OTTAWA, Ontario – Canada has been invited to participate as this year’s guest of honour at the Turin International Book Fair, which will take place from May 15 to 19, in Italy. More than 25 Canadian authors will visit a pavilion decorated with the colours of Canada.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to increase understanding of Canadian culture and our diverse population abroad,” said Minister Graham. “Recognition of our splendid authors does much to establish Canada’s distinctive identity around the world, and to showcase our strengths as a country.”
Canada will be represented by authors Nadine Bismuth, André Charpentier, Douglas Cooper, Derrick de Kerckhove, Margaret Doody, Carole Fioramore-David, Joe Fiorito, Karen Levine, Alistair MacLeod, Alberto Manguel, Yann Martel, Nino Ricci, Nancy Richler, John Ralston Saul, Richard Scrimger, Gaétan Soucy, Drew Hayden Taylor and Larry Tremblay, among others.
“The Department of Canadian Heritage is proud and pleased to contribute to the exposure of Canadian artists abroad through such events as the Turin International Book Fair,” said Minister Copps. “Our writers are ambassadors of a unique culture that is open to the world and shaped by wonderfully diverse experiences and perspectives. Because of their originality, diversity and modern character, Canadian cultural products and services are a resounding success on world markets.”
Writers of some of the more than 300 Canadian books translated into Italian, will participate in a five-day public celebration of Canadian writing in Turin, which will also feature seminars for publishers and Canadian studies experts.
The Turin International Book Fair is one of the largest in the world, with over 1,000 exhibitors and 200,000 visitors each year. The Fair, open to the public, is also a forum for discussing copyright sales with publishing houses.
Other Canadian activities taking place in conjunction with the Fair include Craig Richard’s photo exhibition Voices from the Summit, a retrospective of Atom Egoyan’s films, the Trevor Gould exhibition, and a retrospective exhibition of works by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller.
Canadian participation in this event has been supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Canadian consulate general in Milan, and the Canadian embassy in Rome, as well as the Association for the Export of Canadian Books.
