Forest of Reading® Festival of Trees welcomes 15,000+ young readers to Harbourfront Centre for workshops and autograph sessions with Canada’s best authors and illustrators, lively entertainment and award ceremonies. The three-day event, which is often called a “rock concert of reading”, celebrates a love of reading for readers of all skill levels.
Presented by Ontario Library Association and Toronto International Festival of Authors
Tuesday, May 14 and Wednesday, May 15 (English Festival of Trees)
Thursday, May 16 (French Festival of Trees)
Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON
Hundreds of schools and thousands of children from across Ontario, alongside featuring 60+ of Canada’s top authors and illustrators and 25+ of Canada’s top Francophone authors and illustrators, including: Cary Fagan, Deborah Ellis, Elizabeth MacLeod, Eric Walters, Jess Keating, Kevin Sylvester, Kyo Maclear, Linwood Barclay, Lorna Schultz Nicholson, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Mary Beth Leatherdale, Rob Laidlaw, Warren Kinsella, Wesley King, and many more.
The French component of the Forest of Reading® awards will be celebrated on May 16, which will include workshops by Mireille Messier, Andrée Poulin, and many more.
This year’s line up of entertainment will include entertainer Mike Ford, Isabella Hoops, Drag Queen Story Time, Toronto Comic Arts Festival, Council Fire Indigenous drummers and dancers, TFO/FLIP and much more. Our exhibitors include TFO/FLIP, Penguin Random House Canada, Scholastic Canada, Toronto Public Library, Toronto Comics Arts Festival, Soapbox Science Toronto, Kids Can Press, and many more. Activities will feature tattoos, crafts, a photo booth, and Junior Librarian Training Camp.
Follow along on Twitter as @ForestofReading and use #FestivalofTrees and #Festivaldesarbres to join in on the fun. Media can request photos from communicatons@accessola.com.
The Ontario Library Association (OLA) creates programmes, advocacy and promotion for almost 5,000 members who work in primary and secondary schools, colleges, universities and public libraries across Ontario. The mission of the OLA is to foster free public access to information, and to promote Canada’s history and culture through the programmes and services of the libraries of Ontario. OLA’s largest annual events include the OLA Super Conference and the Festival of Trees.
The Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) is Canada’s largest and longest-running festival of words and ideas. Since 1974, it has hosted over 9,000 authors from more than 100 countries, including 22 Nobel Laureates and countless other award winners. Mandated to advance the art of literature, TIFA connects curious readers of every kind with leading authors and provides forums to showcase Canadian talent to the world. TIFA presents programmes all year round and will celebrate the 40th edition of the Festival Oct. 24 – Nov. 3, 2019.