While Giller Prize finalists and top Canadian publishers party at this year's awards gala on Nov. 11 Toronto's young publishers will have a bash of their own.
Back for its 7th year, the Scotiabank Giller Light Bash will take place at the Berkeley Church at 315 Queen Street East.
Held in support of Frontier College, Canada's original literacy organization, an anticipated crowd of 300 editors, writers and other industry supporters will be on hand for the countdown to the 2008 Giller Prize win.
"Everyone stays glued to the big TV screens, watching the show and yelling out their commentary. It's a lot of fun," says Kate Cassaday, a volunteer member of the Scotiabank Giller Light Bash Committee.
"I'm so glad to be volunteering on this event. Literacy is such an important issue, but this allows us to do something more than just give out free books for the cause," says the Associate Editor at CollinsCanada, a division of HarperCollinsCanada.
"People think that literacy only concerns those who cannot read. But it's more than that," says Frontier College President Sherry Campbell. "People may come here from another country, but they can still read in their own language and comprehend a book's meaning. Sadly, there are many people in Canada who cannot do that in English."
To date the Scotiabank Giller Light Bash has helped raise more than $100,000 for Frontier College's literacy programs.
"We're aiming for $35,000 to $40,000 this year," says Tom Best, Vice President of Marketing at H.B. Fenn and Company.
With Canadian singer-songwriter Melissa McClelland slated to perform, Best, a member of the Scotiabank Giller Light Bash Committee, says, "I'm so glad that we, as publishers, took this event on. It really gives us the opportunity to do something bigger for the community and bring the issue into the spotlight."
