Nuit Blanche By the Book

This year, October 1 marks the night Nuit Blanche descends upon Toronto. A late-night exploration of installation and performance art dispersed across the city, this festival has hosted some absolutely mesmerizing pieces in the past few years that have been worth braving the large crowds and long queues to experience.

To the delight of my bibliophilic heart, there are a number of works on the 2016 lineup centred on books and storytelling. While I probably won’t be able to see them all myself, I’ve compiled some of them here in case other readers are keen to fill their white night with book art.

#85: 100 Libraries. 99 Books (St. Matthew’s United Church, 729 St. Clair Avenue West)

Excerpt from website: Visit 100 libraries and explore 99 books secured by chains. Bring your own book to catalog and then borrow it back. Make a mini-book. Post your nomination of a library and book special to you.

Library love with a side of DIY bookmaking? Yes, please. Each chained book in this work is representative of a different Canadian library or bookstore, and I’m curious to see which get paired together. I’ll make sure I have a book in my purse so I have one to check in to the catalogue and “borrow” again, but which one?