What You Need to Know About #FestofAuthors23
What You Need to Know About #FestofAuthors23
9:20pm
Saturday, April 27, 2024
With the countdown over for the 2023 Toronto International Festival of Authors, it won’t be long until authors, storytellers and illustrators from Canada and around the world gather at Harbourfront Centre for in-depth conversations, world-class workshops, breathtaking performances and much more.
Running from September 21 to October 1, the Festival is packed with over 200 events and authors to see. To help you plan your visit, we’ve put together this guide of tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your experience.
Experience it all with Festival Passes
A Festival Pass is your ticket to explore as much of the 2023 Festival as you wish.*
Instead of being limited to one event, TIFA’s new Festival Passes grant access everything happening on a given day – all for one low price. You can sit in on conversations with your favourite authors, then attend a session with someone celebrating their debut novel and round out the night with an event from The Performance Series. Here is what you get with a Pass:
- Weeknight Passes include entry 5+ Festival events
- Weekend Passes include entry to 10+ Festival events
- An Full Festival 11-day Pass includes entry into all 200+ events
All you need to decide is whether to come for an evening, a weekend or all 11 days of celebration!
Passes are required to attend most staged, indoor events, but are not required to attend outdoor activities, TIFA Kids events, exhibits and installations, or visits to the Indigo Bookstore. Enjoy these offerings and more for free!
Questions? Call the Harbourfront Box Office at 416-973-4000 (select option #1) or contact tickets@harbourfrontcentre.com.
*Masterclasses and Theater of War are excluded from Pass entry, and require a separate registration.
Students and book clubs can save!
With TIFA’s student and youth (aged 25 and under) discount, book lovers on a budget can save up to 50% on all Festival Pass types. Be sure to select the Student Pass option on our online box office, here.
Book clubs that attend events together, save together! Book Clubs can save 25% on ticket prices when booking five or more passes to the same event, by calling the Harbourfront Centre Box Office at 416-973-4000 (choose option 1).
Take a class or two…or more
Don’t miss your chance to learn creative writing from some of the best Canadian and international authors with TIFA masterclasses. The small classroom setting is perfect for new writers and pros alike to ask questions and get a world-class lesson in writing a memoir, world-building and writing for an audience. There are 11 masterclasses taking place throughout the Festival featuring authors Shyam Selvadurai, Kathy Friedman, Saeed Teebi, Kate Cayley, Alissa York and more. Classes are $49 each. Browse them all, here.
Masterclasses are presented in partnership with the Humber School for Writers.
Free events, activities and exhibits for everyone
If you like to explore free activities, Harbourfront Centre is where you will want to be. From a 5.5 metre swingset to a small press book fair, and readings to a drop-in space for kids and families, there really is something for everyone to experience.
With Writers Collective of Canada writing sessions, an Islamic calligraphy lesson with Aga Khan Museum, Wattpad’s Ask the Expert panels, Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada’s giant floor map, Toronto Public Library’s Book Sanctuary Collection and the return of OCAD University with Writers Behind Typewriters, the schedule is packed full of activities that do not require a pass or ticket. Browse all free events and activities, here.
Plus, the Marilyn Brewer Community Space will be the place to find your favourite authors after their event to get your book signed.
Find your next book
With over 200 authors joining us this year from 20+ countries, we have quite the selection of books from our official booksellers Indigo and Rakuten Kobo that could be your next amazing read. If you prefer e-books and audiobooks, Kobo’s got you covered, and Indigo has all you need in paperback and hardcover. Browse the full 2023 Festival reading list, here.
Indigo’s pop-up bookstore will be located in the north-east corner of Harbourfront Centre’s main building. The bookstore will be open:
September 21: 5–10pm
September 22: 2–10pm
September 23 & 24: 11am – 9pm
September 25–29: 2–10pm
September 30 & October 1: 11am – 9pm
Find your way ahead of time
All Festival events (except sold out shows The Moth and Michael Crummey’s Kitchen Party) will take place at Harbourfront Centre. Located at 235 Queens Quay West, the Festival is only a few minutes from Union Station.
Plan your way to Harbourfront Centre before you leave, to avoid unnecessary troubles. You can find directions for getting here by train, TTC, car and foot, here.
2023 Festival map (click the image for larger size):
Fill out the Festival survey
Don’t miss the chance to share your feedback! Whether it’s your first event or your 12th, we want to hear about your Festival experience. By completing the Festival survey, you will be eligible to enter a draw to win a Grand Prize. It will only take ten minutes to complete.
We kindly ask that you provide all feedback by 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, October 8, 2023.
All responses provided in the survey will remain confidential. The Toronto International Festival of Authors will never share the personal information of any individual with third parties.
Keep in touch
Share your Festival experience with us! We want to see your book hauls and favourite moments, so be sure to follow and tag us on social media:
Don’t forget to use #FestofAuthors23 in your posts
Have a question? See if it is answered on our FAQ page.
Browse the full schedule of events, readings and conversations, here.
With the countdown over for the 2023 Toronto International Festival of Authors, it won’t be long until authors, storytellers and illustrators from Canada and around the world gather at Harbourfront Centre for in-depth conversations, world-class workshops, breathtaking performances and much more.
Running from September 21 to October 1, the Festival is packed with over 200 events and authors to see. To help you plan your visit, we’ve put together this guide of tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your experience.
Experience it all with Festival Passes
A Festival Pass is your ticket to explore as much of the 2023 Festival as you wish.*
Instead of being limited to one event, TIFA’s new Festival Passes grant access everything happening on a given day – all for one low price. You can sit in on conversations with your favourite authors, then attend a session with someone celebrating their debut novel and round out the night with an event from The Performance Series. Here is what you get with a Pass:
- Weeknight Passes include entry 5+ Festival events
- Weekend Passes include entry to 10+ Festival events
- An Full Festival 11-day Pass includes entry into all 200+ events
All you need to decide is whether to come for an evening, a weekend or all 11 days of celebration!
Passes are required to attend most staged, indoor events, but are not required to attend outdoor activities, TIFA Kids events, exhibits and installations, or visits to the Indigo Bookstore. Enjoy these offerings and more for free!
Questions? Call the Harbourfront Box Office at 416-973-4000 (select option #1) or contact tickets@harbourfrontcentre.com.
*Masterclasses and Theater of War are excluded from Pass entry, and require a separate registration.
Students and book clubs can save!
With TIFA’s student and youth (aged 25 and under) discount, book lovers on a budget can save up to 50% on all Festival Pass types. Be sure to select the Student Pass option on our online box office, here.
Book clubs that attend events together, save together! Book Clubs can save 25% on ticket prices when booking five or more passes to the same event, by calling the Harbourfront Centre Box Office at 416-973-4000 (choose option 1).
Take a class or two…or more
Don’t miss your chance to learn creative writing from some of the best Canadian and international authors with TIFA masterclasses. The small classroom setting is perfect for new writers and pros alike to ask questions and get a world-class lesson in writing a memoir, world-building and writing for an audience. There are 11 masterclasses taking place throughout the Festival featuring authors Shyam Selvadurai, Kathy Friedman, Saeed Teebi, Kate Cayley, Alissa York and more. Classes are $49 each. Browse them all, here.
Masterclasses are presented in partnership with the Humber School for Writers.
Free events, activities and exhibits for everyone
If you like to explore free activities, Harbourfront Centre is where you will want to be. From a 5.5 metre swingset to a small press book fair, and readings to a drop-in space for kids and families, there really is something for everyone to experience.
With Writers Collective of Canada writing sessions, an Islamic calligraphy lesson with Aga Khan Museum, Wattpad’s Ask the Expert panels, Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada’s giant floor map, Toronto Public Library’s Book Sanctuary Collection and the return of OCAD University with Writers Behind Typewriters, the schedule is packed full of activities that do not require a pass or ticket. Browse all free events and activities, here.
Plus, the Marilyn Brewer Community Space will be the place to find your favourite authors after their event to get your book signed.
Find your next book
With over 200 authors joining us this year from 20+ countries, we have quite the selection of books from our official booksellers Indigo and Rakuten Kobo that could be your next amazing read. If you prefer e-books and audiobooks, Kobo’s got you covered, and Indigo has all you need in paperback and hardcover. Browse the full 2023 Festival reading list, here.
Indigo’s pop-up bookstore will be located in the north-east corner of Harbourfront Centre’s main building. The bookstore will be open:
September 21: 5–10pm
September 22: 2–10pm
September 23 & 24: 11am – 9pm
September 25–29: 2–10pm
September 30 & October 1: 11am – 9pm
Find your way ahead of time
All Festival events (except sold out shows The Moth and Michael Crummey’s Kitchen Party) will take place at Harbourfront Centre. Located at 235 Queens Quay West, the Festival is only a few minutes from Union Station.
Plan your way to Harbourfront Centre before you leave, to avoid unnecessary troubles. You can find directions for getting here by train, TTC, car and foot, here.
2023 Festival map (click the image for larger size):
Fill out the Festival survey
Don’t miss the chance to share your feedback! Whether it’s your first event or your 12th, we want to hear about your Festival experience. By completing the Festival survey, you will be eligible to enter a draw to win a Grand Prize. It will only take ten minutes to complete.
We kindly ask that you provide all feedback by 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, October 8, 2023.
All responses provided in the survey will remain confidential. The Toronto International Festival of Authors will never share the personal information of any individual with third parties.
Keep in touch
Share your Festival experience with us! We want to see your book hauls and favourite moments, so be sure to follow and tag us on social media:
Don’t forget to use #FestofAuthors23 in your posts
Have a question? See if it is answered on our FAQ page.
Browse the full schedule of events, readings and conversations, here.