This collection of stories is the culmination of a project undertaken in 2004 by The Word On The Street Toronto in partnership with Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy and the National Literacy Secretariat, and follows up on the 2002 project pilot, Land That I Dream Of. Many people and organizations contributed to this project's success. At the top of the list are all the literacy learners who attended the creative writing workshops and submitted stories to the contest. With gusto and courage, they each took up the formidable challenge of writing a story from their own rich life experience, and chose to share it with us. Thanks, too, to all the literacy tutors who provide learners with untold encouragement and support. Working together, you have created a very beautiful book.

Our sincere thanks to Larry Loyie and Constance Brissenden for their two wonderful "From Self to Story" workshops, which inspired this year's contest theme. Larry's book, As Long as the Rivers Flow, is a favourite with adult literacy learners and was nominated for the 2004 Golden Oak Book Award - congratulations Larry!

For all their help and support, we would also like to acknowledge the multi-talented Colleen D'Souza of Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy and Joan Robinson of the Toronto Public Library's Adult Literacy Services; accomplished poet and workshop facilitator Sheila Stewart; and dedicated jury member Nancy Friday of Centre AlphaPlus Centre.

Thank you, as always, to our friends and colleagues who helped this book get published, especially Abby Gainforth of Gainforth Graphic Design; festival interns Wendy Bray,Julia Graham, and Evelyn Siu; and the good folks at Coach House Printing. Also, special thanks to Colleen O'Neill of The Word On The Street's national office; and the National Literacy Secretariat, for both the financial support and their continued appreciation of the value and effectiveness of small, local efforts like From Self to Story.

Finally,this September 2004, as we turn our minds towards celebrating our fifteenth anniversary in Toronto, we would like to thank all those who have contributed their time, talent, skills, ideas, and sheer enthusiasm to the festival over the years. We look forward to another fifteen years of coming together with our fellow Torontonians and visitors, on the last Sunday of September, to celebrate and discover excellent Canadian reading and writing.

Trish McGrath
Executive Director
The Word On The Street