In August 2000 The Manitoulin Island Libraries Action Network, representing 7 Island Public Libraries, began the annual Reading Festival, held in Kagawong, to celebrate the new millennium. Canadian writers are invited each year and represent various literary forms. Visitors to the Festival have the opportunity to meet the authors, listen to readings, ask questions and the Festival is free to everyone. We receive some funding from the Canadian Council for the Arts, as well as many generous donations from local businesses and individuals, for which we are grateful.
In 2002 the Manitoulin Island Libraries Action Network received provincial recognition for our efforts to promote literacy and we were awarded the Angus Mowat Award for Excellence by the Ontario Ministry of Culture.
The purpose of the Reading Festival is to promote literacy, literature and Canadian authors and enable the residents and visitors to Manitoulin Island to meet and interact with these writers in an atmosphere of education, culture and recreation.

Previous Authors to have attended the Annual Reading Festival:       

2000  Marsha Boulton, Terry Griggs, Karleen Bradford, Bill Freeman, Henry Beissel       

2001  Ted Barris, Cathline Gildiner, H. Mel Malton, Eric Wright       

2002  Ken Setterington, Marion Seabrook, Joy Fielding, Eric E Wright       

2003  Terry Griggs,Richard Thomas, Barbara Fradkin       

2004  Dan Needles, Rick Blechta, Linda Granfield, Wayne Neal       

2005  Catherine Gildiner, Giles Blunt, Stephen Dale, Marion Seabrook, Laurence Scanlan       

2006 Sandra Alland, Catherine Bush, Hal Niedzviecki, Wayne Grady

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