Free public event - Toronto book lovers can hear the RBC Taylor Prize shortlisted authors discuss their books on Thursday, February 22

TORONTO, Feb. 17, 2018 /CNW/ - The RBC Taylor Prize the International Festival of Authors and the Toronto Public Library present the RBC Taylor Prize finalists in a panel discussion with the Toronto Star Books Editor, Deborah Dundas.  All five authors will be speaking at the College Street Lillian Smith Library in Toronto on Thursday evening.

The five finalists are:

Stephen R. Bown – Island of the Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on Bering's Great Voyage to Alaska 
Daniel Coleman – Yardwork: A Biography of an Urban Place 
James Maskalyk – Life on the Ground Floor: Letters from the Edge of Emergency Medicine
Tanya Talaga – Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City  
Max Wallace – In the Name of Humanity

The Lillian Smith Library is located at 239 College Street in Toronto.  The 90-minute free event begins at 7:00 pm.

The RBC Taylor Prize winner will be revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday February 26, 2018. The Prize luncheon will once again be held at the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.

About The RBC Taylor Prize

Established in 1998 by the trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation and first awarded in 2000, 2018 marks the seventeenth awarding of the RBC Taylor Prize, which commemorates Charles Taylor's pursuit of excellence in the field of literary non-fiction. 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 $30,000 for the winner and $5,000 for each of the remaining finalists. All authors are presented with a custom leather bound version of their shortlisted book at the awards ceremony. All finalists receive promotional support for their nominated titles.

Sharing a commitment to emerging Canadian talent, The Charles Taylor Foundation and RBC will also grant the fifth annual RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writers Award. Shortly after the announcement of the 2018 Prize, its winner will name their choice of emerging author to receive this $10,000 award.

The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management. Its media sponsors are The Globe and Mail, Cision, Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, IFOA, The Omni King Edward Hotel, and the Toronto Public Library Board.

To download high-resolution images of the shortlisted authors and their book covers please go to: www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2018/rbctp_2018_finalist_covers_and_authors.zip

SOURCE RBC Taylor Prize