Archives for category: Fundraisers

party. politics.

April 25, 2016 //

 

Every year, the Politics & the Pen gala gathers 500 guests from Canada’s literary and political circles to dress up, put party politics aside for the night, and celebrate Canadian writers and writing.

A fundraiser for the Writers’ Trust of Canada, the event has, to date, raised more than $3 million to support Canada’s writers. The highlight of the night is the announcement of the winner of the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing.

This year’s gala, held at Ottawa’s Fairmont Chateau Laurier, was hosted by Catherine Clark and Ben Mulroney, who had the crowd in stitches with their schtick (heavy on the “kids of former PMs” jokes, obviously). The evening concluded with the presentation of the $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing to John Ibbitson for Stephen Harper.

In all, more than $365,000 was raised to support Canada’s writers.

Here are some fabulous photos.

And here is one of many fabulous write-ups.

Congratulations to all of this year’s prize nominees. In addition to eventual winner John Ibbitson, they were:

Greg Donaghy for Grit: The Life and Politics of Paul Martin Sr.

Norman Hillmer for O.D. Skelton: A Portrait of Canadian Ambition

Andrew Nikiforuk for Slick Water: Fracking and One Insider’s Stand Against the World’s Most Powerful Industry

Sheila Watt-Cloutier for The Right to Be Cold: One Woman’s Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic, and the Whole Planet

Categories Events, Fundraisers, Literary Awards, Publicity

fighting words for free expression

June 5, 2015 //

 

(l to r) Andrew Pyper, Joseph Boyden, Becky Toyne

Listen to a short clip of this on-stage conversation >> audio

On Tuesday night, at a fundraiser in support of PEN Canada, I moderated a conversation with Joseph Boyden and Andrew Pyper about how writers deal with a violent world and hateful subjects, writerly ethics when dealing with taboo subjects, and the unique power of words to offend.

Must violence serve the story?

Must authors defend their work if it offends others?

Does familiarity breed indifference when it comes to interpreting the violence scenes we read?

Does a public declaration of taking offence shut down a conversation or enrich it?

Can we envision a future in which publishers require authors to write “B scenes” for readers who don’t want to read (or teach) scenes with violence?

The event, which was held at the Art Gallery of Ontario, is part of PEN Canada‘s Ideas in Dialogue series, a twice-yearly event to raise awareness of and funds for the organization’s work to defend free expression.

The evening also included the awarding of the PEN Canada/Ken Filkow Prize to Franke James.

Categories Fundraisers, Host / Interviewer

enlightenment at politics and the pen

March 15, 2015 //

From left: Tony Clement, Megan Leslie, Stephen Maher, Tom Power, Richard Madan and Lisa Raitt perform Sweet Caroline at the Politics & the Pen gala

 

On Wednesday night, at the Politics and the Pen Gala in Ottawa, Joseph Heath was named the winner of the $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing for his book Enlightenment 2.0: Restoring Sanity to Our Politics, Our Economy, and Our Lives.

The event, which is a fundraiser for the Writers’ Trust of Canada, was held at Ottawa’s Fairmont Chateau Laurier and attended by 500 guests from Canada’s political, literary and arts communities.

Highlights included a “Battle of the Bands,” which was kicked off by co-hosts Hon. Tony Clement and Tom Power and joined by MPs Lisa Raitt and Megan Leslie, journalist Stephen Maher, and broadcaster Richard Madan (pictured).

The event raised more than than $330,000 for the Writers’ Trust of Canada.

The five Shaughnessy Cohen Prize nominees were:

  • Joseph Heath for Enlightenment 2.0: Restoring Sanity to Our Politics, our Economy, and Our Lives (winner)
  • Chantal Hébert with Jean Lapierre for The Morning After: The 1995 Quebec Referendum and the Day that Almost Was
  • Naomi Klein for This Changes Everything: Capitalism Vs the Climate
  • John Ralston Saul for The Comeback: How Aboriginals Are Reclaiming Power and Influence
  • Graham Steele for What I Learned About Politics: Inside the Rise – and Collapse – of Nova Scotia’s NDP Government

View photos from the event and read party recaps at Globe & Mail, HELLO!, Hill Times, Maclean’s, Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Magazine.

Listen to Joseph Heath talk to CBC As it Happens about his book and winning the prize here and read his interview with the Globe & Mail here.

 

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Categories Events, Fundraisers, Industry, Literary Awards, Publicity

partying politics

April 7, 2014 //

Covers of the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize nominated books hang above the crowd at the Politics & the Pen Gala

At a black-tie dinner at Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier last week, Maclean’s political editor Paul Wells was named the popular winner (with many friends and colleagues among the 500 guests) of the $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing for his book The Longer I’m Prime Minister: Stephen Harper and Canada, 2006 –. You can read his acceptance speech on Macleans.ca, here.

The award is presented at the Politics & the Pen Gala, which raises in excess of $300,000 annually for the Writers’ Trust of Canada.

This year’s event was hosted (to a standing ovation after their opening skit) by Hon. Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, and Ms. Megan Leslie, Member of Parliament for Halifax and member of the Official Opposition. Next to the announcement of the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize winner, the co-hosts’ duet of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” with specially written lyrics about being a woman on Parliament Hill, was the highlight of the evening.

Paul Wells’ fellow nominees for the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize were: Margaret MacMillan for The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914, Charles Montgomery for Happy City: Transforming Our Lives through Urban Design, Donald J. Savoie for Whatever Happened to the Music Teacher: How Government Decides and Why, and Graeme Smith for The Dogs Are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan, which won the 2013 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction.

Media coverage for the five Shaughnessy Cohen Prize nominees included an interview series in the Globe & Mail (here) and an interview with juror Doug Saunders on CBC Radio One’s Ottawa drive-home show, All in a Day, as the Politics & the Pen gala was getting underway.

CTV Ottawa came to the cocktail reception (video clip here), and Paul Wells was dragged out of bed dark and early the morning after his win to appear on CTV Ottawa’s breakfast show, CTV Morning Live (video clip here).

If you’d like to see some photos from the night, you’re in luck, because there are LOTS.

Here’s a selection:

 

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Categories Events, Fundraisers, Literary Awards, Publicity

shaughnessy cohen prize shortlist

February 4, 2014 //

image: shaughnessy cohen prize shortlist

 

The shortlist for the 2013 Writers’ Trust Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing was announced this morning.

The nominees are:

  • Margaret MacMillan for The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914
  • Charles Montgomery for Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design
  • Donald J. Savoie for Whatever Happened to the Music Teacher? How Government Decides and Why
  • Graeme Smith for The Dogs Are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan
  • Paul Wells for The Longer I’m Prime Minister: Stephen Harper and Canada, 2006 —

Media coverage for the shortlist included:

Canadian Press

Globe and Mail

National Post

Quill & Quire

Toronto Star

The winner will be announced at the Politics & the Pen Gala in Ottawa on April 2.

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Categories Fundraisers, Literary Awards, Publicity

writers at night

November 20, 2013 //

Gill Deacon and Zaib Shaikh host the Writers' Trust Gala

For this update I’m shamelessly borrowing the title of an annual series that Open Book: Toronto runs to preview the Writers’ Trust Gala. (It’s a fun series with a good title. Read it here.)

This year marked the 28th edition of the Gala, which was attended by more than 400 members of the literary, arts and philanthropic communities and raised $220,000 for the Writers’ Trust of Canada.

Highlights included the terrarium centrepieces containing miniature readers and books, a literary treasure hunt, and of course fine food and company with everyone dressed in their best.

Some photo galleries from the night are here, here, and here.

 

 

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Categories Fundraisers, Publicity

politics and the pen

March 12, 2013 //

Mark Carney and Hon. John Baird co-host the 2013 Politics and the Pen Gala

This year’s Politics & the Pen Gala at Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier welcomed 500 guests and raised more than $300,000 to support the programmes of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. It was also a swelligant evening where a good time was had by one and all.

Calgary author Marcello Di Cintio may have had a better time than most though. He was named winner of the $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing for his book Walls: Travels Along the Barricades.

Here’s some of the press:

CPAC, On the Bright Side. Video footage

Ottawa Citizen. A National Party Writ Large

iPolitics.ca. Where Politics meets the Pen

CTV Morning Live interview with Marcello Di Cintio

Globe & Mail Shaughnessy Cohen Prize Nominees interview series. Taras Grescoe

Calgary Herald, feature interview with Marcello Di Cintio

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Categories Fundraisers, Literary Awards, Publicity

politics and the pen

April 30, 2012 //

Ballroom at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. Photo: Steve Gerecke

On April 25, the Politics and the Pen gala, held at Ottawa’s Fairmont Chateau Laurier and attended by 500 guests from the political and literary arenas, raised $300,000 to support Writers’ Trust of Canada programmes.

The $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing was presented to Richard Gwyn for Nation Maker, the second volume in his biography of John A. Macdonald.

The Cable Public Affairs Channel was there to capture some of the atmosphere at the cocktail reception before the main dinner: “A who’s who of Canada’s political and literary communities.” Watch the video.

It’s the one night of the year where we get to really celebrate writing, and political writing in particular…It’s always a great night and celebration.” — Bob Rae, Interim Leader, Liberal Party of Canada

What I like about this prize is it’s the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize. Shaughnessy Cohen was a really lovely person…and she was a person of quality…and Shaughnessy Cohen’s quality affects this whole outfit.” — Richard Gwyn, winner, Shaughnessy Cohen Prize

Well it’s fun, number one … It gives people in the political world a chance to talk to people who have the time and the intelligence, the intellect and the ability to use the English or French language to communicate important ideas. And frankly I think all politicians would do a lot better if they read more and talked less.” — Elizabeth May, Leader, Green Party of Canada

On the award:

The Globe and Mail talked to Richard Gwyn and Max and Monique Nemni in advance of the announcement about what makes a great PM.

The Huffington Post ran excerpts from the five nominated books.

Open Book: Toronto did a Q&A with each of the nominees.

Samara Canada ran Q&As alongside a contest and online poll for their readers’ favourite (which Gwyn also won).

On Politics and the Pen:

The Ottawa Citizen, Hill Times, Ottawa Magazine, Maclean’s and iPolitics were all there, cameras in hand.

Oh, and the co-hosts, Ambassadors both, had a boxing match and engaged a little good-natured ribbing of Canada/USA stereotypes at the top of the event. The Ottawa Citizen captured the “fight” on video.

Co-hosts David Jacobson, Ambassador of the USA to Canada, and Gary Doer, Ambassador of Canada to the USA, arm wrestle at the Politics and the Pen gala. Photo: Jake Wright

 

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Categories Fundraisers, Literary Awards, Publicity

writers at night

November 27, 2011 //

The Writers' Trust Gala medals awaiting the guest authors who will wear them.

On November 24 the 26th annual Writers’ Trust Gala raised $190,000 to support the Writers’ Trust’s many programmes. Held at the Four Seasons Hotel, the black-tie event attracted nearly 500 guests: a who’s who of Canadian business, society, arts and, of course, the literary community. Sequins, sparkles and fuschia were in abundance. and everyone had a swelligant time.

I was the publicist for the event. Thanks to everyone who supported it, including:

Globe and Mail
Toronto Life
Open Book Toronto, which also ran a great “Writers at Night” series before the event
Quill & Quire

Party dress away until next year (well, maybe until the next Christmas party…).

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Categories Fundraisers, Publicity