TIFA ANNOUNCES NEW SEASON OF LOCAL AUTHOR SPOTLIGHTS WITH TORONTO LIT UP
TIFA ANNOUNCES NEW SEASON OF LOCAL AUTHOR SPOTLIGHTS WITH TORONTO LIT UP
3:21am
Saturday, April 27, 2024
On April 13, 2023, the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) announced the 26 new titles that have been selected to be part of the latest season of Toronto Lit Up, a joint initiative with Toronto Arts Council that spotlights Toronto writers and provides career-building opportunities through book launch celebrations. The upcoming season will take place between April 2023 and March 2024, and feature new works of fiction and non-fiction for adults and young people, poetry, memoir and drama, by debut and established Toronto authors. Between April 2016 and March 2023, Toronto Lit Up has presented 165 events featuring over 200 Toronto authors and illustrators.
The following new books by Torontonians will be featured during this season of Toronto Lit Up:
- Curtis Campbell, Dragging Mason County (Annick Press)
- Patricia Scarlett, Blinded by the Brass Ring (Baraka Books)
- Bardia Sinaee & Anita Lahey, Best Canadian Poetry 2024 (Biblioasis)
- Simon A.G. Spencer, Blood of Gods (Birthright, book 2) (Brain Lag)
- Derwin Mak, Mecha-Jesus and Other Stories (Brain Lag)
- Jennilee Austria, Reuniting with Strangers: A Novel in Stories (Douglas & McIntyre)
- Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki, Roaming (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Camille Hernandez-Ramdwar, Suite as Sugar (Dundurn Press)
- Daniel Innes & Christina Wong, Denison Avenue (ECW Press)
- Evelyn Chick, For the Love of Cocktails (Figure 1 Publishing)
- Sean Morley Dixon, The Abduction of Seven Forgers (Freehand Books)
- Thao Lam, Happy Birthday to Me (Groundwood Books)
- Carey Sookochef, The Remembering Stone (Groundwood Books)
- Danila Botha, Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness (Guernica Editions)
- Chiedza Pasopanodya, The Sweet Spot (Hush Harbour Press)
- Jaypeetee Arnakak, The Woman and Her Bear Cub (Inhabit Media Inc.)
- Kate Siklosi, Selvage (Invisible Publishing)
- M. NourbeSe Philip, Zong! 15th Anniversary Edition (Invisible Publishing)
- Sadé Smith, Julie and the Mango Tree (Macmillan Publishers)
- Lien Chao, Spiritual Pursuits and Other Stories (Mawenzi House Publishers)
- Craig Shreve, The African Samurai (Scribner)
- Mary Fairhurst Breen,Pride and Persistence: Stories of Queer Activism(Second Story Press)
- Mai Nguyen, Sunshine Nails (Simon & Schuster)
- Naila Keleta-Mae, Performing Female Blackness (Wilfrid Laurier University Press)
- Jake Byrne, Celebrate Pride with Lockheed Martin (Wolsak and Wynn)
- Zhang Ling, Where Waters Meet (Amazon Publishing)
Book launch events to celebrate these titles will take place in person across Toronto from April 2023-March 2024. All events will be free to attend and open to the public. The first events of the season will be:
- April 15, 2023 at 2pm ET — Thao Lam, Happy Birthday to Me, & Carey Sookocheff, The Remembering Stone (Groundwood Books) at Queen Books (914 Queen St. East, Toronto, ON)
- May 1, 2023 at 6:30pm ET — Natasha Adiyana Morris, The Negroes are Congregating (Playwrights Canada Press) at the Blackhurst Cultural Centre (777 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON)
- May 4, 2023 at 7pm ET — Brooke Lockyer, Burr (Nightwood Editions) at Larry’s Folly (1462 Queen St. West, Toronto, ON)
From the Toronto Arts Council
“Partnering with TIFA to amplify the work of Toronto authors and illustrators is something we are very proud to do. Toronto Lit Up not only generates excitement for published work, but it promotes and further strengthens our city’s rich literary community. Congratulations to the 25 authors and illustrators who are taking part in this season of Toronto Lit Up!” – Kelly Langgard, Director & CEO, Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation.
The Committee
Each submission is reviewed by the Toronto Lit Up Committee, composed of Ayesha Chatterjee (past president, League of Canadian Poets), Alison Jones (Quill and Quire), Ian Keteku (OCAD U) and Hazel Millar (Book*hug).
This is Ian Keteku’s first year on the committee. He is a writer, performer and multimedia artist. He has written and directed projects for TVO, CBC, PBS and Sesame Street. An award-winning poet, Keteku is the 2010 World Poetry Slam Champion. Keteku’s work follows in the lineage of ancient African storytellers by paying homage to the past and revisiting themes and lessons from previous generations. Keteku teaches creative writing at OCAD University.
Toronto Lit Up is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.
ABOUT TORONTO LIT UP
Toronto Lit Up is a multi-year initiative, started in 2016 by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and Toronto Arts Council, to spotlight Toronto writers and empower local artists with career-building opportunities. Between April 2016 and June 2022, Toronto Lit Up has presented 137 events to launch 161 books by 236 Toronto authors. Launches are always open to the public and free to attend.
On April 13, 2023, the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) announced the 26 new titles that have been selected to be part of the latest season of Toronto Lit Up, a joint initiative with Toronto Arts Council that spotlights Toronto writers and provides career-building opportunities through book launch celebrations. The upcoming season will take place between April 2023 and March 2024, and feature new works of fiction and non-fiction for adults and young people, poetry, memoir and drama, by debut and established Toronto authors. Between April 2016 and March 2023, Toronto Lit Up has presented 165 events featuring over 200 Toronto authors and illustrators.
The following new books by Torontonians will be featured during this season of Toronto Lit Up:
- Curtis Campbell, Dragging Mason County (Annick Press)
- Patricia Scarlett, Blinded by the Brass Ring (Baraka Books)
- Bardia Sinaee & Anita Lahey, Best Canadian Poetry 2024 (Biblioasis)
- Simon A.G. Spencer, Blood of Gods (Birthright, book 2) (Brain Lag)
- Derwin Mak, Mecha-Jesus and Other Stories (Brain Lag)
- Jennilee Austria, Reuniting with Strangers: A Novel in Stories (Douglas & McIntyre)
- Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki, Roaming (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Camille Hernandez-Ramdwar, Suite as Sugar (Dundurn Press)
- Daniel Innes & Christina Wong, Denison Avenue (ECW Press)
- Evelyn Chick, For the Love of Cocktails (Figure 1 Publishing)
- Sean Morley Dixon, The Abduction of Seven Forgers (Freehand Books)
- Thao Lam, Happy Birthday to Me (Groundwood Books)
- Carey Sookochef, The Remembering Stone (Groundwood Books)
- Danila Botha, Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness (Guernica Editions)
- Chiedza Pasopanodya, The Sweet Spot (Hush Harbour Press)
- Jaypeetee Arnakak, The Woman and Her Bear Cub (Inhabit Media Inc.)
- Kate Siklosi, Selvage (Invisible Publishing)
- M. NourbeSe Philip, Zong! 15th Anniversary Edition (Invisible Publishing)
- Sadé Smith, Julie and the Mango Tree (Macmillan Publishers)
- Lien Chao, Spiritual Pursuits and Other Stories (Mawenzi House Publishers)
- Craig Shreve, The African Samurai (Scribner)
- Mary Fairhurst Breen,Pride and Persistence: Stories of Queer Activism(Second Story Press)
- Mai Nguyen, Sunshine Nails (Simon & Schuster)
- Naila Keleta-Mae, Performing Female Blackness (Wilfrid Laurier University Press)
- Jake Byrne, Celebrate Pride with Lockheed Martin (Wolsak and Wynn)
- Zhang Ling, Where Waters Meet (Amazon Publishing)
Book launch events to celebrate these titles will take place in person across Toronto from April 2023-March 2024. All events will be free to attend and open to the public. The first events of the season will be:
- April 15, 2023 at 2pm ET — Thao Lam, Happy Birthday to Me, & Carey Sookocheff, The Remembering Stone (Groundwood Books) at Queen Books (914 Queen St. East, Toronto, ON)
- May 1, 2023 at 6:30pm ET — Natasha Adiyana Morris, The Negroes are Congregating (Playwrights Canada Press) at the Blackhurst Cultural Centre (777 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON)
- May 4, 2023 at 7pm ET — Brooke Lockyer, Burr (Nightwood Editions) at Larry’s Folly (1462 Queen St. West, Toronto, ON)
From the Toronto Arts Council
“Partnering with TIFA to amplify the work of Toronto authors and illustrators is something we are very proud to do. Toronto Lit Up not only generates excitement for published work, but it promotes and further strengthens our city’s rich literary community. Congratulations to the 25 authors and illustrators who are taking part in this season of Toronto Lit Up!” – Kelly Langgard, Director & CEO, Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation.
The Committee
Each submission is reviewed by the Toronto Lit Up Committee, composed of Ayesha Chatterjee (past president, League of Canadian Poets), Alison Jones (Quill and Quire), Ian Keteku (OCAD U) and Hazel Millar (Book*hug).
This is Ian Keteku’s first year on the committee. He is a writer, performer and multimedia artist. He has written and directed projects for TVO, CBC, PBS and Sesame Street. An award-winning poet, Keteku is the 2010 World Poetry Slam Champion. Keteku’s work follows in the lineage of ancient African storytellers by paying homage to the past and revisiting themes and lessons from previous generations. Keteku teaches creative writing at OCAD University.
Toronto Lit Up is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.
ABOUT TORONTO LIT UP
Toronto Lit Up is a multi-year initiative, started in 2016 by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and Toronto Arts Council, to spotlight Toronto writers and empower local artists with career-building opportunities. Between April 2016 and June 2022, Toronto Lit Up has presented 137 events to launch 161 books by 236 Toronto authors. Launches are always open to the public and free to attend.