles Taylor Prize -- Canada's most prestigious non-fiction award.

Where:           

King Edward Hotel, Consort Bar, Main Floor, 37 King St. East, Toronto

(Parking: East of King Edward Hotel on Leader Lane)

Why attend?

Be the first to know which books have been selected for this important Shortlist. The $25,000 Prize is awarded annually to the author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style and a subtlety of thought and perception. An award of $2,000 is provided for each finalist with promotional support for each shortlisted title.

The winner of the 2013 Prize will be announced on Monday, March 4th.

This year, 129 submissions competed for the Charles Taylor Prize's Longlist. Fifteen titles were announced in December.  To review the 2013-longlisted authors and their books visit: thecharlestaylorprize.ca

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Media are requested to confirm their attendance with 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

How Could I Leave Stumping For Weapons of Mass Destruction?

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LUNCH AT THE PILOT: 
SO'S WHO WAS THAT GUY?

So's there I was. Having a liquid lunch today at the Pilot Tavern in downtown Toronto with a curator from the McMichael Gallery.  He went to Windsor U with my wife and I. Fine Arts.  He had the choice of sculpting me (that's how I paid my way through second year - 1970) or a live pigeon. He picked the bird. Wise choice - although I have outlived the squab.
Anyways. While we were talking I watched as a man my age came into the Yorkville bar and rolled up the indoor/outdoor rug (with the Pilot logo) took it to his white van and then came back with a clean one. Looked very familiar. Bigger. Grayer. Older than the old old days.
He worked at Litton Canada - the cruise missile factory - till he was laid off 20 years ago. He knew me by name. But, mostly because of Caribana. 
I couldn't remember his name. Round face, beard with a moustache.  Married a woman from Litton. Her name is something like Zowie. Or close to that.  She hasn't worked for 2 years. Trouble with her hands. They are trying to get her on disability.
Think the guy worked in maintenance.  Never found out - he couldn't talk long. He was double parked out front on Cumberland Street. Cars were honking.
Didn't have the guts to tell him I couldn't remember his name. He was out of touch. Didn't know about Chuck. Didn't know about Karen F. Or any of the other co-workers who have died to soon.  He just wanted to find out how it had come to be that I walked away from promoting the business of building weapons to becoming the spokesman for Caribana. He and his wife watched  for me every summer on CP-24.
So who was it?  Or does it matter? 
Told him about how three friends from the "old days" still have lunch every three months at a pizza bar in Mississauga near the QEW. Don't think he is going to join us. He isn't allowed to drive west of Islington Avenue - he just works the bars downtown and now and then talks to strange men like me.

2013 Book Prize Season Begins January 9th in Toronto at the King Eddie!

 

S A V E   T H E    D A T E!

Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction

2013 Shortlist Announcement

  Wednesday, January 9th   ●   10:00 a.m. sharp!

King Edward Hotel

Consort Bar, Main Floor, 37 King St. East, Toronto

The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction (CTP) presented by RBC Wealth Management will be announcing its Shortlist for 2013 on January 9th.  This prestigious book award recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. Now in its 12^th awarding, the CTP has been instrumental in fostering the growth of non-fiction in Canada. Mark your planners/auto-reminders, and RSVP now.

Readers of StephenWeir.com are welcome to attend. RSVP required!

Who will be there:           

Host: Noreen Taylor, Founder and Chair, the Charles Taylor Prize Foundation

2013 Jurors:  Susanne Boyce, Richard Gwyn, Joseph Kertes

Other spokespersons: Vijay Parmar, Vice President, RBC Wealth Management, Dr. David Staines, Prize Trustee, Canadian publishers & book editors

What's happening:                        

Announcing the authors and titles that have been shortlisted for the 12th awarding of The Charles Taylor Prize -- Canada's most prestigious non-fiction award.

Where:           

The King Edward Hotel, Consort Bar, Main Floor, 37 King St. East, Toronto

Why attend?           

Be the first to know which books have been selected for this important Shortlist. The $25,000 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. An honorarium of $2,000 is given to each finalist with promotional support for each shortlisted title.

129 submissions competed for this year's CTP Longlist. Fifteen titles were announced in December.  To review the 2013 longlist visit: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca

Note: The winner of the 2013 prize will be announced on Monday, March 4th. 

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Media are requested to confirm their attendance with 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

The Charles Taylor Prize Announces Longlist - just in time for Christmas shopping!

Sixteen Canadian Authors Who Have Written Fifteen Non-Fiction Books

Are Named to the 2013 Taylor Prize Longlist

Noreen Taylor, founder of The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, is pleased to announce that for the second year in a row, gift buyers have a shopping list of books to buy for Christmas, and a window on the titles still in the running to be shortlisted by prize jurors Susanne Boyce, TV broadcast chief, Richard Gwyn, award-winning author and political columnist, and Joseph Kertes, educator and award-winning author. 

Mrs. Taylor commented, “Last year the prize announced its first ever longlist and found that sharing the jury’s selections to be so valuable to authors and publishers, that we have decided to do it again. Announcing the longlist at the height of the Christmas shopping season will help discriminating book buyers find the right gift for any number of people on their list. There’s nothing like a great read over the Christmas break."

The jury has selected their fifteen-book longlist from 129 titles written by Canadians, published between October 22, 2011 and October 21, 2012, and submitted to The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction by 43 publishers from across North America.

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are pleased to announce the 2013 Taylor Prize longlist:

1.            The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca by Carol Bishop-Gwyn (Toronto), published by Cormorant Books

2.            Warlords: Borden, Mackenzie King, and Canada’s World Wars by Tim Cook  (Ottawa), published by Allen Lane

3.            Walls: Travels Along the Barricades by Marcello Di Cintio (Calgary), published by Goose Lane Editions

4.            Journey with No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page by Sandra Djwa (Vancouver), published by McGill-Queen’s University Press

5.            Solar Dance: Genius, Forgery, and the Crisis of Truth in the Modern Age by Modris Eksteins (Toronto), published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada

6.            A Season in Hell: My 130 Days in the Sahara With Al Qaeda by Robert Fowler (Ottawa), published by HarperCollins Publishers

7.            Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else by Chrystia Freeland (New York City), published by Doubleday Canada

8.            March Forth: The Inspiring True Story of a Canadian Soldier’s Journey of Love,  Hope and Survival by Trevor and Debbie Greene (Nanaimo), published by HarperCollins Publishers

9.            Leonardo and The Last Supper by Ross King (Oxford), published by Bond Street Books

10.            Working the Dead Beat: 50 Lives That Changed Canada by Sandra Martin (Toronto), published by House of Anansi Press

11.            Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy by Andrew Preston (Cambridge), published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada

12.            What We Talk About When We Talk About War by Noah Richler (Toronto), published by Goose Lane Editions

13.            Chronic Condition: Why Canada’s Health-Care System Needs to be Dragged Into the 21st Century by Jeffrey Simpson (Ottawa), published by Allen Lane

14.            Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Šimaithe by Julija Šukys (Montreal), published by University of Nebraska Press

15.            The Universe Within: From Quantum to Cosmos by Neil Turok (Waterloo), published by House of Anansi Press

About The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction

The Charles Taylor Prize commemorates Charles Taylor’s pursuit of excellence in the field of literary non-fiction. The prize will be awarded 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 prize consists of $25,000 for the winner and $2,000 for each of the remaining finalists, as well as promotional support to help all of the nominated books to stand out in the media, bookstores, and libraries. The authors whose books go on to be shortlisted for the 2013 prize will be brought to Toronto for publicity opportunities and the awards ceremony.

The shortlist will be revealed at a press conference on Wednesday, January 9th and the winner will be named at a gala luncheon and awards ceremony at the King Edward hotel in downtown Toronto on Monday, March 4, 2013.

Established in 1998, The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is Canada's most prestigious award for literary non-fiction. The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are Michael Bradley (Toronto), Judith Mappin (Montreal), David Staines (Ottawa), and Noreen Taylor (Toronto).

The Charles Taylor Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of its partners. The presenting sponsor of The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is RBC Wealth Management; its Major Sponsor is Metropia; its exclusive newspaper sponsor is The Globe and Mail; its media sponsors are CBC Books; Canada Newswire (CNW) Group; The Huffington Post Canada, Maclean’s magazine, and Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Authors at Harbourfront Centre, Ben McNally Books, Event Source, Indigo Books and Music, The King Edward hotel, and Kobo Inc.

For more information please visit: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca and follow us at www.twitter.com/taylorprize

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Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates

Stephen Weir: Direct: 416.489.5868 | Cell: 416-801-3101 | stephen@stephenweir.com

Linda Crane: Direct: 905-257-6033 | Cell: 416-727-0112 | cranepr@cogeco.ca

To download high resolution images of the jury, visit:

www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca/2013/photogallery_13.asp

To download high resolution images of the longlist books, visit:

www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca/2013/longlist_13.asp

PR pointers - Sex doesn't always sell

 On Flickr, people vote with their eyes.  God. Shipwrecks or a Bikini Queen. The eyes have it, and, numbers don't lie!

Pop Quiz - How Well Do You Know People's Tastes?

I have stitched three pictures from my flickr account into one low rez image at the top of this blog post.
In the upper most box is a picture I took underwater in Florida - Christ in the Abyss. It is a picture of a famous statue that is underwater in a Florida Keys party. Bottom left is photographer Dave Tollington's picture of the Titanic Museum in the Smokey Mountains.  Bottom right is my photograph of  SERENA DI MILLO.  I took the picture seconds after she won the 2011 Miss Chin Bikini International Contest here in Toronto at the annual CHIN Picnic.

Which picture do you think has received the most hits???

Drum Roll.

Answer: Never underestimate the drawing power of the Titanic! Close to 3,000 people have looked at that picture. 500 more hits than Christ in the Abyss and 2,500 more hits than Serena!

Postive PR for dearily departed Master Painters

 Euro Interest In Group of Seven Spur Canadians To Leave Love Letters To Famed Dead Artists In Kleinburg Cemetery

Lawren and Bess Harris headstone. Flowers and note from a fan!

From a Huffington Post Blog by Stephen Weir:
 http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/stephen-weir/group-of-seven-graveyard_b_2208610.html

There are signs that the Group of Seven is finally hip with the Canadian people, even those who don't go to art galleries.
I was out at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection with a video crew last week. The McMichael has a hot show called Painting In Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. It is a show that blew off the doors at galleries in the UK and Europe over the past year. It has the best Group paintings from private collectors, the National Gallery in Ottawa, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the McMichael. This is the final (and only Canadian) stop for the touring show.
The show is experiencing record attendance in the public gallery located in Kleinburg, Ontario  - even though many of the paintings have hung in the log cabin gallery for decades.  The art-gallery-going public is rediscovering what has been in front of them all the time.  It took a London, England art gallery, the Dulwich,  and its curator Ian Desjardin, to bring the Group and Tom Thomson across the pond for an almost year-long tour.  This blockbuster exhibition has managed to rekindle interest in early 20th century Canadian landscape paintings.
At the end of last week's gallery taping I took the TV crew to see the Group of Seven cemetery. It is a quiet thoughtful park that is not often seen by visitors even though you have to drive past it to get into the gallery's parking lot. But, now with visitors wanting to see everything Group related, people are taking the time to stroll out onto the wooded grounds and see the graves. Some have attempted to interact with the dead.
We got there and I found that someone had taken the time to write fan letters to the long dead artists and placed them in front of their rough-rock headstones (the stones were cut from the Canadian Shield when the Trans Canada highway was being blasted through Northern Ontario). Bouquets of wild flowers and even a small stuffed bear pin have been left as well.

Frederick Varley's gravestone.

 The graveyard, by government statute,  is only for the artists who were in the Group of Seven, their wives and for gallery founders Robert and Signe McMichael. Tom Thomson is not there; his death predated the formation of the Group (he died in 1917 and is twice buried elsewhere).
In all there were 10 members of the Group of Seven. All but one of the artists were married. Lawren Harris was married twice. Of the ten artists who were members of the Group of Seven, six – Arthur Lismer http://www.stephenweir.com/gallery1/index.php/lismer-note-and-flowers, Frederick Varley http://www.stephenweir.com/gallery1/index.php/fred-varley-and-letter-798534596, Lawren Harris http://www.stephenweir.com/gallery1/index.php/IMG_0157, Frank Johnston, A.J. Casson and A.Y. Jackson – are buried in a small cemetery on the McMichael grounds, along with  Robert and Signe. Esther Lismer, Florence Johnston and Margaret Casson are buried there with their husbands. Harris is buried with his second wife Bess. Jackson never married and Varley's wife is buried elsewhere. I only attended two of the funerals (I am not that old!).
In fact I have been at the McMike on a part-time basis, on and off for the past 15-years.  I have spent hours over the years sitting in the cemetery - best place for cell phone reception.  I have never seen flowers, badges or letters left at the grave sites before. I was really curious, but no I didn't open the envelopes.  I do know that so far the artists have not responded to their first mail call since their burials back in the 20th century.

More information:  Last month my associate, art videographer George Socka interviewed Dulwich curator, Ian Desjardin and asked him why the Group of Seven has suddenly been embraced by art lovers in England, Europe and yes back here in Canada. This video, unique to Huffington Post is at:http://youtu.be/F-uCu98wOik
McMaster University professor James King just released a long overdue biography about Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris.  Socka has also filed a YouTube video story about James King lecturing about Lawren Harris and Tom Thomson. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqExkWGzfBI&feature=relmfu
Inward Journey: The Life of Lawren Harris is available at bookstores and on line at: http://www.amazon.ca/Inward-Journey-Life-Lawren-Harris/dp/177102206X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354119155&sr=1-1

Letter in front of Arthur Lismer's grave

Flowers, a child's bear pin and letter

Popular Stephen Weir Facebook Posting from Election Week

Dollaromney?

Interesting tidbit in this month's  Financial Post Magazine. The business publication features the top CEOs in Canada. #1 is the founder and CEO of Dollarama, Montreal's Larry Rossy. Buried in the feature story about Rossy  is a single paragraph that says that Rossy now holds only 10% of the company stock. Why such a small percentage for a company he founded? Look south of the border to the holdings of the Romney family.  To quote FPM " He (Rossy) and his partners sold the bulk of it to (Mitt Romney's) Bain Capital in 2004". 

Information Source: Larry Rossy - Dollarama's CEO May Sell Small Bargain Items But He's Also Paying Attention To the Big Picture by Hollie Shaw. November 2012. Financial Post Magazine. http://www.nationalpost.com/Larry+Rossy/7502629/story.html

Facebook posting by Stephen Weir November 6 2012 

What I am working on now (let me know if you would like to attend)

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg invites you to attend the media preview for:   PAINTING CANADA: TOM THOMSON   AND THE GROUP OF SEVEN

Tom Thomson, The Jack Pine, 1916-1917, Oil on canvas, 127.9 x 139.8 cm, National  Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Photo © NGC

MEDIA PREVIEW Thursday, November 1 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Preview the exhibition that caught the imagination of art lovers in England and across Europe Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group Of Seven  November 3, 2012 to January 6, 2013 After a tremendous tour in Europe, Painting Canada comes to the McMichael, the only Canadian venue for this exhibition. The exhibition features a rare assembly of works of Tom Thomson and the Group and, whenever possible, includes both sketch and canvas by each artist--some familiar to audiences, from public institutions across Canada, but also a large number of works never seen in public, coming from private lenders.  WHO: Ian Dejardin, Dulwich Picture Gallery Director, Curator, Author  Katerina Atanassova, McMichael Chief Curator  Dr. Victoria Dickenson, McMichael Executive Director and CEO   WHAT: Tour the exhibition with our curators.  Light refreshments will be served. Tour the gallery grounds with an educator to visit the Tom Thomson shack from 1914, and the Artists' Cemetery where six members  of the Group of Seven are buried.    WHERE: The gallery is located at 10365 Islington Avenue, L0J 1C0, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in the village of Kleinburg, City of Vaughan.     HOW: RSVP by email to Stephen@stephenweir.com

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Michelle Kortinen 905-893-1121 ext. 2210 Mkortinen@mcmichael.com     Stephen Weir 416-489-5868 416-801-3101 Stephen@stephenweir.com For more information about Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven, visit www.mcmichael.com.

Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group Of Seven
Organized by the National Gallery of Canada and Dulwich Picture Gallery, in collaboration with the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, and the Groninger Museum, the Netherlands. With the generous support of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and other lenders.   

Reunited - Charles Taylor Prize 2012 nominated authors to speak in Edmonton on Thursday!

CHARLES TAYLOR PRIZE FINALISTS CHARLOTTE GILL, JJ LEE, MADELINE SONIK AND ANDREW WESTOLL APPEAR AT LITFEST’S CHARLES TAYLOR PRIZE BASH TOMORROW NIGHT

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation salute Litfest – Edmonton’s International Literary Festival for their emphasis on the genre of literary non-fiction.

Reunited! For the second year in a row, this year’s prize finalists are the event headliners – See presentations by Charlotte Gill, JJ Lee, Madeline Sonik, and the 2012 prize winner, Andrew Westoll. Wade Davis is out of the country but sends greetings.

Also to be revealed during tomorrow night’s Charles Taylor Prize Bash: The names of the three jurors for the 2013 prize will be announced tomorrow at Litfest, followed online via CNW. The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation chose to again announce its forthcoming prize jury at Litfest, in support of this popular Edmonton-based International Literary Festival which concerns itself primarily with works of non-fiction.

Tickets: http://www.litfestalberta.org/events/charles-taylor-prize-bash

Media Contact: The authors, trustees, and jurors are available for interviews. Please contact Stephen Weir & Associates for more information:

·       Stephen Weir: 416-489-5868 cell: 416-801-3101 sweir5492@rogers.com

·       Linda Crane : 905-257-6033 cell: 416-727-0112 cranepr@cogeco.ca

About the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction:

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation established The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction to commemorate the life and work of the late Charles Taylor, one of Canada’s foremost essayists and a prominent member of the Canadian literary community. Charles Taylor was a foreign correspondent with The Globe and Mail and the author of four books: Radical Tories; Reporter in Red China, Six Journeys: A Canadian Pattern, and Snow Job. The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is awarded annually to the author whose book best combines an excellent command of the English language, an elegance of style, quality of thought, and subtlety of perception. The prize consists of $25,000 for the winning author and $2,000 for each of the runners up. All of the shortlisted titles receive extensive national publicity and marketing support.

The prize longlist will be announced via press release on December 4th; the shortlist will be revealed at a press conference on January 9th, and the winner will be named at a gala luncheon and awards ceremony at the King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto on Monday, March 4, 2013.

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are Michael Bradley (Toronto), JudithMappin (Montreal), David Staines (Ottawa), and Noreen Taylor (Toronto).

·       For more information please visit: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca

·       Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/taylorprize

Unsuccessful PR Efforts

TALES FROM THE BLUE BIN:  TWO REALLY BAD PROMOTIONAL IDEAS

Saying something loudly doesn't make it true. Doubly so when it is the printed word doing the yelling.

I was given a card (pictured top) to keep so that I wouldn't forget the show I had just paid to see. Since then the card has been pinned to my corkboard wall. It has been up there for a while.  It has taken a couple of Starbuck splashes over that time.
I took it down when I realized the card's message hadn't worked. I can't tell you what show I was given this at. An art show? A play? A dance performance? Hmm. Probably something at Harbourfront. Won't ever know now, it has been moved into my blue bin.
Two years ago I was on assignment in the Yucatan. Cave Diving. One of the caves came to the surface near the beach community at Tulum. We stripped out of our wetsuits and drove to the coast to enjoy the sun, the open space and the blue sea (all the opposite of what we had been scuba diving through). Walking the beach I took this picture of a bench in the white sand.

The chair's signature -- The Only Chair You Will Remember For the Rest of Your Life -- is a lie. Today I was warehousing photos onto a backup hard drive (my digital blue bin) when I looked at the picture once again. Had to check my notes to see where I had taken the picture ... I had forgotten the chair, the beach and even the country I was in, when I took the photo.
In the world of PR there is a lot of borrowing. Here are two ideas that you don’t want to sneak out of my wastebasket.

 

Crowdsourcing and Health Care - Tweet Topic Today!

 The Crowd Sourcing Conversation Continues Today ....

 

Following yesterday's standing-room-only "WHAT CROWDSOURCING CAN DO FOR HEALTH INNOVATION" presentation at the Sony Theatre with crowdsourcing pioneers Jeff Howe and Rahad Harfoush, there will be an on-line discussion about the topic this afternoon.(October 17).

 

Saint Elizabeth Home Care, the organizers of yesterday's seminar are staging the Twitter discussion beginning at 1:00 pm ET today.  They are the guest host for this week's Health Care Social Media Canada tweet chat #hcsmca. #hcsmca is a regular chat event involving an established community of people who crowdsource healthcare solutions every week.

 

Saint Elizabeth Home Care has a guest moderator blog post at: http://cyhealthcommunications.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/unleashing-the-hcsmca-crowd-what-can-crowdsourcing-do-for-health-care/

 

More about #hcsmca: http://cyhealthcommunications.wordpress.com/hcsmca-2/

For My Media Friends and Associates Who Cover Crowd Sourcing

MEDIA / BLOGGER ADVISORY

WHAT CROWDSOURCING CAN DO FOR HEALTH INNOVATION

Saint Elizabeth Health Care hosts symposium featuring

Crowdsourcing pioneers Jeff Howe and Rahaf Harfoush

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 16

Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm  ●  Reception follows

                 

Crowdsourcing for Health Innovation

Crowd Sourcing Expert Rahaf Harfoush

This important ground-breaking event, hosted by health care innovator Saint Elizabeth, brings together senior leaders and influencers inside and outside health care, including business, government, entrepreneurs and citizens with the aim of creating a groundswell of citizen participation for health innovation and – ultimately – better health care experiences.    Learn how crowdsourcing is enabling momentous change; how politicians, business and citizens are mobilizing groups en masse, and how the new digital dialogue can be used to stimulate more rapid health innovation.

When:                     Tuesday, October 16

                                 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Where:                     Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front Street East, Toronto

Why:                        Interviews available with:

                                    Shirlee Sharkey

President &CEO, Saint Elizabeth

                             Jeff Howe, Author, Professor and Journalist

Credited with the term "crowdsourcing", author of the bestselling book of the same name which has been translated into 11 languages. 

                              Rahaf Harfoush,  Digital Innovation and Foresight Strategist

Jeff Howe

Involved in the Obama presidential campaign; author of Yes We Did: An Insider's Look at How Social Media Built the Obama Brand; Board member of Taking IT Global

About Saint Elizabeth

Saint Elizabeth has been a trusted name in Canadian health care for more than a century and is a leader in responding to client, family and system needs. An award-winning not-for-profit and charitable organization, Saint Elizabeth is known for its track record of social innovation and breakthrough clinical practices. Our team of more than 6,500 nurses, rehab therapists, personal support workers and crisis intervention staff deliver nearly five million health care visits annually. Today Saint Elizabeth is operating as a social enterprise – part service provider, part capacity builder, part funder and part co-creator – working closely with an alliance of partners to make the world a better place, well beyond health carehttp://www.saintelizabeth.com/

Issued by/for further information:

Stephen Weir & Associates

Stephen Weir      Office: 416-489-5868     Mobile: 416-801-3101   Email: stephen@stephenweir.com

Linda Crane          Office: 905-257-6033      Mobile: 416-727-0112   Email: cranepr@cogeco.ca

YaHaYa BaRuWa has knocked on 10,000 doors in Scarborough, to sell his first book

The Unusual Way One Man is Getting His Story Out - First Novel Sells Very Well (the hard way)

Yahaya Baruwa talks about his book on William Doyle Marshall's CHRY show My Data Bag. Linda at the second mike.

 

By Stephen Weir

Posted: 09/20/2012 5:37 pm Huffington Post Canada

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/../../stephen-weir/struggles-of-a-dreamer_b_1897972.html 

Meet Yahaya Baruwa (pronounced: YaHaYa BaRuWa). He is a recent York University Graduate. On Tuesday he and I shared a microphone at CHRY-fm. It was the My Data Bag show with William Doyle Marshall. I was talking about art, films and books in a big picture fashion, Yahaya was much more practical -- very down to earth.
He was there to talk about the difficult journey he took to get his new novel Struggles of a Dreamer published. Just like the title, it was a struggle for the Nigerian Canadian to just get the book printed. When he couldn't find a traditional publisher, he decided to form a publishing company on his own and print his own book.
He told the radio listening audience that he has set a goal of getting a million people to read his book. He reckons he has sold at least 5,000 copies -- which makes it a Canadian best seller. "I am not giving up. I still believe I can do it! I can reach a million people!"
With just one book in his stable, Baruwa needs to make sales fast to pay the mounting printer's bill. He listed the book on Amazon, Indigo and the like and did manage to get it into most of Toronto's bookstores -- one shop at a time.
He has emailed the world, but, it isn't the new social media tools that is driving sales of this book -- it is the old fashioned, Encyclopaedia Britannica sales method that is moving copies. You take the book to the public and hope you get your foot out before the front door is slammed shut.
"I knock on doors and tell people to buy my book. I have a friend who helps me too, but, it is hard, slow work. We have had a few doors slammed."
How many books do you think he has sold door-to-door? The number is 3,000 and counting. At $20 a copy, he has found that the personal approach works.
"I have been working Scarborough (suburb of Toronto, Canada). I estimate that I have visited over 10,000 homes and it takes a few minutes each time to make the sale!"
"Struggles of a Dreamer, is a novel that can be enjoyed by the young and the old readers alike; most especially those in search of inspiration to pursue their personal ambitions," said Yahaya Baruwa. "You will encounter the struggles of a dreamer (Toku'te, the son of a farmer) as he faces the challenges of the limiting boundaries of his tradition. You will laugh, cry, experience romance, be frightened, held in suspense, and become inspired as you find out how Toku'te manages to remain afloat in a world that requires everyone to fit the same mold."
Visit the book's website to learn more.

Word on the Internet about Word on the Street

Media Advisory: The Word On The Street 

This Sunday on Queen's Park Circle

This Sunday – September 23rd                                     

11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Expanded Location: Queen’s Park Circle – Free Community Event

www.thewordonthestreet.ca

 

Media Contact: June Dickenson

junedickenson@cogeco.ca – Phone:647.477.6000

MEDIA ADVISORY:

·         WHO: Over 200 Canadian authors and presenters, 278 exhibitors, 200,000+ visitors  

·         WHAT: The 23rd annual The Word On The Street, Toronto’s book and magazine festival  

·         WHEN - NEW DATE: This Sunday, September 23rd from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.  

·         WHERE - EXPANDED LOCATION: Queen’s Park Circle from Bloor Street to College Street  

·         WHY: The Word On The Street is Canada’s largest, literary festival! This popular, free community event features top Canadian authors reading and   signing their latest releases plus a huge Exhibitor Marketplace hosting everything from large publishing houses to small niche magazines and everything in between.

The Word On The Street Toronto is the official kick-off to the fall literary season, presenting over 200 acclaimed Canadian authors and presenters. For more information:

 

• Find AUTHOR APPEARANCES here: http://bit.ly/cVi6gy
• Find PROGRAMMING VENUES here: http://bit.ly/4jiIMc
• Review past press releases here: http://bit.ly/UlmWHg
• View the full, digital Official Festival Program here: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/300530e6#/300530e6/1
• View the full KidStreet Festival Guide (which details all children’s programming) here: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/4aafa86c#/4aafa86c/1 

 

For more information or to book an interview with Festival Director Nicola Dufficy, contact June Dickenson at junedickenson@cogeco.ca or call 647.477.6000

Media and Cameras Welcome! Where possible, please submit media accreditation forms in advance. For Media Accreditation forms, click here. For Interview Request forms, click here. For the 2012 Media Welcome Letter and to find out the answers to some FAQ, click here. For on-site assistance visit the Media Tent on Wellesley Street between 9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors – We appreciate your support!

Media sponsors of this year’s The Word On The Street Toronto include: The Toronto Star, TVOKids, NOW Magazine, CIUT 89.5 FM, The Epoch Times, Open Book Toronto, Skywords Media, and 49^th Shelf.

National Sponsors of this year’s The Word On The Street Toronto include: Department of Canadian Heritage, Gildan Green Initiatives Partners of this year’s The Word On The Street Toronto include: Webcom, Spicers, Cascades Fine Papers Group, Cascades Recovery, Bullfrog Power, and Cycle Toronto.

Regional sponsors of this year’s The Word On The Street Toronto include: Scotiabank Giller Prize, Sony, Random House of Canada, Penguin Canada, Scribendi.com, City of Toronto, Owlkids, Courtyard by Marriott, Ontario Media Development Corporation, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, and Canada Council for the Arts.

 

About The Word On The Street Across Canada:

Every year on the last Sunday in September, in the cities of Vancouver, Lethbridge, Saskatoon, Kitchener, Toronto, and Halifax, The Word On The Street festivals unite the country in a national celebration of literacy and the written word. 

 

About The Word On The Street Toronto:

Annually attracting over 200,000 visitors to its Queen’s Park Circle location, The Word On The Street Toronto is the largest book and magazine festival in Canada. For more information please contact Nicola Dufficy, festival director, at (416) 504-7241.

 

 

Media Contact:                                         Festival Director:                                        

June Dickenson                                         Nicola Dufficy                  

647.477.6000                                            416.504.7241

junedickenson@cogeco.ca                         nicola@thewordonthestreet.ca

 

For more information, visit the festival’s official website at www.thewordonthestreet.ca/wots/Toronto. There you can view the official event program and KidStreet festival guide online. Read our blog, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.