IN BOOKS WE TRUST

The printed word has always had pride of place at Roots - in its advertising, and in-store customer communication and its support of literacy. This year, Roots also helped launch two books, both of which were also sold in stores.

In January, the flagship store on Toronto’s Bloor Street hosted an evening in honour of Xiaolan Zhao and the publishing of her book Reflections of the Moon on Water: Healing Women’s Bodies and Minds. Among the several hundred people in attendance were writers Margaret Atwood, and Michael Ondaatje and book publishers Ann Collins of Random House and Louise Dennys of Knopf Canada.

In September, the new Roots Rosedale store in Toronto was the venue for the launch of Noah Richler’s book This Is My Country, What’s Yours? The store was packed with guests, including a strong representation of Canada’s literary scene. The event was part of the Smarten Up campaign that Roots launched in conjunction with Indigo Books to promote literacy.