Writers' Trust Gala

About the Event

Join us for a lively, literary evening

With a Canadian writer at each table, the Writers’ Trust Gala is unlike any other fundraiser. Past guest authors include literary luminaries Margaret Atwood, Adrienne Clarkson, Cherie Dimaline, Emma Donoghue, Lawrence Hill, Thomas King, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Anne Michaels, and Noah Richler.

The highlight of the evening is the presentation of the $50,000 Writers’ Trust Fellowship honouring one of the leading Canadian writers of our time. Past recipients of the Writers' Trust Fellowship are Michael Crummey, Miriam Toews, Eden Robinson, and Charles Foran.

2019 Gala Host

Steve Patterson

Best known to over 700,000 weekly listeners as Canada’s least moderate debate moderator on CBC’s hit show The Debaters, Steve Patterson is a veteran headline comic who has performed across Canada, North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. His material is a combination of off-the-cuff and meticulously-crafted topical social commentary. He’s also been known to break into song.

Patterson was twice named Best Male Stand-up Comedian at the Canadian Comedy Awards and has been nominated for Canadian Screen Awards as Host of HGTV’s I Wrecked My House and The Great Canadian Screen Test. Steve’s nationally-toured theatre show entitled This is Not Debatable is now available on iTunes, and in 2016 his first aptly-titled collection, Book of Letters I Didn’t Know Where to Send, was published by Goose Lane Editions.

Steve’s latest role is as a budding producer with his show The Smartass-ociates, making smart people funnier and funny people smarter.