Luminato Fest of Arts Announces Literary Program with The New Yorker

Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity, together with The New Yorker and RBC, today announced RBC Presents: The New Yorker at Luminato. The program launches on the opening weekend of Luminato, presenting internationally renowned journalists, authors and thought leaders in a series of lectures and panel discussions that take a contemporary look at the Arabic world, while also exploring iconic stories and sacred texts.

One of the world's most celebrated magazines comes to Toronto to present two days of insights and ideas, marking the first time The New Yorker has curated a program of events for another festival. The New Yorker series of four events is comprised of lectures by two foremost authors, as well as two panel discussions featuring an international group of writers and journalists of distinction. The New Yorker's programs complement Luminato's previously announced literary programs, and also support the 2011 Festival's curatorial focus on art and artists from the Arabic world.

The June 12th and 13th programs feature New Yorker editor David Remnick, Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy, best-selling author and New Yorkerstaff writer Malcolm Gladwell, Israeli journalist Amira Hass, Libyan fiction writer Hisham Matar, New Yorker staff writer Rebecca Mead, and renownedNew Yorker fiction writers Colm Tóibín, Chris Adrian, and Allegra Goodman.

"Through this New Yorker program, Luminato furthers its commitment to collaborating with extraordinary international partners to curate programs that enhance the overall Festival experience," said Janice Price, CEO, Luminato. Devyani Saltzman, Curator, Literary Programming and Illuminations added, "We are very excited to announce this new partnership which broadens Luminato's celebration of the written word. From Malcolm Gladwell, to in-depth conversations about the Middle East, The New Yorker at Luminato promises to be an incredible two days."

"We are delighted to partner with Luminato to bring The New Yorker to Toronto in celebration of the Festival's fifth anniversary," said Lisa Hughes, Publisher, The New Yorker. "We are most grateful to our partners, RBC and the Canadian Tourism Commission, for helping us bring this important programming to our readers in Canada."

"We believe in the power of the arts to enrich our lives and enhance our communities," said Jim Little, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, RBC. "As a longstanding supporter of the arts in Canada and a Founding Corporate Luminary, we are proud to present The New Yorker series and bring some of the most thought-provoking, insightful, and creative writers, such as Malcolm Gladwell, to the city and people of Toronto."

Full Program for RBC Presents: The New Yorker at Luminato

Rewriting the Narrative of the Middle East
As one of the world's most volatile regions enters a new chapter, Luminato takes a contemporary look at the Arabic world. David Remnick, editor ofThe New Yorker, leads a discussion among an international group of writers and journalists: Mona Eltahawy, Amira Hass, and Hisham Matar.

Libyan fiction writer Hisham Matar will also appear at Luminato 2011 for a night of Arabic poetry. His debut novel, In the Country of Men, was shortlisted for the 2006 Man Booker Prize and was translated into 22 languages. His second novel, Anatomy of a Disappearance, will be released in August.

Prominent Israeli journalist Amira Hass has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Women's Media Foundation. She has written two books, Drinking the Sea at Gaza and Reporting from Ramallah: An Israeli Journalist in an Occupied Land, and writes for the newspaperHa'aretz.

Mona Eltahawy is an Egyptian journalist working in New York. She is a columnist for Canada's Toronto Star and Israel's The Jerusalem Report and is the recipient of the Anna Lindh Foundation's 2010 Special Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism.

Rewriting the Narrative of the Middle East discussion and Q&A takes place on Sunday, June 12 at 4 PM at the Jane Mallet Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front Street East. $25.

New Yorker Talk: Paradoxes of Innovation
New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell joins Luminato to share his latest brainstorm.

Malcolm Gladwell is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of the best-selling books The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw, a collection of his pieces for the magazine.

New Yorker Talk: Paradoxes of Innovation takes place on Sunday, June 12 at 7 PM, Jane Mallet Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front Street East. $38.

New Yorker Talk: Middlemarch and Me
New Yorker staff writer Rebecca Mead speaks about her lifelong obsession with George Eliot's masterpiece, Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life.

Rebecca Mead has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1997, and is the author of One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding. Her piece on George Eliot and Middlemarch appeared in the magazine's 2011 Anniversary Issue.

New Yorker Talk: Middlemarch and Me takes place on Monday, June 13 at 2 PM at the Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front Street West. $25.

New Yorker Fiction: Sacred Texts
In keeping with Luminato's 2011 exploration of iconic stories, a group of renowned New Yorker fiction writers discuss their own "sacred texts," moderated by Deborah Treisman, Fiction Editor of The New Yorker. Panellists include Colm Tóibín, Chris Adrian, and Allegra Goodman.

Colm Tóibín was born in Ireland and has written 18 books. His fifth novel, The Master, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Los Angeles Times Novel of the Year. He teaches at Princeton and will soon succeEd Martin Amis as a creative writing professor at the University of Manchester.

Chris Adrian is an American writer who has published two novels, Gob's Grief and The Children's Hospital, and a short-story collection, A Better Angel. His third novel, The Great Night, will be released this April. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2009.

Allegra Goodman was raised in Hawaii and published her first book, the story collection Total Immersion, in 1989. Her subsequent books include the novels Kaaterskill Falls, Paradise Park, Intuition, The Other Side of the Island, and, most recently, The Cookbook Collector.

New Yorker Fiction: Sacred Texts takes place on Monday, June 13 at 4 PM at the Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front Street West. $25.

The New Yorker at Luminato is presented by RBC.

*All prices are inclusive of HST and charges if purchased through Luminato.

The fifth anniversary edition of Luminato takes place from June 10-19, 2011. Tickets for all Luminato 2011 programs will be available for sale as of April 16, 2011. For details, please visit www.luminato.com.

ABOUT THE NEW YORKER
The New Yorker is a weekly magazine with a signature mix of reporting on national and international politics and culture, humor and cartoons, fiction and poetry, and reviews and criticism of books, movies, theatre, classical and popular music, television, art, and fashion.

ABOUT RBC
RBC is one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies and among the largest banks in the world, as measured by market capitalization. It employs approximately 79,000 people who serve more than 18 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in more than 50 countries.

ABOUT LUMINATO
For 10 extraordinary days in June, Toronto's stages, streets, and public spaces are illuminated with arts and creativity. Luminato is an annual multi-disciplinary celebration of theatre, dance,
music, literature, food, visual arts, fashion, film, and more. For more information, please visit www.luminato.com.

Luminato gratefully acknowledges the generous support and vision of its Founding Luminaries, SuperNova donors, and Patron Circle Members. The Festival would not be possible without the support of our Partner in Creativity, L'Oréal. Luminato also acknowledges the support of its founding government partner, the Government of Ontario; the Government of Canada; and the City of Toronto.

Luminato Partners: L'Oréal, TELUS, National Bank Financial Group, President's Choice, Manulife Financial, OLG, VISA Infinite, RBC, Scotiabank Group.

Major Media Partners: Toronto Star, CBC, The Globe and Mail, Cineplex, St. Joseph Communications, Telelatino, ATN, The Weather Network.

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