Authors at Harbourfront Centre

The world renowned Authors at Harbourfront Centre (AUTHORS) programme is home to a weekly reading series (September to June), the annual International Festival of Authors (IFOA) (October) and, for younger readers and families, YoungIFOA (October), and ALOUD: a Celebration for Young Readers with Forest of Reading® Festival of Trees™ (May).

The AUTHORS programme was established in 1974 with a mandate to present the world’s most important and influential authors and distinctive new writers, Canadian and international, in a forum that celebrates books and writing; to provide Canadian authors with access to an internationally recognized platform on which to present their work; and to foster an awareness of the variety and richness of writing from Canada and around the world.

The mission of AUTHORS programming is to promote interest and enthusiasm in writing and reading on both a local and international level; to showcase the excellence and variety of Canadian literature; to introduce young readers to the wonders, pleasures and possibilities of reading and writing; to provide Canadian and international authors with an opportunity to meet and to exchange ideas; and to offer programmes and events for a wide range of communities and age groups that increase the awareness of all forms of literature.

In the past 36 years, AUTHORS has welcomed more than 5,000 writers from more than 100 countries, including 16 Nobel laureates and countless other award winners. The programme runs from September to June, with events ranging from readings to round-table discussions and interviews.

IFOA was inaugurated in 1980 with a mandate to bring together the best writers of contemporary world literature. Like the weekly reading series, IFOA includes readings, interviews, round table discussions and talks, as well as public book signings and a festival bookstore. IFOA also continues to present readings by Scotiabank Giller Prize, Governor General’s Literary Award and Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize finalists, the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-fiction recipient, and the awarding of the $10,000 Harbourfront Festival Prize. And new in 2009, TD Canadian Children’s Literature award Finalists.

An integral part of IFOA for the past five years, YoungIFOA was born as a way to include a younger generation of readers in a festival of international repute. Authors at YoungIFOA have included Seán Cullen, Anita Desai, Cornelia Funke, Dennis Lee, and world renowned author of the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling, who opened the festival in 2007, attracting Harry Potter fans from across Canada.

ALOUD: a Celebration for Young Readers was introduced in 2005, featuring some of the world’s leading authors for young people. Participants have included Governor General’s Award-winner Deborah Ellis, Richard Scrimger, Mélanie Watt, and Jacqueline Wilson. In 2010, ALOUD will take place s part of Forest of Reading® Festival of Trees™.

In May 2007, AUTHORS hosted the first annual Forest of Reading® Festival of Trees™ on the 10-acre Harbourfront Centre site. For the last three years, more than 200 authors and illustrators along with over 18,000 students have attended this action-packed festival that celebrates the shared experience of reading through award ceremonies, workshops and activities. Forest of Reading® is presented with the Ontario Library Association.