Stories have been shared on this land for thousands of years, and the land Toronto International Festival of Authors operates on is home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. During the 43rd edition of the Festival, we are proud to have many Indigenous authors joining us on stage.
Check out the list of 15 books by Indigenous authors to read below, and be on the look out for links to Festival events still to come. In honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada on September 30, we’ve chosen to spotlight Strong Nations, an Indigenous-owned bookstore in British Columbia where you can purchase the titles.
Tainna: The Unseen Ones, Short Stories by Norma Dunning
Drawing on both lived experience and cultural memory, Norma Dunning brings together six powerful new short stories centred on modern-day Inuk characters in Tainna: The Unseen Ones, Short Stories. Norma Dunning’s masterful storytelling uses humour and incisive detail to create compelling characters who discover themselves in a hostile land where prejudice, misogyny and inequity are most often found hidden in plain sight. Tainna won the 2021 Governor General’s Award for literature. Also be sure to pre-order Dunning’s next book, Kinauvit?: What’s Your Name? The Eskimo Disc System and a Daughter’s Search for her Grandmother.
See Norma Dunning in the following event:
Critical Conversation: Continuing to Act: Reconciling, Not Reconciliation
October 2 at 7pm, Studio Theatre
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliot
In an urgent and visceral work that asks essential questions about the treatment of Native people in North America while drawing on intimate details of her own life and experience with intergenerational trauma, Alicia Elliott offers indispensable insight into the ongoing legacy of colonialism in A Mind Spread Out on the Ground. She engages with such wide-ranging topics as race, parenthood, love, mental illness, poverty, writing and representation, and in the process makes connections between the past and present, the personal and political. With deep consideration and searing prose, Elliott provides a candid look at our past, an illuminating portrait of our present and a powerful tool for a better future.
See Alicia Elliot in the following event:
The Re-Read: Tomson Highway on Indigenous Mythology
September 28 at 8pm, Harbourfront Centre Theatre
Laughing with the Trickster by Tomson Highway
Laughing with the Trickster provides brilliant, jubilant insights into the glory and anguish of life from one of the world’s most treasured Indigenous creators. Trickster is zany, ridiculous. The ultimate, over-the-top, madcap fool. Here to remind us that the reason for existence is to have a blast and to laugh ourselves silly.
See Tomson Highway in the following event:
The Re-Read: Tomson Highway on Indigenous Mythology
September 28 at 8pm, Harbourfront Centre Theatre
Mighty Muskrats by Michael Hutchinson
Sam, Otter, Atim and Chickadee are four inseparable cousins growing up on the Windy Lake First Nation. Nicknamed the Mighty Muskrats for their habit of laughing, fighting, and exploring together, the cousins find that each new adventure adds to their reputation. In the midst of community conflict, family concerns, and environmental protests, the four get busy following every lead. From their base of operations in a fort made out of an old school bus, the Mighty Muskrats won’t let anything stop them from solving their case!
See Michael Hutchinson in the following event:
Mighty Muskrats: Michael Hutchinson
October 1 at 4:30pm, Word Lab (Tent A)
Our Voice of Fire by Brandi Morin
A wildfire of a debut memoir by internationally recognized French/Cree/Iroquois journalist Brandi Morin set to transform the narrative around Indigenous Peoples. Morin is also a survivor of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis and uses her experience to tell the stories of those who did not survive the rampant violence. Our Voice of Fire chronicles Morin’s journey to overcome enormous adversity and find her purpose, and her power, through journalism.
See Brandi Morin in the following event:
Critical Conversation: Continuing to Act: Reconciling, Not Reconciliation
October 2 at 7pm, Studio Theatre
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
A daring post-apocalyptic novel from a powerful rising literary voice, blending action and allegory, Moon of the Crusted Snow upends our expectations. Out of catastrophe comes resilience. And as one society collapses, another is reborn. Moon of the Crusted Snow was the winner of the 2019 OLA Forest of Reading Evergreen award.
See Waubgeshig Rice in the following events:
A Different Page: Open Creation
September 30 at 12pm, South Lawn Tent
A Different Page Presented by Pratibha Arts
September 30 at 8pm, Lakeside Terrace
Rehearsals for Living by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson & Robyn Harding
When the world entered pandemic lockdown in spring 2020, Robyn Maynard, influential author of Policing Black Lives, and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, renowned artist, musician, and author of Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies, began writing each other letters which grew into a powerful exchange about where we go from here. By articulating to each other Black and Indigenous perspectives on our unprecedented here and now, Maynard and Simpson create something new in Rehearsals for Living: an urgent demand for a different way forward, and a poetic call to dream up other ways of ordering earthly life.
See Leanne Betasamosake Simpson in the following event:
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson in Concert
October 1 at 7:30pm, Concert Stage
Half-Bads in White Regalia by Cody Caetano
Capturing the chaos and wonder of a precarious childhood, Cody Caetano delivers a fever dream coming-of-age garnished with a slang all his own. Half-Bads in White Regalia is an unforgettable debut that unspools a tangled family history with warmth, humour, and deep generosity.
Màgòdiz by Gabe Calderón
Magodiz (Anishinabemowin, Algonquin dialect): a person who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against the government or ruler of their country.
Everything that was green and good is gone, scorched away by a war that no one living remembers. The small surviving human population scavenges to get by; they cannot read or write and lack the tools or knowledge to rebuild. The only ones with any power are the mindless Enforcers, a formless spiritual entity that has infiltrated the world to subjugate the human population.
With themes of resistance, of ceremony as the conduit between realms, of transcending gender, Magodiz is a powerful and visionary reclamation that Two-Spirit people always have and always will be vital to the cultural and spiritual legacy of their communities.
The Walrus and the Caribou by Maika Harper
When the earth was new, words had the power to breathe life into the world. But when creating animals from breath, sometimes one does not get everything right on the first try! Based on a traditional Inuit story passed forward orally for generations in the South Baffin region of Nunavut, The Walrus and the Caribou shares with young readers the origin of the caribou and the walrus—and tells of how very different these animals looked when they were first conceived.
Celia’s Song by Lee Maracle
Mink is a witness, a shape shifter, compelled to follow the story that has ensnared Celia, a seer, and her village, on the West coast of Vancouver Island in Nuu’Chahlnuth territory. Celia’s Song relates one Nuu’Chahlnuth family’s harrowing experiences over several generations, after the brutality, interference, and neglect resulting from contact with Europeans.
Blood by Tyler Pennock
Conceived in the same world as their acclaimed debut, Bones, Tyler Pennock’s Blood follows a Two-Spirit Indigenous person as they navigate urbanity, queerness, and a kaleidoscope of dreams, memory, and kinship. Pennock weaves longing, intimacy and Anishinaabe relationalities to recentre and rethink their speaker’s relationship to the living-never forgetting non-human kin. It is a reminder that Indigenous people carry the impacts of colonial history and wrestle with them constantly, exploring the relationships between spring and winter, ice and water, static things and things beginning to move, and what emerges in the thaw.
The Misewa Saga by David A. Robertson
Morgan and Eli are Indigenous children who discover a portal at their foster home to another world, Askī; there they discover talking animal beings who connect them to traditional ways, as well as help them deal with the challenges in the real world. A fantasy for readers aged ten and up, the Misewa Saga (“misewa” is Cree for “all that is”) series reflects stories of the sky and the constellations held within its great canvas. Get your copy of Barren Grounds, Great Bear and Stone Child.
All Our Relations: Finding the Path Forward by Tanya Talaga
Based on her Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy series, All Our Relations is a powerful call for action, justice, and a better, more equitable world for all Indigenous Peoples. In this urgent and incisive work, bestselling and award-winning author Tanya Talaga explores the alarming rise of youth suicide in Indigenous communities in Canada and beyond. The Indigenous experience in colonized nations are marked by the violent separation of Peoples from the land, the separation of families and the separation of individuals from traditional ways of life. But, Talaga reminds us, First Peoples also share a history of resistance, resilience, and civil rights activism.
Whitemud Walking by Matthew James Weigel
Whitemud Walking is a genre-bending work of visual and lyric poetry, non-fiction prose, photography, and digital art and design. Using photos, documents, and recordings that are about or involve his ancestors, but are kept in archives, Weigel examines the consequences of this erasure and sequestration.
View the full festival reading list here!
As Toronto International Festival of Authors enters it’s first weekend full of events, we are thrilled to have a talented group of Black authors joining us from Canada and around the world. From coming-of-age stories to a critical look at Canada’s often-touted openness and multiculturalism, don’t miss the chance to see these authors read and discuss their latest work.
Learn more about the authors and their upcoming events below.
Marie-Celie Agnant
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Marie-Celie Agnant immigrated to Quebec when she was 17. She is the author of 17 books that have been published in Québec, France and Haiti, and translated into many languages. In her childhood, books were her refuge while the country was experiencing repression and writing has been a love of hers since a young age. Themes of racism, exile and the conditions of women have been popular topics in her works, drawing most of her inspiration from her time in Haiti. Agnant will be presenting A Knife in the Sky (translated by Katia Grubisic).
Marie-Celie Agnant will be appearing in the following event:
Histories of Resistance: Marie-Célie Agnant & Kim Leine
September 25 at 2pm
Dionne Brand
Dionne Brand was born in Trinidad and is a poet, novelist, non-fiction writer, filmmaker, educator and activist. She is the author of 23 books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Her writing has received many awards including the Governor General’s Award for English-Language Poetry, the Trillium Book Award, the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Toronto Book Award. In 2022, it was announced that Brand would be the editorial director for a new imprint with Knopf Canada, Alchemy. Brand will be presenting Nomenclature.
Dionne Brand will appear in the following event:
Nomenclature: Dionne Brand
October 1 at 1:30pm
Lorna Goodison
Lorna Goodison is the author of 14 books of poetry, three short-story collections, and an essay collection. She was Jamaica’s Poet Laureate from 2017 to 2020 and was the recipient of The Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2019. In 2013, Goodison received the Order of Distinction, a national order in the Jamaican honours system. Lorna Goodison will be presenting Mother Muse.
Lorna Goodison will appear in the following events:
Lorna Goodison Poetry Reading
October 2 at 6pm
Mother Muse: Lorna Goodison
October 2 at 12:30pm
Didier Leclair
Didier Leclair (Didier Kabagema) was born in Montreal to Rwandan parents. He grew up in Africa—Gabon, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast and Congo-Brazzaville—and returned to Canada in 1987. In 2000, his novel Toronto, I Love You won the Prix Trillium. He cites Chester Himes, James Baldwin and Carson McCullers as a few of his sources of inspiration. Leclair will be presenting Toronto, I Love You.
Didier Leclair will appear in the following event:
Toronto Through the Looking Glass: Didier Leclair & Mariam Pirbhai
October 1 at 1:30pm
Léonora Miano
Born in Douala, Cameroon, in 1973, Léonora Miano is one of the most important voices in francophone literature. She is a novelist, playwright and essayist, she is also the founder and director of Quilombo Publishing based in Lomé, Togo. The company’s mission is to provide a welcoming space for young writers, especially those from sub-Saharan Africa, make unexpected voices heard, reveal new imaginaries and promote oral literature. Miano will be presenting Twilight of Torment.
Léonora Miano will appear in the following event:
The Different Sides of the Story: Elise Levine & Léonora Miano
September 24 at 8pm
Shani Mootoo
Shani Mootoo is a writer and visual artist. She was born in Ireland to Trinidadian parents and grew up in Trinidad before moving to Canada in her early twenties. She earned a Fine Arts BFA Degree at the University of Western Ontario, an MA in English and Theatre from the University of Guelph and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Western University. Her artwork has been displayed around the world, including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Mootoo will be presenting Cane | Fire.
Shani Mootoo will appear in the following events:
Poetry Reading: Pamela Mordecai & Shani Mootoo
September 25 at 4pm
Poetic Journeys: Shani Mootoo & Pamela Mordecai
September 25 at 1pm
Pamela Mordecai
Pamela Mordecai writes poetry, fiction and plays. Her collections of poetry include Journey Poem, de Man, Certifiable, The True Blue of Islands, Subversive Sonnets, de book of Mary, Up Tropic and A Fierce Green Place: new and selected poems. The first poem she ever wrote was when she was nine, about a hurricane that hit the island of Jamaica in that year. In 2013, she was awarded the Institute of Jamaica’s Bronze Musgrave Medal. Mordecai will be presenting A Fierce Green Place and de Book of Joseph.
Pamela Mordecai will appear in the following events:
Poetry Reading: Pamela Mordecai & Shani Mootoo
September 25 at 4pm
Poetic Journeys: Shani Mootoo & Pamela Mordecai
September 25 at 1pm
Téa Mutonji
Born in Congo-Kinshasa, Téa Mutonji is a poet and writer based in Toronto. She holds a degree in Media Studies and minors in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Toronto Scarborough. Her debut collection of short stories, Shut Up You’re Pretty, won the Trillium Book Award and is the first title from Vivek Shraya’s imprint at Arsenal Pulp Press, VS. Books.
Téa Mutonji will appear in the following event:
Writing Short Stories, with Téa Mutonji
September 26 at 5:30pm
Louisa Onomé
Louisa Onomé is a Nigerian-Canadian writer of books for teens and adults. She holds a BA in professional writing and a MA in counselling psychology. When she is not writing, she works as a narrative designer for video games. Onomé will be presenting Twice as Perfect.
Louisa Onomé will be appearing in the following event:
Bodies of Evidence with Louisa Onomé & Courtney Summers
September 30 at 6pm
Rollie Pemberton
Rollie Pemberton is a writer, rapper, producer, poet and activist who performs under the name Cadence Weapon. He won the 2021 Polaris Music Prize for his album Parallel World and was a former Poet Laureate in his hometown of Edmonton. When he was 17, he wrote an album review and sent it to Pitchfork, earning him a spot in the magazines year end book publication and a role as Pitchfork’s authority on hip hop. Pemberton will be presenting Bedroom Rapper.
Rollie Pemberton will appear in the following event:
Stories & Soundtracks: Michael Barclay & Rollie Pemberton
September 24 at 4:30pm
Jasmine Sealy
Jasmine Sealy is a Barbadian-Canadian writer based in Vancouver, BC. She is a graduate of the MFA program in Creative Writing from UBC and is the former Prose Editor at PRISM international. An Island of Forgetting is her debut novel and won the UBC/HarperCollins Best New Fiction Prize in 2020.
Jasmine Sealy will appear in the following event:
Legacy, Lore & Love: David A. Robertson & Jasmine Sealy
September 25 at 5:30pm
See the full list of #FestofAuthors22 events here!
The 43rd Toronto International Festival of Authors runs September 22 to October 2, featuring over 200 events taking place live and in person at Harbourfront Centre. Whether you are a beloved reader of poetry, non-fiction or fiction, there is so much to see and do.
Even if you are an avid TIFA fan, there are new offers in store, so be sure to check out the tips below to make the most of our biggest Festival yet.
Get tickets
With conversations, performances, readings, masterclasses and much more happening throughout the 11 days, don’t miss this chance at hearing world-class authors share their love of storytelling. Get your tickets early so you don’t get caught up in the last-minute rush and lose out on attending any events. Buy tickets online or call the Harbourfront Centre box office at 416-973-4000 (choose option #1).
Box Office Hours:
In-person:
September 22–23: 12–9 pm
September 24 to October 2: 10:30am – 9pm
Satellite box offices will open at the Fleck Dance Theatre and Harbourfront Centre Theatre one hour before events begin at those locations.
Call Centre:
1–5pm daily
See it all with a TIFA pass
With each day packed with a dozen or more events, get yourself a day, weekend or all-access pass for the opportunity to see as many events as you can. Once you get your pass, all you have to do is stop by the box office to pick it up starting September 21, and the schedule becomes yours to explore. Get passes here.
Passes exclude access to masterclasses, TIFA Kids workshops, The Moth, the CCBC 2022 Awards Ceremony, walking tours and Freedom to Write and to Read: Standing with Salman Rushdie.
Take advantage of discounts
If you are planning within a tight budget, make sure you don’t miss out on important discounts. Students and youth (aged 25 and under) can attend TIFA events for only $12. Some exceptions do apply, so be sure to check the box office for details.
As well, if you are part of a book club or reading group, make a plan to visit the Festival together to make the most of the Book Club discount. Book clubs can save 25% on ticket prices when booking five or more tickets to the same event by calling the Harbourfront Centre Box Office 416-973-4000 (choose option 1).
Experience unique TIFA events
As Canada’s largest literary festival, we are thrilled to bring back favourite event series like Critical Conversations, The Re-Read, Masterclasses and Ask the Expert, as well as new formats like walking tours, exhibits and free readings. Additionally, the Festival features the second annual PEN Canada Graeme Gibson talk, The Moth, Theater of War: The Waste Land Project and Dreams in Vantablack: Film Screening. Don’t miss these events and more by browsing the full schedule here.
Find your way to Harbourfront Centre
Don’t get lost! Plan your way to Harbourfront Centre early so you know how to get here without any trouble. You can find directions for getting here by train, TTC, car and foot here.
Once you get to Harbourfront Centre, you can use the 2022 Festival map to find tents, venues and installations. Check out the map here.
Keep up-to-date on Festival news
Be the first to know what’s going on by following @FestofAuthors on:
Or get information right to your inbox by signing up for our enews here.
Don’t forget to share your Festival experience on social media with #FestofAuthors22.
Explore the free activities and performances
There will be free events and activities taking place all over the Harbourfront Centre campus during #FestofAuthors22. From a pop-up coffee shop in the Marilyn Brewer Community Space to Stage in the Park readings, don’t miss the variety of free offerings throughout the 11 days. Browse free events here.
Check your email for your tickets
Once you have purchased tickets to one (or many more) of the events, keep a watchful eye on your email. All tickets will be sent via email. You will need your e-ticket to access the event. If you don’t see it in your inbox, be sure to check your spam or junk folder.
If you have any questions about tickets, reach out to Harbourfront Centre’s box office at 416-973-4000 or tickets@harbourfrontcentre.com.
Browse the reading list
From memoirs to YA, and thrillers to literary fiction, our official booksellers Rakuten Kobo and Indigo have you covered for all your Festival book needs. See the full list of #FestofAuthors22 books here.
If you prefer ebook and audiobooks, you can browse Kobo’s online catalogue at any time here. If hardcover and paperbacks are more your style, be sure to drop by the Marilyn Brewer Community Space inside Harbourfront Centre to pick up books at the Indigo Bookstore.
Have a question? See if it is answered on our FAQ page.
Browse the full #FestofAuthors22 schedule here.
With the 43rd edition of the Toronto International Festival of Authors around the corner, it’s time to spotlight all the fun (and mostly free!) TIFA Kids events taking place September 22 to October 2. Authors and illustrators from Canada and around the world will be joining us to explore identity, history and culture, environment, science and imagination through books.
From crafts to conversations, and storytimes to workshops, these 11-days are packed full of dynamic and engaging events for the whole family. Check out just some of the 30+ TIFA Kids events happening below.
Storydrop
Drop in at the TIFA Kids tent any day of the Festival for endless fun at Storydrop! Presented in partnership with the Children’s Book Bank, Storydrop offers fun, hands-on activities for ages 4 and up. Dress up as your favourite character and bring a book to life at the Book Jacket Photobooth; contribute to the creation of the Great Collage Creature, a large crowd-created art piece to be displayed at the Children’s Book Bank; cozy up for an afternoon of reading in the book nook, where you’ll find books by featured authors and illustrators at the Festival. Plus, each weekend of the Festival from 2–4pm, there will be the chance to join in with an illustrator from the programme to create a giant piece of artwork.
Located on the west lawn at Harbourfront Centre, this space is part of the free, outdoor events at #FestofAuthors22.
Authors & illustrators in person
Hear authors and illustrators talk about their latest books in person each day of the Festival. Don’t miss Rochelle Strauss and Natasha Donovan talking about the ocean or Joyce Grant exploring the importance of teaching kids to navigate the internet with a critical eye. As well, Michael Hutchinson, Nancy Vo, Kenneth Oppel and Sachiko Kashiwaba are just some of the authors joining us for conversations, Q&A and readings. Browse more events here.
The Happiness Collectors
The world’s supply of happiness is running low and The Happiness Collectors need your help! Pop on your headphones and join SAM (Special Agent M) on a journey of sounds and silliness to learn the best ways to collect happiness – and most important of all, how to pass it on! SAM will take your around the world to visit the jungle, the Antarctic, New York City, a beach, an Olympic stadium and the circus.
The Happiness Collectors is friendly for all neurodiverse people and families with children aged 5+. Each audience member will be given a set of wireless headphones to wear for the duration of the performance.
Registration is needed to attend. Book your tickets here. See Additional Performance Dates to select a time.
Located in the South Lawn Tent, this event is part of the free, outdoor events at #FestofAuthors22.
Storytimes
It wouldn’t be a book festival without some of the best storytellers reading books to you! Join your favourite authors reading their own books or even their favourite books. Author and illustrator Kevin Sylvester discusses the latest book in his Hockey Super Six series, In The Game, as well as Apartment 713. Linda Bondestam will take you under the sea in My Life at the Bottom to learn about one of the world’s rarest sea creatures with the chance to do some drawings of your own. On September 25 and October 2, Fay and Fluffy will be on the Stage in the Park spreading their message of inclusivity, kindness and being proud of yourself – and show that reading is FUN-damental! There is much more to see at the festival so be sure to check out all the TIFA Kids event listings.
The Big Create & Make
The Big Create & Make is a drop-in session where you can linger for 10 minutes or 2 hours, and be part of making something big, beautiful and creative! Get in on the Festival fun and meet a published picture-book illustrator, while flexing your own creative muscles. Taking place September 24–25 and October 1–2, each day will feature a different illustrator:
September 24 @ 2pm ET: Linda Bondestam
September 25 @ 2pm ET: Ellie Arscott
October 1 @ 2pm ET: Barbara Reid
October 2 @ 2pm ET: Natasha Donovan
Located in the Storydrop space (Tent B), this event is part of the free, outdoor events at #FestofAuthors22.
Workshops
Calling all aspiring authors and artists! TIFA Kids is offering a variety of free writing and illustration workshops with some of the authors appearing at the festival. Ashley Spires will be talking about how she came up with her character, Binky the Space Cat, and you’ll even get to create your own comic! Ireland’s Laureate na nÓg, Áine Ní Ghlinn will take your storytelling to the next level by offering a range of writing prompts to populate your blank pages. Let your creativity flow!
Spectacular Translation Machine
Have you ever wondered how one language translates to another? Do you think we come up with the same words? Oui ou non? Join us in translating some of the picture book La Petite Créature by French illustrator and graphic artist, Marjolaine Leray. Pick the page and whatever language you like and our translators will help! What will the book look like by the end? It all depends on the words you choose …
Located in Tent C, all day September 24 & 25. this event is part of the free, outdoor events at #FestofAuthors22.
A Tribute to Children’s Books
Children’s books are often the first contact we have with literature and art, and they make a powerful impression. Regardless of age and culture, we have used stories both as entertainment and in search of knowledge, to strengthen our ties with others – both those who are like us and those who are unlike us – and not least in order to understand our own existence. The Swedish Academy for Children’s Books seeks to enable children to have access to powerful and enriching reading experiences and has produced this exhibition as a tribute to children’s literature. Learn more here.
CCBC Book Awards
TIFA is proud to partner with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) to present the 2022 CCBC Book Awards, celebrating the best Canadian books for young people. The winners for the English-language awards will be announced in this broadcast of the much-anticipated event in the world of Canadian books for young people. You can view the event in person or virtually!
See the full list of #TIFAKids events here!
The International Visitors (IV) Programme, in association with the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA), today announced that Iris Tupholme, SVP, Executive Publisher at HarperCollins Publishers Ltd., will be the 11th recipient of the Ivy Award, given annually to an individual who has made a substantial contribution to Canadian publishing. Tupholme will be honoured during the 2022 Ivy Award & Conversation taking place at Harbourfront Centre during TIFA on September 26 at 11:30am (ET). The free-with-registration event will also feature an introduction by award-winning author Lawrence Hill, and a conversation with Chantal Restivo-Alessi, Chief Digital Officer and CEO International Foreign Language for HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. TIFA, Canada’s largest and longest-running literary festival, celebrates its 43rd edition from September 22 to October 2, 2022.
“I’m delighted to be chosen as the 2022 Ivy Award recipient and particularly honoured to know that author Lawrence Hill will introduce me at TIFA for this event,” said Iris Tupholme. “The Ivy Award is such a special acknowledgement because it comes from our industry colleagues whose support and encouragement I have always appreciated.”
“On behalf of the IV Committee I want to state how delighted we all are that Iris Tupholme has been selected to receive this year’s Ivy Award,” said Carolyn Forde, IV Chair, Partner and Senior Literary Agent at
Transatlantic Agency, President, PACLA (Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents). “As the
Publisher of HarperCollins Canada, Iris has a hand in bringing some of this country’s most important books to readers, and in nurturing, supporting and championing a wonderful roster of authors. As if that wasn’t enough, the IV Programme exists because of Iris’s outstanding vision and tireless hard work. Over 15 years ago she conceived of this fellowship program and through it she has done so much to showcase the entire Canadian publishing industry to a wide range of international publishers, editors, agents and scouts and has also created a unique and powerful opportunity for Canadian publishing professionals to work together. We are so grateful to Iris and so happy to see her receive this well deserved recognition.”
This year’s Ivy Award jury is composed of Alison Jones, Carolyn Forde, Kyle Wyatt and Roland Gulliver. Past Ivy Award recipients include: Errol Sharpe (2021), Nurjehan Aziz (2020), Anne Collins (2019), Brian Lam (2018), Phyllis Bruce (2017), Linda McKnight (2016), David Kent (2015), Dean Cooke (2014), Louise Dennys (2013) and Scott McIntyre (2012).
The IV Programme is funded by:
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)
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 Guardian, The White Review, Observer, New 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)
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)
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)
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)
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 膜 (or Mó). 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)
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!