The First-Ever French Literary Festival in Canada Comes To Toronto

 The First-Ever French Literary Festival in Canada Comes To Toronto
Festival to Showcase the Best in French-Canadian Children’s Literature
NEWS RELEASE
TORONTO, ON (April 9, 2014) – The Ontario Library Association’s will be hosting the first ever
French Festival of Trees™ in Toronto, in partnership with the International Festival of Authors.
The French Festival is the first literary festival of its kind in Canada and will provide an exciting
and entirely French event to French-speaking students.
Almost 2,000 students from French immersion and French languages schools will join authors
and illustrators at the Harbourfront Centre to celebrate the Forest of Reading® and the best of
French-Canadian children’s fiction and non-fiction.
This one-day event features Le Prix Peuplier, Le Prix Tamarac, and Le Prix Tamarac Express
authors and illustrators who are nominated for the awards and geared towards young readers
from kindergarten to Grade 6. The students, who have spent the past months reading the
authors’ nominated works, will vote for their favourite books.
The festival will include appearances by Diya Lim, Raymond Parent, Sylvie Roberge, Danielle
Simard, Hélène Rompré, Mireille Villeneuve, Carole Tremblay, Louise Catherine Bergeron,
Maryse Peyskens, Mireille Messier, Anne Renaud, Eric Peladeau, Anne-Marie Bourgeois,
Bellebrute, Valerie Fontaine, and Céline Malépart.
This one-day event will run parallel to the English Festival of Trees, and will feature an awards
ceremony, local entertainment, workshops by authors, autograph signings, prizes, and much
more! Mini TFO and FLIP TFO, the media partners for the Festival, will host each of the French
ceremonies with their show personalities.
The festival takes place on May 15, 2014, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Tickets are now on sale from
the Forest of Reading website for $15 plus HST.
Like us on the Forest of Reading Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @ForestofReading!
- 30 About the Forest of Reading®: The Forest of Reading is the largest recreational reading
program of its kind in Canada, with more than 250,000 participants each year. The OLA’s Forest
of Reading offers eight reading programs to encourage a love of reading in people of all ages.
Committees of library practitioners select the nominated titles and readers vote for the winners.
About the Ontario Library Association: The Ontario Library Association (OLA) is a centre of
excellence for the library and information sector, with nearly 5,000 members who work in public,
school, academic and special libraries. OLA enables members to advocate for the right of
individuals to have free and equitable access to information. Our members research, develop
and participate in educational programs designed to provide exemplary library services.
Signature OLA events include the annual Super Conference and the Forest of Reading®
program. Follow us on Twitter @ONLibraryAssoc and like us on Facebook at Ontario Library
Association.
Media and program contacts:
Meredith Tutching
Program Coordinator, Forest of Reading
Ontario Library Association
416.363.3388 x222
mtutching@accessola.com
Lauren Hummel
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Ontario Library Association
416.363.3388 x231
lhummel@accessola.com