Markham Hosts Its First International Festival of Authors Touring Event

An evening featuring world-renowned authors
StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-MARKHAM, ON, Sept 20, 2011 ~ Markham is thrilled to be chosen as the only location in York Region and one of two GTA locations to host the International Festival of Authors (IFOA) touring event on Friday October 21, 2011.  Markham, in partnership with the Markham Arts Council (MAC), will host an intimate evening where four award-winning and world-renowned authors: Shilpi Somaya Gowda, Dany Laferrière, Bharati Mukherjee, and Francisco Goldman will hold personal readings of their works in an interactive setting.

                                                            

This unique and very special evening will be held in the Transportation Building at Markham Museum.  It will be hosted by TVO’s producer and host of Saturday Night at the Movies, Thom Ernst.

For those wishing to attend, the programme allows for two distinct opportunities: 

1.    The Mayor’s Hour – Beginning at 6:15 pm join Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti for a catered personal meet and greet with the authors.  Only 100 tickets are available for this exclusive hour which is followed by authors’ readings. Tickets are $50.

2.    An Evening of Readings – Join us at 7:15 pm where each author with provide readings of their works and hold interactive session afterward.  There are only 140 general admission tickets available at a cost of only $10.

All tickets can be purchased through the Markham Arts Council by calling 905-947-9054 or by emailing helen@markhamartscouncil.com. The $10 tickets for the Readings only can also be purchased through the Markham Theatre box office or by calling 905-305-7469.

“We’re honoured to have been chosen as one of the host communities for the prestigious International Festival of Authors (IFOA) Ontario touring programme” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “This speaks to Markham’s cultural vibrancy and our reputation for embracing and celebrating local and national literary talent. We are grateful for the leadership and efforts of the Markham Arts Council for making the Markham IFOA event possible.”

“We’re very excited to be able to host an IFOA event in Markham” said MAC Board Chair, Celeste Pelliccione. “The community, both private and corporate has a long history of deep appreciation and strong support of the arts. The IFOA is a great literary event that’s perfectly suited for Markham, especially considering how the authors and their works are reflective of our own community’s diversity. I would like to acknowledge the time and energy the Executive Director of the Markham Arts Council, Helen Argiro, put forward to secure Markham as a host community for the IFOA."  

                                                                                               

The Markham Arts Council’s Board of Directors wishes to thank Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Regional Councillor Gordon Landon and Director of Culture John Ryerson for their enthusiastic support of the IFOA Markham event, along with Cathy Molloy, Museum Director at the Markham Museum for providing the Transportation Building as a venue.