International Authors to See at the 43rd Festival

From September 22 to October 2, Toronto readers won’t have to go far to see, hear and learn from authors from around the world. The 43rd edition of the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) will host writers from over 30 countries on a newly expanded indoor and outdoor waterfront campus at Harbourfront Centre. After two years of presenting events virtually, the TIFA team is excited to bring together a vast array of seasoned and debut authors and performers from diverse cultures and countries live and in person. Meet them up-close and ask them your questions over 11 days of conversations, book signings, special performances and more.  


Wendy Erskine (Ireland)

Photo credit: Khara Pringle

Wendy Erskine is the author of two short story collections; Sweet Home (2018) and Dance Move (2022). Sweet Home won the 2020 Butler Literary Award, was shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize 2019 and longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize 2019. The story 'Inakeen' was longlisted for the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Prize 2019. Sweet Home was Book of the Year in the GuardianThe White ReviewObserverNew Statesman, and TLS

Wendy Erskine’s Festival appearance is generously supported by Culture Ireland.

Wendy Erskine will appear in the following events:

Time and the Short Story, with Wendy Erskine
October 1 at 3:30pm, Main Loft

Youthful Confusion: Stéfanie Clermont & Wendy Erskine
October 1 at 6:30pm, Brigantine Room

Dominic Hoey (New Zealand)

Dominic Hoey is a poet, author and playwright based in Auckland, New Zealand. He has released four poetry books and several rap albums he would rather forget. He has two novels: his debut, Iceland was a New Zealand bestseller; and Poor People With Money. In a former life, Dominic was an MC battle and slam poetry champion. Currently he lives with a small, vicious dog and dreams of one day owning an animal rescue farm.

Dominic Hoey will appear in the following events:

Healing Wounds with Words: Dominic Hoey & Tyler Pennock
September 23 at 8:30pm, Brigantine Room

Kapow! With Irvine Welsh
September 22 at 7:30pm, Harbourfront Theatre

Sachiko Kashiwaba (Japan)

Photo Credit: Kodansha Ltd.

Sachiko Kashiwaba is a prolific writer of fantasy whose career spans over four decades and has garnered her many prestigious awards. She was inspired by Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers and the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. Her novel first novel, Kiri no Mukō no Fushigi-na Machi (which was translated to The Marvelous Village Veiled in Mist) influenced Hayao Miyazaki’s film Spirited Away. Temple Alley Summer received the 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award, was a July/August 2021 Kids’ Indie Next Pick, and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. She lives in Iwate Prefecture.

Temple Alley Summer was translated from the Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa.

Sachiko Kashiwaba's Festival appearance is generously supported by The Japan Foundation, Toronto.

Sachiko Kashiwaba will appear in the following event:

Dead, Brilliant Ghost Stories with Kenneth Oppel & Sachiko Kashiwaba
September 24 at 1pm, Brigantine Room

Ian McEwan (Britain)

Photo Credit: Bastian Schweitzer/Diogenes Verlag

Ian McEwan is the critically acclaimed author of 17 novels and two short story collections. His first published work, the collection of short stories First Love, Last Rites, won the Somerset Maugham Award. Atonement, Enduring Love, The Children Act and On Chesil Beach have all been adapted for the big screen. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to literature.

Ian McEwan will appear in the following event:

Lessons: Ian McEwan with Eleanor Wachtel
September 26 at 7:30pm, Fleck Dance Theatre

Donatella Di Pietrantonio (Italy)

Donatella Di Pietrantonio headshot

Born in Teramo Province, Abruzzo, Donatella Di Pietrantonio completed her studies in the provincial capital, Aquila. She now lives in Penne, where she practises as a paediatric dentist. Her novel Bella mia was nominated for the Strega Prize and won the Brancati Prize.

A Sister's Story was translated by Ann Goldstein.

Donatella Di Pietrantonio's festival appearance is generously supported by Istituto Italiano di Cultura.

Donatella Di Pietrantonio will appear in the following event:

Generational Ties: Lisa Moore & Donatella di Pietrantonio
September 24 at 6:30pm, Harbourfront Centre Theatre

Chi Ta-wei (Taiwan)

Photo credit: Tang-mo Tan

Chi Ta-wei is a renowned writer and scholar from Taiwan. He is an associate professor of Taiwanese literature at the National Chengchi University. The Membranes was first published in Taiwan in 1995 as (or ). It has become a classic queer speculative fiction in Chinese. 

The Membranes was translated by Ari Larissa Heinrich.

Chi Ta-wei’s Festival appearance is generously supported by Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York.

Chi Ta-wei will appear in the following events:

The Future is Fluid: Chi Ta-wei
October 01 at 5:30pm, Lakeside Terrace

We Come Back Together: Chi Ta-wei
September 30 at 1:30pm, Stage in the Park

Muriel Villanueva (Spain, Catalonia)

Muriel Villanueva is a writer, author of more than 30 literary works for all ages, including novels, storybooks, poems and scripts. She has received more than a dozen awards. She currently publishes in the digital magazine Catorze, collaborates on theatre projects, and writes scripts for the independent film production company Círculo Bipolar. She has been translated into Spanish, English, Portuguese, Polish, Korean and Chinese.

The Left Parenthesis was translated by Megan Berkobien and Maria Cristina Hall.

Muriel Villanueva’s Festival appearance is generously supported by Institut Ramon Lull.

Muriel Villanueva will appear in the following event:

Journey Inward: Muriel Villanueva & Yiwei Xue
October 1 at 12pm, Lakeside Terrace

Irvine Welsh (Britain)

Irvine Welsh is the best-selling author of Ecstasy, Glue, Porno, Filth, Marabou Stork Nightmares, The Acid House, Skagboys, and The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins. His novel Trainspotting has been adapted into a movie and Welsh is currently working on a musical adaptation in London's West End. His latest novel The Long Knife is a sequel to his 2008's Crime. He currently lives in Chicago, IL.

Irvine Welsh will appear in the following events:

Kapow! With Irvine Welsh
September 22 at 7:30pm, Harbourfront Theatre

The Long Knives: Irvine Welsh
September 23 at 7pm, Fleck Dance Theatre

Olivia Wenzel (Germany)

Photo Credit: Juliane Hahn

Olivia Wenzel was born in Weimar, Germany, and now lives in Berlin. Her novel 1000 Coils of Fear was first published in German with the title 1000 Serpentinen Angst.

1000 Coils of Fear was translated from the German by Priscilla Layne.

Olivia Wenzel’s Festival appearance in generously supported by Goethe-Institut.

Olivia Wenzel will appear in the following events:

The Colours of Grief: Tanya Turton & Olivia Wenzel
September 22, 2022 at 8:30pm, Brigantine Room

We Come Back Together: Olivia Wenzel
September 22, 2022 at 6pm, Outdoor Tent A


See the full list of #FestofAuthors22 events here!

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