Writers' Trust Gala
Thursday, November 24, 2011
The Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, Ontario
The 26th annual Writers’ Trust Gala brought leaders of the business and arts communities together to celebrate Canadian writers and writing and raise much needed funds for the programs of the Writers’ Trust. Corporate patrons and individual donors were seated at tables with Canadian writers to enjoy an evening of conversation and competition.
Over $190,000 was raised on this single evening, where more than fifty of Canada’s top authors, including Jane Urquhart, Richard Gwyn, Lawrence Hill, and Margaret Atwood, mingled with 473 attendees. Canadian publishers kindly donated copies of each attending author’s books, ensuring that everyone went home with a signed copy. The Writers’ Trust would like to thank our sponsors as well as our numerous table and ticket buyers for their generous support.
The highlight of the night was a creative composition contest called “So you Think you can Write,” pitting table against table. Publisher Lynn Henry, bookseller Ben McNally, and broadcaster Shelagh Rogers judged the entries and at the end of the evening announced that Random House of Canada table, featuring novelist Brian Francis, was the winner.
The Writers’ Trust would also like to thank our table selling committee for making the evening such a success. Particular gratitude goes to event co-chairs Adrian Lang, partner of Stikeman Elliott LLP, and Luc Vanneste, executive vice-president and chief financial officer of Scotiabank. A special thanks also goes to co-hosts CBC’s Amanda Lang and CTV’s Seamus O’Regan.
Proceeds from the event fund the programs and initiatives of the Writers’ Trust, including our literary awards program, Berton House Writers’ Retreat, our scholarship program with Humber College, and much more.
For information about next year's event please contact Joe Goulart at 416-504-8222 x 243 or email jgoulart@writerstrust.com.