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

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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

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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)

Snakes on a Pane (of glass) - Museums, Galleries, Events and Festivals go trolling for media

Trying to Get Attention While Toronto's Media Industry Is Busy Running Away And Hiding

It is hard to get pre-event media coverage for just about anything these days. And given the state of the economy it is not hard to figure out why.

Newspapers have few inches to spare for puff-pieces on new shows at the galleries, updates on festivals and launches of websites. Look whats going on. The Globe and Mail writers' guild is set to go on strike in ten days, the Post is shutting down its Monday edition and the Star and Sun have had their share of job cuts too. In TV land Global owners, CanWest, is technically bankrupt. CTV is so broke its asking its viewers to help lobby the CRTC for an increase in cable fees. The CBC is in the process of shedding programmes and employees both on TV and radio.

So, with that in mind what is a publicist to do to get the attention of the media? You pimp up your media event!

In the old days, one could usually get a few reporters, camera crews and radio guys to come out to a launch provided there was some meagre attempt to put on a show - and - tell. Tools of the trade were pretty basic - a golden shovel for the sod turnings, a giant pair of scissors for the ribbon cutting and of course, the giant cheque for the funding presentation.

Nowadays no one in the media - not even an ad rep looking for business - would take time to show up at a giant cheque ceremony. They want sizzle, and if you are a publicist, you had better deliver! Don't even think of simply having a speaker at a podium and expect the media to show up en mass.

Over the past two weeks I have been involved in the planning of three different events - a festival funding announcement (Scotiabank Caribana), the opening of an art exhibition for Northwest Coast Contemporary First Nations (McMichael Canadian Art Collection) and a juried show of the work of Black Canadian Artists (ROM). As well I have to attend the launch for Nuit Blanche and followed the launches for Luminato and for a Library and Archives Canada Internet announcement.

One of my events has already taken place (see next blog entry below) - an announcement of Federal Government funding for Scotiabank Caribana. The Feds, worried that there could be an election call this week, wanted Caribana to immediately announce that it was receiving funding support.

The Festival usually gets $100,000 a year from the Federal Government to help run North America's largest outdoor event. This year, the Feds increased the funding to $416,000. With that sort of money the Festival was only too happy to put on an instant press conference.

Ex-Broadcaster Peter Kent, a Minister of State for the Conservative Party, came to a Friday morning press conference at the Harbour Castle Hotel along Toronto's waterfront. No giant cheque at this event, instead, the Minister, the head of Tourism Toronto, a Scotiabank VP and Joe Halstead, the head of Caribana, were surrounded by beautiful Mas Dancers bedecked in skimpy Caribana costumes. It was a well attended event and no one questioned why the girls were there.

Yesterday I attended the launch of the Ontario Science Centre's summer exhibition of Lizards and Snakes: Alive with Toronto photographer David Tollington. The week-day media launch had everything an assignment desk would want - a compelling news story, good speakers, and great visuals (school children gingerly touching snakes, museum people feeding small animals to hungry boas and a menacing looking 4 metre long Burmese Python).

The show itself has 50 live lizards and snakes from four different continents. It runs all summer long and if the Science Centre's clippings are as good as the media turn-out, it should be a very successful exhibition.

The launch of Nuit Blanche didn't have snakes or skin. Instead the breakfast launch depended on a central location (The Art Gallery of Ontario) and a cavalcade of well known artists, business leaders and politicians to announce the line-up for this annual one-day art festival. The press conference was jammed, reporters working in three different languages (English, French and Mandarin) listened as Mayor David Miller outlined what would be happening this fall in the all-night citywide art happening.

Although the media event was a success, the actual coverage that Nuit Blanche received was much smaller than what it received at its pre-recession 2008 media launch.

And finally, there was the Library and Archives Canada's Wednesday media conference to celebrate world-first online launch of the complete Historical Canadian Censuses, 1851-1916. It appears to have been talking heads and computer screens - no dancing girls, blue tongued skinks or art gallery curators (they did have Mayor Miller though) to attract the media.

Who won the prize for holding the best press conference over the past two weeks? If the award is based on attendance, Nuit Blanc won easily. In terms of ink and broadcast minutes ... both Scotiabank Caribana and the Ontario Science Centre did better than expected. And the big loser? The Library and Archives Canada -- it is hard to make the launch of a website newsworthy, sexy or even memorable.

Cut line: Green Emerald Tree Boas, kids and the snake handler all part of the draw of a June media event to announce the new exhibition Lizards
&
Snakes:
ALIVE!
at the Ontario Science Centre. All three photographs taken by Dave Tollington.

Challenging Traditions: Contemporary First Nations Art of the Northwest Coast. June 27- September 20, 2009. www.mcmichael.com
Lizards & Snakes: ALIVE!June 17 - September 7, 2009,www.ontariosciencecentre.ca
Scotiabank Caribana. July 14 - August 3. www.caribanafestival.com