A world of literacy at the Legislative Assembly

April 23, 2021 

To celebrate World Book and Copyright Day (external link)  on April 23, here are some ways books, words, and literacy are promoted at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

  • The Legislature will appoint Ontario’s first Poet Laureate this spring. The Poet Laureate of Ontario Act (In Memory of Gord Downie) first passed in December 2019, and applications for the position opened from June to September 2020.
  • Non-fiction writers have until May 14 to apply for the 2021 Speaker’s Book Award. This award celebrates books written by Ontarians and published in Ontario. The work must be reflective of the province, covering its historical, regional, cultural, or parliamentary aspects.
  • The Legislative Assembly also supports younger writers with the Youth Writers Award. The deadline for the 2021 award has passed, but you can still prepare for next year. Students in grades 7–12 qualify by submitting their short stories and personal essays.

Did you know the Legislature has its own library for MPPs and staff? While the Legislative Library isn’t open to the public, some of the library's resources are available online.

Learn more 

Read about the role of the Poet Laureate.

Check out past Speaker’s Book Award winners.

View the Legislative Library’s catalogue.

 

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