The International Festival Of Authors begins this week at the Harbourfront Centre- there are tonnes of great opportunities to see your favourite authors read, as well as round table discussions, interviews and a big party for House of Anasi's 40th anniversary. I've highlighted 1-2 events per day... check out the IFOA website for details on all of the other events.

Tuesday, October 16th:

First things first... the Governor General's Literary Award Shortlist is announced today at 10am!

Read for the Cure presents Anne Laurel Carter (editor of My Wedding Dress), Karen Connelly (2007 Orange Prize winner for The Lizard Cage) and C S Richardson (author of the national bestseller The End of the Alphabet). All proceeds go to The Cancer Research Society.
Gladstone Hotel Ballroom. 7pm - 10pm. $60 ticket includes all three books.

Playwrights Canada Press presents Gay Monologues and Scenes: An Anthology, edited by Sky Gilbert. Readings by Salvatore Antonio, Peter Lynch, Edward Roy, Jefferson Guzman, T. Berto, David Bateman, and Sean Reycraft.
Gladstone Hotel Art Bar. 8pm. Free.

The Art Bar Poetry Series continues with Jacob Scheier, author of More To Keep Us Warm. Also featuring Thomas Joachim Kingston and Dionne Brand.
Clinton's. 8pm. Free.

Wednesday, October 17th:

IFOA: The Margaret Atwood/Ian Rankin event opens up the International Festival of Authors (IFOA), but the tickets are all gone!... d'oh!

Art, poetry, music and dance come together in Draft 3.1. Featuring four multimedia collaborations: Lynn Harrigan and Scott McGregor Moore of dreamSTATE present a blend of words and sound; Poet Ronna Bloom and pianist Peter Dick explore musical and poetic landscapes; Susan L. Helwig reads her poetry in the light of projections by Felix Chakirov; Steven McCabe joins with guitarist Paul Sanderson and dancer Preethi Gopinath, accompanied by video projections.
Labspace Studio. 7:30pm. $5 (includes a copy of the publication DRAFT).

University of Toronto Bookstore Reading Series hosts an evening with Bill Phipps, former Moderator of the United Church of Canada, while he presents his new book, Cause for Hope.
Trinity-St. Paul's Centre. 7:30pm - 9:30pm. Free.

Celebrate action heroines at the launch party for Lori O'Connell's martial arts memoir book, Weapons of Opportunity. Guests are encouraged to show up dressed as their favourite heroine and those that do will receive a 50% discount on their book purchase.
Gladstone Hotel Art Bar. 6pm - 11pm. Free.

Thursday, October 18th:

Karen Hines, author of The Pochsy Plays and Hello ... Hello reads at York University's Canadian Writers in Person class and reading series. Class is open to the public.
York University, Atkinson Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies. 7pm. Free.

The library's 30th Anniversary Author Series continues with readings by Elyse Friedman, author of Long Story Short, and Stephen Marche author of Shining at the Bottom of the Sea. Interview by Rachel Harry of BookTelevision.
Toronto Reference Library. 7pm. Free.

IFOA: Daniel Handler, Janette Turner Hospital, Gina B. Nahai and M.G. Vassanji read from their most recent novels. The event opens with a poetry reading by Trillium Award-winner Ken Babstock. Nathan Whitlock hosts.
Harbourfront Centre Premiere Dance Theatre. 8pm. $15.

Celebrate the launch of issue five of Upping The Anti: A Journal of Theory and Action. Featuring DJs MissRuckus & Big Eva Edna, raffles and more.
Smiling Buddha Bar. 8pm. $7 with purchase of issue five, $5 without.

Meet bestselling mystery author Ian Rankin as he signs copies of Exit Music, his latest Inspector Rebus novel.
Indigo Bay & Bloor. 12pm. Free.

Friday, October 19th:

IFOA: Readings by Margaret Christakos, CĂŠline Curiol , Halfdan W. Freihow, Marina Lewycka, and Michael Ondaatje.
Harbourfront Centre Premiere Dance Theatre. 8pm. $15.

Join the Toronto Women's Bookstore as they present I'jaam: An Iraqi Rhapsody by Sinan Antoon. An inventory of the General Security headquarters in central Baghdad reveals an obscure manuscript. Written by a young man in detention, the prose moves from prison life, to adolescent memories, to frightening hallucinations, and what emerges is a portrait of life in Saddam's Iraq.
Toronto Women's Bookstore. 7pm. Free.

Saturday, October 20th:

IFOA: Graphic novelists Rutu Modan and James Sturm present their newest works with readings and PowerPoint. Toronto poet Emily Schultz opens the event with a reading from her new collection, Songs for the Dancing Chicken. Peter Birkemoe hosts.
Harbourfront Centre, Brigantine Room. 12pm. $15.

IFOA: A.J. Jacobs and Bruce Meyer read from their new books. Stephen Cain opens with a poetry reading. George Murray hosts.
Harbourfront Centre, Brigantine Room. 5pm. $15.

Sumach Press, The National Film Board of Canada and the Female Eye Film Festival present D is for Daring: The Women Behind the Films of Studio D by Dr. Gail Vanstone. Readings, audience Q&A and the Canadian premiere screening of the documentary "Women Behind the Lens" by Alexis Krasilovsky.
NFB John Spotten Cinema (150 John Street). 5-7pm. $5.00

Discover how to write the stories that will capture the imagination of readers as Griot Productions presents, Myth & Magic, a creative writing workshop with award-winning author Gail Nyoka.
Hangman Gallery. 10am - 12pm. $40. Space is limited!

Sunday, October 21st:

IFOA: The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) presents its second Poetry Projections project. Poets and filmmakers who have collaborated on the project include Souvankham Thammavongsa, Priscila Uppal, Kelly Egan, and Vicky Moufawad-Paul.
Harbourfront Centre Studio Theatre. 3pm - 5pm. Free!

IFOA: Construction Paper:A round table discussion with Diane Ackerman, Jakob Arjouni, and Ian Holding on plots, settings, and the cement that keeps it all together. Moderated by Charles Foran.
Harbourfront Centre Premiere Dance Theatre. 4pm. $15.

Monday, October 22nd:

IFOA: Hear the authors shortlisted for this year's Governor General's Literary Award read from their nominated works.
Harbourfront Centre Premiere Dance Theatre. 8pm. $15.

Meet Canadian wrestling icon Bret 'The Hitman' Hart as he discusses his life and signs copies of his revealing new memoir, Hitman.
Chapters Festival Hall. 7pm. Free.