RBC Taylor Prize Winner Plum Johnson Stars at IFOA, October 27th. Toronto.

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Plum Johnson on TVO, March 2015

Plum Johnson, winner of the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize for her memoir They Left Us Everything will speak at the International Festival of Authors (IFOA) RBC Taylor Prize Spotlight. Joining her in a discussion about public, private and historical grief will be previous RBC Taylor Prize winner and juror Tim Cook and author Asne Seierstad. Journalist Bert Archermoderates.

What: RBC Taylor Prize Spotlight
When: Tuesday, October 27 at 7:30 pm
Where: Brigantine Room, York Quay Centre
Cost: $18/$15 for supporters

Earlier this year, Plum Johnson won the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize for They Left Us Everything: A Memoir, published by Penguin Canada. In their citation, the prize jury said:

Beautifully written with great warmth and wit, They Left Us Everything is an absorbing memoir of grief, growth, and decluttering. Plum Johnson must deal not merely with the legacy of her difficult, ill-matched parents, but is handed the burden of disposing of the seemingly endless contents of their 23-room Lake Ontario home, which becomes a character on its own in the telling. The task, which she initially thinks manageable, proves Herculean, far more complex than she'd imagined, involving understanding her past and packing up its contents, both literal and metaphorical…"

The RBC Taylor Prize 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 trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are: Michael Bradley, Vijay Parmar, David Staines, Edward Taylor, Nadina Taylor, and Noreen Taylor.

The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management; its media sponsors are The Globe and Mail (exclusive newspaper sponsor), CNW Group, The Huffington Post Canada, Maclean's, and Quill & Quire; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, IFOA, The Omni King Edward Hotel, and Toronto Public Library.

For further information: Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates,Stephen Weir: 416-489-5868 | cell: 416-801-3101 | sweir5492@rogers.com; Visit our website at www.rbctaylorprize.ca

Monday the big day for non-fiction books in Canada

The Governor General of Canada and Mrs. Sharon Johnston to attend The 2013 Charles Taylor Prize Announcement Ceremony Monday, March 4, 2013/

Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston will attend The 2013 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction Award ceremony, in Toronto.

The prize will be awarded by Prize founder Noreen Taylor on Monday, March 4, 2013 at a gala luncheon and awards ceremony at the famed The King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto. Media and cameras are welcome at the celebration of the finalists and winner announcement.

The awards ceremony will begin at 1:45 pm EST and will end at 2:15 pm following the announcement of the winner. All five authors will be in attendance.

The Charles Taylor Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. The Prize consists of $25,000 for the winning author and $2,000 for each of the remaining finalists. This year there are five authors on the prize shortlist. Two of the authors, Ross King and Andrew Preston, were born in Canada but now live in England, Sandra Djwa lives in Vancouver, Tim Cook lives in Ottawa, and Carol Bishop-Gwyn lives in Toronto.

The Finalists of The 2013 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction are:

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

Tim Cook (Ottawa) for Warlords: Borden, Mackenzie King, and Canada's World Wars published by Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Canada

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

Ross King (Oxford, England) for Leonardo and The Last Supper published by Bond Street Books, an imprint of Doubleday Canada

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

The Charles Taylor Prize celebrates Canada's best literary voices, recognizing the exceptional authors who captivate us with their superb command of the English language, elegance of style and subtlety of thought and perception.

This marks the twelfth awarding of The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction. The prize was originally awarded every two years, but due to an ever-increasing number of submissions, since 2004 the prize has been presented annually. It 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 non-fiction.

The jurors for The 2013 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction are television executive Susanne Boyce, along with award-winning authors Richard Gwyn and Joseph Kertes, who also founded the Humber College's distinguished creative writing and comedy programs. Full biographies of the jurors can be found at: http://www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca/2013/jury_13.asp

The trustees of The Charles Taylor Foundation gratefully acknowledge the support of their partners. The Presenting Sponsor of The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is RBC Wealth Management; the Major Sponsor is Metropia. The exclusive newspaper sponsor is The Globe and Mail and the Media Sponsors are Canada Newswire (CNW) Group, CBC Books and CBC Radio One, Maclean's Magazine, The Huffington Post Canada and Quill & Quire magazine. The In-Kind Sponsors are Authors at Harbourfront Centre (IFOA), Ben McNally Books, Event Source, Indigo Books and Music, The King Edward Hotel, and Kobo Inc., For further prize information visit: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca

Photos: To download high-resolution images of the jury, finalists, and shortlisted titles, please go to: http://www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca/2013/PHOTOGALLERY_13.asp For more information: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca
SOURCE: Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction

For further information: Issued by/Media contact : Stephen Weir & Associates
Stephen Weir: Direct: 416.489.5868 | mobile: 416.801.3101 | stephen@stephenweir.com
Linda Crane: Direct: 905.257.6033 | mobile: 416.727.0112 | cranepr@cogeco.ca
*Media planning to attend and cover must register via Stephen Weir & Associates (use mobile only on March 5)

- See more at: http://www.quillandquire.com/blog/index.php/tag/andrew-preston/#sthash.iO8S8qbI.dpuf

Charles Taylor Prize Authors on Stage at Harbourfront with Kenneth Whyte

ALL FIVE CHARLES TAYLOR PRIZE FINALISTS IN CONVERSATION
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Get to know the authors behind the books shortlisted for the prestigious Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction at an unforgettable evening hosted by Kenneth Whyte, president of Rogers Publishing and presented by Authors at Harbourfront Centre and Maclean’s magazine.

Moderator David Staines engages each author to reveal the stories behind their books and their writing process.

·      Carol Bishop-Gwyn talks about The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca

·      Tim Cook talks about Warlords: Borden, Mackenzie King, and Canada’s World Wars

·      Sandra Djwa talks about Journey with No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page

·      Ross King talks about Leonardo and The Last Supper and

·      Andrew Preston talks about Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy

ONE EVENING – FIVE REMARKABLE AUTHORS – Wednesday, February 27^th – 7:30 pm

Brigantine Room, York Quay Centre, 235 Queen’s Quay West

For tickets: http://www.readings.org/?q=weekly/ctp

The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is presented by RBC Wealth Management and commemorates 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 recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. It 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. For more information: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca and on Twitter @taylorprize. 

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Media contact: Stephen Weir  & Associates

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

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