Two groundbreaking authors come together to discuss how their new works push the boundaries of imagination and storytelling. Acclaimed South Korean writer Bo-Young Kim will discuss her celebrated collection, I’m Waiting for You: And Other Stories, which blends speculative wonder with emotional depth, weaving tales of love, time, and human connection across galaxies. Jacquelyn Zong […]
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You can learn a lot about a place through its ghost stories. Tales of phantoms, spirits and apparitions are connected to many of the most dramatic moments from Toronto’s past. The spectres said to lurk in the shadows of our city are tied to war, rebellion, tragedy and transformation. Whether it’s the ghost of a […]
We sometimes think of poems as being expressions of ideas we’ve already figured out, but poems can also be wonderful ways of working through confusion, conflict, ambivalence, and the moment where our feelings change. We’ll explore ways to reflect these dynamic moments in poetry, and look at some inspiring examples. TIFA’s Creative Writing Masterclasses offer […]
Small press publishing is at a crossroads. More writers than ever are seeking to publish, yet fewer readers are buying books, leaving independent presses navigating shrinking markets and shifting landscapes. Still, they persist, driven by passion, creativity, and a deep commitment to voices and work that might otherwise go unheard. This event gathers three small press […]
When we hear about war, it is from a decidedly Western perspective, but there is another side to the story. Join these three authors as they discuss their respective novels, their main characters, and their own personal experiences with immigration in the wake of war and disruption. Taking place in occupied 1920s Korea, Ann Y. […]
The first draft of a book is the clay, and in the edit, you sculpt your material into its final form. After your first draft is complete, you will need to figure out what questions your book is asking, and read to assess how, and whether, those questions are being answered. Freeing yourself of dead […]
Picture books have hardly any words, so writing one must be easy, right? Not at all. In fact, they are one of the most difficult forms to tackle. In this masterclass with the bestselling author of The Misewa Saga, On the Trapline, and the recent memoir All the Little Monsters, you will explore the process […]
Nine years after her award-winning novel, Madeleine Thien returns with her latest novel, The Book of Records, an exciting and engaging story of family and history. The novel, which was one of ten titles on Barack Obama’s 2025 summer reading list, follows a girl and her ailing father as they seek refuge at a place […]
Join us for a conversation with Ziyad Saadi, Zeina Sleiman and Jemimah Wei, three authors whose latest works explore the intricacies of family. Through readings and conversation, these writers bring to light the contradictions that define family life—love and silence, closeness and distance, fragility and resilience. Their stories remind us how family, in all its […]
Dive into the books you picked up over the course of the festival, by participating in a reading party on Sunday evening! Join 50 readers for a Reading Party hosted by Reading Rhythms Toronto. There will be dedicated time for reading to low-fi background music, and facilitated discussion to connect with other readers. Bring any […]
It is a well-worn cliché to say it takes a village, but behind every writer there is a publishing team helping to transform their concept, stories, and ideas into a finished book. As a writer’s career develops, what are the opportunities for other individuals in the industry to develop? How can Canada continue to grow […]
As the days grow shorter and the air cools, it’s time to slow down, turn inward, and take stock. This 90-minute workshop blends grounding yoga with journaling using prompts inspired by our festival programme. Led in a welcoming, mixed-ability environment, the session draws on the long tradition of autumn as a season for storytelling, quiet […]
The evolution of genre fiction into mainstream readership has been one of the major success stories for the publishing industry in recent years. Romance, fantasy, as well as crime & mystery, are not only driving readership and defining literary trends, but cultural trends too (TIFA launches its new Romance Festival in November 2025)! Our expert […]
In 2025, the International Visitors (IV) Programme will welcome publishing leaders from around the world and across Canada to discover the wealth and diversity of the Canadian literary scene and publishing industry. The five day programme begins with this headline event, open to publishing professionals and public alike, to celebrate the achievements of Canada’s publishing […]
Join two genre-defying voices for a spellbinding conversation on the role of historical imagination, the architecture of language, and how fiction can traverse borders. Portuguese author Maria João Lopo de Carvalho newest work Santarém, combines heritage photography with iconic writers, evocatively capturing the essence of Portugal in one book. Set against the rich tapestry of […]
Join us for an electrifying event with two acclaimed authors who bring fresh perspectives to the thriller genre. Michael Bennett presents Carved in Blood: A Hana Westerman Thriller, the latest installment in his gripping series following detective Hana Westerman as she confronts danger, history, and justice in a story that’s as thoughtful as it is […]
Step into the chilling world of psychological suspense with New York Times bestselling author Joy Fielding as she discusses her latest thriller, Jenny Cooper Has a Secret. Seventy-six-year-old Linda Davidson is reeling from her husband’s death and her best friend’s dementia diagnosis, when she meets Jenny Cooper, a ninety-two-year-old memory care patient who claim to […]
In their books, Property and Runs in the Blood both Kate Cayley and Matthew J. Trafford write about queer experiences as they relate to chosen families. Join us as they talk about the various themes, such as the complexity of intimacy and interpersonal relationships, that surface when writing about family, chosen or otherwise. Moderated by […]
Join Terese Mason Pierre and Chinelo Onwalu as they confront and expand society’s preconceived notions around Blackness, particularly as it relates to Canadians. Let’s dig into what that means, how that works, and where we go from here. Moderated by Zilla Jones Diaspora Dialogues (DD) supports emerging voices from across Canada to turn their craft […]
Patchen Barss is a Toronto-based science journalist, author, and speaker. His biography, The Impossible Man: Roger Penrose and the Cost of Genius, was named one of the top science and technology books for 2024 by Kirkus Reviews, The Financial Times, and The Telegraph. It tells the story of the Nobel Prize-winning physicist who would prove […]
Join Palestinian Canadian writer and filmmaker Ziyad Saadi and acclaimed Jordanian author and activist Fadi Zaghmout for a powerful conversation on masculinity, identity and the quiet revolutions of everyday life. Darkly funny, and full of surprises, Saadi’s Three Parties pays twisted homage to Virginia Woolf’s literary classic, Mrs. Dalloway – gleefully upending the western coming-out […]
Join Giller Prize-winning authors Souvankham Thammavongsa and Ian Williams for a rich conversation on intimacy, agency, loneliness, labour, and class. Thammavongsa’s Pick a Colour traces a single day in a nail salon, where Ning, a former boxer, contends with power, class, and invisibility, and explore the interior worlds of characters navigating systems that seek to […]
Step into two fraught periods of history, and join authors Nathan Harris and Patrick Tarr for a gripping conversation about survival, memory, and the haunting legacies of war. Harris’s Amity plunges readers into the perilous aftermath of the Civil War, following emancipated siblings Coleman and June as they attempt to reunite across the deserts of […]
Delve into two unforgettable stories of love and transformation with Alejandro Heredia and David Wright Faladé. Heredia’s spellbinding debut, Loca, follows Sal and Charo, two best friends from Santo Domingo, as they navigate migration, queerness, and chosen family in 1990s New York City. In contrast, The New Internationals transports readers to post-war Paris, where young […]
