Canadian Elite Turn Out for Book Lover’s Ball 2013

Over 600 patrons and 60 celebrity authors attended the 8th Annual Book Lover’s Ball at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel on February 7, 2013. The black tie event, which was hosted by Cityline’s Tracy Moore and benefits the Toronto Public Library Foundation, raised $500,000 last year and hopes to do the same or better this year.

Guests for the $750 ticket event were treated to a reception with appetizers that included wild mushroom and asiago truffles, vegetable samosas, shrimp summer rolls with fresh mint, avocado salmon rolls and spicy chicken satays.

Dinner started with a baby spinach and mesclun salad with Niagara Bosc pears, candied pecans and Ontario strawberries and continued with spiced beef tenderloin with roasted butternut squash risotto, grilled asparagus, Merlot jus and miso beurre blanc. Breads from Ace Bakery were served.

The meal was topped off by a selection of three desserts: flourless chocolate torte, white chocolate cheesecake and mango mousseline tart served with Balzac’s Atwood Blend coffee.

Wines served with dinner were Garofoli Verdicchio and Laurent Miquel L’Artisan.

Two exciting silent auction prizes included a book club evening with author Andrew Pyper for eight people at Epic Restaurant and eight copies of his book, The Demonologist, as well as a book club evening with Lloyd Robertson for eight people in a private dining room on the 54th floor of the TD Tower catered by Canoe along with eight copies of his book, The Kind of Life It’s Been. 

Another auction item up for grabs was a trip to China including Beijing, Shanghai and Kunshan donated by Fairmont.

Other auction items included trips to Bermuda, Las Vegas, Banff and the Bahamas; dinner, gourmet food, book, yoga and spa packages; family fun packs at Toronto attractions; a catered appetizer party for up to 30 guests from Avalon Events and Catering; a Craigleith Ski Club package and a learning vacation at the University of Toronto’s Victoria College.

After dinner, guests enjoyed music by pipa virtuoso Liu Fang, as well as live art, dance and burlesque performances inspired by the following novels: Winning Moves by Lisa Renee Jones, S.E.C.R.E.T by L. Marie Adeline, The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper, River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay and The Painter Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan.