The item directly under this text is an advertisement

Events, Quillblog, , ,

Books and buildings

The City of Toronto’s Lit City initiative comes to a close this weekend, culminating with the 10th annual Doors Open Toronto city-wide open house, featuring close to 175 sites of architectural, historical, cultural, or social significance.

This year local authors will be reading from their works at the locations around the city that inspired them. Anthony De Sa, author of the 2008 Giller Prize shortlist nominee Barnacle Love, will read from his collection of short at the Factory Theatre and then lead a walking tour of Little Portugal (May 24, 1 to 2:15 p.m.), where his book is set. Robert Rotenberg will read from his best-selling mystery Old City Hall (May 23 and 24, 1, 2, and 3 p.m.) at the venerable building itself. Vincent Lam, author of the 2006 Giller Prize winner Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, will read at the S. Walter Stewart branch of the Toronto Public Library (May 24, 2 to 2:30 p.m.), which is near the Toronto East General Hospital, where he works as an emergency room physician. And that’s just a few of the bookish events – roughly a quarter of the venues have a literary connection.

Publishing houses Coach House Books and McArthur & Company will both be participating in the event. Coach House promises to show visitors how its books are printed on two Heidelberg presses, while McArthur will have a host of authors in and out of its office all weekend. Ten branches of the Toronto Public Library, including the newly opened Jane/Sheppard Branch, are also hot lit spots this weekend with many scheduled readings and tours.

Doors Open is presented by The Toronto Star, and an official pull-out guide to the event is part of today’s paper. The guide is also available online.

The item directly under this text is an advertisement

Latest comments

  • Carl: “We don’t have anything like [Canada Reads] in Quebec.” Yes you do, it’s called Canada Reads. I...
  • urbanmkr: Yes, it is, but it doesn’t have quite such a large listenership, I guess.
  • Alex Good: “We don’t have anything like [Canada Reads] in Quebec.” Isn’t it called Le Combat des...
  • angel guerra: It costs just the same…..? What a bargain. Makes writing War and Peace sound like a piece of...
  • GRANT MACDONALD: I support Amazon. I have several books with Amazon.com including GETTY and HITLER with dvds & cd...

Latest issue

Quill & Quire cover

Inside: In the January/February issue of Q&Q, now on newsstands, we look back on the decade that was, highlighting the people, books, and events that defined the 2000s. Also in the issue, we look ahead at the season’s most anticipated books in our Spring Preview; visit with veteran publisher Kim McArthur as she attempts to reinvent McArthur & Company; and examine the secret nine-to-five lives of Canadian authors. All that, plus reviews of new books by Todd Babiak, Ruth Ohi, Ann Vanderhoof, Richard Scrimger, and more.

» Subscribe today!

Follow along and participate

Book Pictures

View all photos

panel celebrates

Ottawa writers festival

Blazing Figures Launch

Blazing Figures Launch

Blazing Figures Launch

Blazing Figures Launch

Blazing Figures Launch

Blazing Figures Launch

Blazing Figures Launch

Blazing Figures Launch

The fine print

All content copyright Quill & Quire -- Quill & Quire is a registered trademark of St. Joseph Media