The Toronto Public Library is hosting events about Fahrenheit 451 all through April as part of its eighth annual Keep Toronto Reading Festival. The festival is all about celebrating the joy of reading. Whether you’d be encountering Fahrenheit 451 for the first time or rediscovering it, Ray Bradbury’s classic is still current and very much worth reading with the TPL. First published in 1953, the novel explores a future where books are banned and burned in a society consumed by technology.

–           From April 2 – April 21 you can respond to nine different questions about Fahrenheit 451 on Twitter using the hashtag #OneBookTTC. Twitter responses will be displayed on subway platform screens across Toronto.

–          If you would like to take part of an alternate reality game on April 2 call 647-931-1585 to get instruction from Professor Faber.

–           On April 4, Andrew Lesk and Alan Galey will be at the University of Toronto discussing the main themes of Fahrenheit 451 (the book and the Francois Truffaut film).

–           Also on April 4, at the Parliament Street Library, and on April 22 at the Brentwood Library, Dan Yashinsky and five other Toronto storytellers will share personal stories that they will not allow to be forgotten.

–          Amusing ourselves to death is the topic on April 8 at the Toronto Reference Library. The CBC’s Nora Young will moderate a panel about the effects of the 24/7 media saturation.

–         On April 11 at the Toronto Reference Library, Paul Holdengraber of the New York Public Library and Hugh McGuire, founder of LibriVox.org will be discussing how we will read in the future.

–          On April 13, at Cedarbrae Library, Jai Sahak, NewYouth.ca coordinator, will host a workshop for teens on how social media can be used to effect a positive change.

–          On April 16, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association will lead a workshop on freedom of speech and the limits at the Maria A. Shchuka Library.

–          At the Eatonville Library on the evening of April 25, comedians and storytellers will read scenes from banned books, with stories about why they were banned and their importance to history.

–          At the St. Lawrence Library on April 30, author Karl Schroeder will discuss how technology will affect our future society and culture.

There will also be several book club discussions at many library branches during April. For a complete list of the events happening during the Keep Toronto Reading Festival, visit the Toronto Public Library’s website.