Hear from the heart of Canada’s vibrant poetry scene, with this curated selection of live readings from the Best Canadian Poetry of 2020 anthology. An interview with its editor, Marilyn Dumont, will follow. English captioning is available for this video. Please click the ‘CC’ button in the video toolbar to turn it on.
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Cree author and lawyer Michelle Good presents a fictional account of life after residential school, in her 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize-longlisted book Five Little Indians. The gripping story is told with compassion and insight, as five residential school survivors struggle with the pain of their pasts and ultimately find a way forward. Join Good in […]
National Magazine award-winning writer and folklorist Emily Urquhart is the bestselling author of Beyond the Pale: Folklore, Family and the Mystery of our Hidden Genes. Her latest book, The Age of Creativity: Art, Memory, My Father and Me paints a moving portrait of a father, the artist Tony Urquhart, their relationship and a case for late-stage creativity. Learn […]
The TIFA/Humber Creative Writing Masterclass Series is a partnership between the Humber School for Writers and the Toronto International Festival of Authors. Launching in the Fall or 2020 as part of the Festival’s digital slate, the series will provide an exclusive array of virtual writing masterclasses for the Festival’s audience. Classes will be led by […]
Join Canadian author Catherine Bush (Blaze Island) and Norwegian novelist and short story writer Roy Jacobsen (The Unseen), as they discuss family, fate, resilience and survival in inhospitable landscapes. Together, they will discuss how their new works of fiction capture the very real connections that humans have with the land on which they live, by delving into the […]
Kimiko Does Cancer is the graphic memoir of Kimiko Tobimatsu’s breast cancer experience as a young, queer and mixed-race woman, illustrated by Keet Geniza. Find out how Tobimatsu and Geniza worked together as writer and illustrator to transition through life’s difficult moments of illness, grief, connection and isolation. Critiquing the mainstream cancer narrative, this story is […]
After publishing 30 books in 30 years, multi-award-winning British crime author Ann Cleeves brings you The Darkest Evening, the ninth—and latest—instalment in the Detective Vera series. Join Cleeves in candid conversation about this classic country house mystery with a contemporary twist. Cleeves is a Diamond Dagger of the Crime Writers’ Association recipient, the highest honour […]
Sit down with one of the biggest names in crime writing, Val McDermid. The Scottish author who brought to life such notable characters as journalist Lindsay Gordon, Kate Brannigan, and the bestselling Tony Hill and Carol Jordan crime series, which was adapted for six seasons of popular British TV drama Wire in the Blood. She […]
Keeping in touch, both figuratively and physically, is a challenge during times of isolation; while physical touch – and what we touch – is now a source of fear and anxiety for many. The Dutch phrase “skin hunger” has come to prominence in recent months, encapsulating these feelings. TIFA is proud to present Skin Hunger: […]
Start your day with a journey through magical realism and adventure with German novelist, playwright and international bestselling author Daniel Kehlmann. Kehlmann will introduce us to his latest novel, Tyll, a masterful retelling of the German myth of Tyll Ulenspiegel: a story about the devastation of war and a beguiling artist’s decision never to die. Kehlmann’s account of writing this famed seventeenth-century vagabond trickster will have you similarly wishing for this entertaining conversation to […]
André Alexis returns to TIFA to present The Night Piece, a career-spanning collection of new stories. The author of Fifteen Dogs, winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and Canada Reads, sits down to discuss his profound and slyly amusing new work. Beaming with surrealness and brilliance, you’ll come to understand […]
A discussion of love, family and storytelling moderated by Granta Magazine editor, literary critic, poet and the author of Freeman’s: Love, John Freeman. Freeman joins a panel with two outstanding authors: American-Ethiopian novelist and essayist, Maaza Mengiste, and Pulitzer Prize winner, Richard Russo. An audience Q&A will follow. English captioning is available for this video. Please click the ‘CC’ button in the video toolbar […]
Edgar Award-winning Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin joins fellow Scotsman and Director of the Toronto International Festival of Authors, Roland Gulliver for an evening of casual conversation. Find out how Rankin came to write the bestselling John Rebus series, and crack the cover of his latest Rebus thriller, A Song For the Dark Times, about […]
Prepare for a weekend of literary adventure. From October 31 to November 1, TIFA will proudly present an offering of free, digital activities to surprise and delight the entire family. This event is a 15-minute presentation by the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award winner Julie Flett with Birdsong. The Canadian Children’s Book Centre Book Awards […]
The meaning of mortality and the impact of each human life are common themes in the newest books by authors Aislinn Hunter and Sarah Leipciger. Hunter questions the entwined fates of two very different refugees in a 1940 Spanish village, while the shadow of war lengthens over Europe, in The Certainties. Leipciger accounts three lives that […]
Prepare for a weekend of literary adventure. From October 31 to November 1, TIFA will proudly present an offering of free, digital activities to surprise and delight the entire family. This event is a 15-minute presentation by the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award winner Sydney Smith with Small in the City. The Canadian Children’s Book […]
Prepare for a weekend of literary adventure. From October 31 to November 1, TIFA will proudly present an offering of free, digital activities to surprise and delight the entire family. This event is a 15-minute presentation by the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction winners Serah-Marie McMahon and Alison Matthews David with Killer Style: […]
A big congratulations to Desmond Cole on winning the 2020 Toronto Book Prize for his book The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power! To celebrate, check out this interview from #FestofAuthors20 with Grada and Desmond. Join us for an afternoon with Toronto activist and award-winning journalist and author of The Skin We’re […]
Marie-Louise Gay has written and illustrated over 60 books and three plays. She is the four-time winner of the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award and a recipient of the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award in 2001. Join us for as she presents her latest book, Three Brothers, which tells the gentle and hopeful story about the real-life […]
Join Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan for an in-depth conversation about her latest book, War: How Conflict Shaped Us. Professor at the University of Oxford, MacMillan shares insight on the ways in which war has influenced human society and how, in turn, changes in political organization, technology, or ideologies have affected how and why we fight. […]
A morning (Reading and Q&A) with illustrator, Canadian-cartoonist and winner of the Governor General’s Award and Caldecott Honour, Jillian Tamaki. Tamaki is the author of the lively food and community picture book, Our Little Kitchen. When a crew of neighbours come together to cook a meal, fun, adventure and new lessons are learned. Ages 4-8. […]
Join award-winning writers Francesca Ekwuyasi and Annabel Lyon for a discussion about how tragedy and trauma can alter our closest relationships irreversibly, fracturing and intertwining the course of our lives. Francesca’s short fiction, Orun is Heaven, was longlisted for the Journey Prize. She recently released her first novel, Butter Honey Pig Bread. Annabel won the Rogers […]