Seth wins Harbourfront Festival Prize

Organizers at the International Festival of Authors have named cartoonist and graphic novelist Seth the winner of the 2011 Harbourfront Festival Prize. The $10,000 prize honours an individual whose work has substantially contributed to the state of literature and books.

According to a press release issued by the Harbourfront Centre, the jury — John van Driel, vice-president of programming and operations at Classical 96.3FM; Denise Donlon, former executive director at CBC Radio; and Geoffrey Taylor, director at IFOA — selected Seth based on the “diversity and range of his illustrations and designs” throughout his career.

In the statement, Seth says a few decades ago he couldn’t have envisioned the acceptance of comics in the literary world, that “the idea of winning something like this was not within the realm of possibilities,” and so “it goes without saying that I am deeply honoured.” Past winners of the prize include Dionne Brand, Wayson Choy, Paul Quarrington, Jane Urquhart, and recent Q&Q cover profile Guy Vanderhaeghe.

Seth will receive the prize at an IFOA event in Toronto on Oct. 29.

Event photos: Forest of Reading and Stroll

The annual Forest of Reading event took place at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre on May 12 and 13. Above, some of the authors nominated for the various awards prepare to read to the audience, while showing remarkably uniform taste in jacket colour. (Photos courtesy of Authors at Harbourfront Centre)

Authors at Harbourfront director Geoffrey Taylor addresses a Forest of Reading reception held on May 13 at Il Fornello restaurant. Now that’s a jacket, people!

“One small table and two microphones….” Shawn Micallef launched his book Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto (Coach House Books) on May 18 at Toronto’s Lula Lounge. Above: EYE Weekly senior editor Ed Keenan (left) and Micallef get their skinny nerd on, duet-style. (Photo by Rick/Simon/Courtesy of Coach House)

Event photo: Geoffrey Taylor gets schooled

As reported earlier on Quillblog, IFOA head Geoffrey Taylor has been awarded an honorary degree from the School of Creative & Performing Arts at the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. The ceremony took place on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Taylor, left, receives his degree from John Davies, the president of Humber. Of all his many appearances in our event photos, this may be the first time that Taylor is the least snazzily dressed one in the shot. (Photo courtesy of Ricky Mugford)

IFOA news: Geoffrey Taylor to receive honorary degree, Urquhart to read Munro

Geoffrey Taylor, director of Harbourfront’s Reading Series, is to receive an honorary degree from the School of Creative & Performing Arts at the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. Taylor, who has been with Harboufront Centre for 20 years, is being honoured for his contribution to the promotion of Canadian books and authors.

Over the last five years, Taylor has been responsible for the International Festival of Authors, has served as a jury member for both the Toronto Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Awards, and has been an adviser to the Humber School for Writers. In 2008, Q&Q included him in a list of the most influential people in Canadian publishing.

Taylor will be presented with the degree at a ceremony on Nov. 7.

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The IFOA has also confirmed the lineup for its second annual presentation of the Rogers Writer’s Trust Fiction Prize shortlist. For the reading on Oct. 28, the following authors will be reading:

• Douglas Coupland will read from Generation A
• Annabel Lyon will read from The Golden Mean
• Andrew Steinmetz will read from Eva’s Threepenny Theatre
• Jacqueline Larson will read from Susanne de Lotbinière-Harwood’s English-language translations of Nicole Brossard’s Fences in Breathing
• Jane Urquhart will read from Alice Munro’s Too Much Happiness on behalf of Munro, who is unable to attend the event

The winner of the $25,000 award will be announced on Nov. 24 in Toronto.

Photos from the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award

Last night, the winner of the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers was announced. This being the first year the award is sponsored by the RBC Foundation, the ceremony was held, appropriately enough, in the 40th floor reception suite of the RBC building on Toronto’s Bay Street. Below are some photos from the event.

Marjorie Celona (back to camera), whose story “Othello” won this year’s award, is congratulated by judges Michelle Berry and Andrew Pyper. (The third judge, Natalee Caple, was unable to attend the event.)

(More photos after the fold…)

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More Mr. Nice Guy

The Toronto Star has a profile on International Festival of Authors director Geoffrey Taylor, who will be overseeing the festival’s 25th-anniversary run beginning this week. Writer Murray Whyte praises Taylor’s friendly, laid-back style without sidestepping the subject of the often controversial reign of the festival’s founder and former director, Greg Gatenby. Whyte encapsulates Gatenby’s successful 24-year run as director, which produced one of the world’s premiere literary festivals, while acknowledging Gatenby’s sometimes grating personal style. “Loud, lavish and brimming with self-regard” is Whyte’s description, while the ever-diplomatic Taylor will only say that “Greg was very focused.”

Related links:
Read the Toronto Star profile of Geoffrey Taylor