January 29, 2024, marks the opening of a new call for submissions period for Toronto Lit Up (TLU). This Call for Submissions is seeking book launches taking place April 2024 and September 2024. Toronto-based authors and their publishers who are launching new books within these dates are invited to apply for participation in the Toronto Lit Up programme. 

The call for submissions closes at 5pm ET on Friday, February 23, 2024. 

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Programme Benefits 

Toronto Lit Up participants will receive the following programme benefits:  

• Financial support for a public book launch celebration taking place in Toronto within the season dates.  
• Publicity support to promote the book launch celebration to the public. 
• An honorarium fee for the author and select additional artists (performers, interviewers, hosts, etc.) participating in the book launch event.  

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Eligibility Requirements 

Books: 

• All genres may apply, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, short story, graphic novels, literature for young people, cookbooks, gardening books, sports-related stories, satire and much more.  
• Books must be published within three (3) months of its anticipated launch event date. 

Authors: 

• Authors must have been a resident of the City of Toronto for at least one year prior to their book launch date, and also be a current resident (defined as living in Toronto for at least eight months of the year). 
• The City of Toronto is defined by its 1998 Amalgamation: Steeles Avenue to the north, Rouge River to the east, Lake Ontario to the south, and Etobicoke Creek/Highway 427 to the west. 
• As TLU is a Toronto Arts Council (TAC) partnership, the programme is designed to represent the residents of the City of Toronto and its equity priority groups, which include those who identify as persons of colour, deaf persons, persons with disabilities and persons living with mental illness, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIAP, as well as other historically underserved writers.  
• Self-published authors who identify with one or more of TAC’s equity priority groups and are members of The Writers Union of Canada are also welcome to apply. 

Launch Celebration Event: 

• Events must take place between April 1 and September 30, 2024. Exceptions may be granted in the case of extenuating circumstances. 
• Events may take place anywhere within the City of Toronto. 
• Must be open to the public and free to attend.     
• Event formats may include panel discussions, readings, one-on-one interviews, and/or interdisciplinary presentations held on-location or virtually. 

Publishers: 

• Publishers may submit more than one author per programme season. 
• Publishers can be based anywhere as long as the author lives in Toronto. 

Eligible submissions will be reviewed and adjudicated by the Toronto Lit Up selection committee, composed of Ayesha Chatterjee (past president, League of Canadian Poets), Ian Keteku (OCAD University) and Hazel Millar (Book*hug Press). 

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HOW TO APPLY 

1. Review the eligibility requirements 

2. Respond to the call for submissions by completing an online proposal on or before Friday, February 23, 2024 at 5pm, ET. 

3. Submit your proposal by completing the following Jotform link:  https://form.jotform.com/230825365621252 

What we ask you to include: 

• Author name 
• Author bio 
• Debut author status 
• Publisher 
• Book title 
• Book summary 
• Genre 
• Publication date 
• Anticipated event details (e.g., type and format of event, tentative venue, dates and time) 

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Questions? Send us an email: TorontoLitUp@festivalofauthors.ca 
Follow along on social media at @festofauthors and through #TorontoLitUp

About Toronto Lit Up 

Meet local authors and join them in celebrating the launch of new books! The Toronto International Festival of Authors has partnered with the Toronto Arts Council (TAC) on Toronto Lit Up: a multi-year initiative designed to spotlight local writers and empower them with career-building opportunities. Between April 2016 and March 2024, Toronto Lit Up has presented over 200 events featuring more than 250 Toronto authors and illustrators. 

Toronto Lit Up book launches are open to the public and free to attend. This season of Toronto Lit Up will take place between April and September 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.