That Shakespeherian Rag | Notes from a Literary Lad

The Book Closes on BOOKED!*

Posted 28 September, 2007 in Book News |

Quill & Quire is reporting that the organizers of BOOKED!, the Toronto literary festival staged to coincide with the Book Expo Canada trade show and conference in June, will not resurface in 2008.

You’ll recall that the inaugural 2007 event was a bit of a mixed bag: certain high-profile events (featuring authors such as Stephen King and James Patterson) were well attended, while others were sparsely attended or cancelled altogether.

Apparently the organizers of the festival have decided that the lacklustre showing in 2007 did not have to do with first-time hitches, but was the result of more systemic problems. The Quill quotes from the weekly newsletter of the Canadian Bookseller’s Association (one of BOOKED!’s sponsors), which says the reason for next year’s cancellation is that “formidable competition for the public’s attention from events like Luminato [a new Toronto arts festival], consumer shows and, frankly, good summer weather, have led the BEC Task Force to conclude that repeating the event will not achieve the desired results.”

Hmm … I wish I’d said that.

*Sorry: I’m feeling dreadfully uninspired today.

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