Library Announces Lineup for 2014 Keep Toronto Reading Festival

More than 80 events at 50 branches across the city

TORONTO, March 10, 2014 /CNW/ - Toronto Public Library announces the programming line-up for its Keep Toronto Reading Festival, running April 1-30. This year's city-wide celebration of reading spotlights the library's One Book community read, The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. The themes of this bestselling novel - hope in adversity, human resilience and artistic expression in times of conflict - are explored at dozens of library branches throughout Toronto. The programming themes explored this year are particularly relevant in light of recent world events and the centenary of the First World War.

"The Keep Toronto Reading Festival offers Toronto's many readers the chance to connect and engage," says Jane Pyper, City Librarian. "Whether it's in branches, online or at our partnered events, we invite all Torontonians to come together through their love of books and to celebrate the joy of reading."

Festival highlights include:

• An evening of hope-inspired music with Toronto Symphony Orchestra principal cello, Joseph Johnson, and poetry readings by Ann Shin. Hosted by CBC's Robert Harris.
• A First World War panel discussion with historian Margaret MacMillan, the Munk School's Janice Stein and former diplomat Paul Heinbecker.
• Toronto's Big Book Club with The Cellist of Sarajevo author Steven Galloway with an audience comprised of books clubs from around the city.
• A screening of Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo with director John Zaritsky in partnership with Hot Docs.
• One-on-one sessions with survivors of conflict as part of Toronto Public Library's "Human Library" program.
• 40 branch book club discussions.

22 days of cello performances, in unexpected places across the city
For 22 days this March and April, cellists from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra will "pop up" in iconic and unexpected locations across Toronto. The performances mirror the actions of the novel's "cellist of Sarajevo" who plays Albinoni's Adagio for 22 days to commemorate 22 civilians killed by a bomb blast.

From iconic landmarks to malls, from libraries to civic centres, the cello performances begin on Monday, March 17, 2014 and continue daily until Monday, April 7, 2014. A list of dates and locations is available at keeptorontoreading.ca.

While at a performance, the public can download the first two chapters of The Cellist of Sarajevo through "The Library Box", a wireless hotspot connection that allows people to download digital content directly to their mobile or reader devices without an internet connection.

For complete festival information and event listings, go to keeptorontoreading.ca.

Toronto Public Library is the world's busiest urban public library system. Every year, 19 million people visit our branches in neighbourhoods across the city and borrow 32 million items. To learn more about Toronto Public Library, visit our website at torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at 416-393-7131. To get the most current updates on what's happening at the library, follow us on Twitter @torontolibrary

SOURCE: Toronto Public Library

Media Contact: 
Tina Srebotnjak 416-393-7098
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