Toronto Public Library has announced their annual One Book community read for 2013 today, and the winning book for 2013 is Ray Bradbury’s 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451. The book takes place in a dystopic future America, where books are banned and firemen burn down any house that contains them.
“We decided to go with a classic this year — a book you maybe haven’t read in a long time, or one you’d always been meaning to read. Fahrenheit 451 fit that bill perfectly,” said City Librarian Jane Pyper. “It was published in 1953, but is remarkably relevant today. Its depiction of a media-saturated world will resonate with anyone who reads or rereads this small but powerful book.”
The One Book program is part of the library’s Keep Toronto Reading Festival, which is held every year throughout the month of April. People are encouraged to read the One Book selection and come out to the library for readings, discussions, and other events that highlight the book’s themes. Because Fahrenehit 451 is about a fireman (albeit a very different kind than we know today), the library has teamed up with Toronto Fire Services, and Fire Service outreach officers will be visiting various libraries to share their favourite books and stories. They will also be blogging on the festival’s official website.
The full Keep Toronto Reading Festival lineup will be announced on March 14th, on the official website, keeptorontoreading.ca.
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Megan Patterson is the Science and Technology Editor at Paper Droids and currently a Toronto Standard intern. She has also written for WORN Fashion Journal, Elevate, and Salon Magazines. She also tweets more than is healthy or wise.
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