Black Futures Month with the Contributors of Black Writers Matter

Celebrated in conjunction with Black History Month, Black Futures Month was conceived as an opportunity for Black artists to share their vision(s) of a just and equitable future, and in doing so, contribute to a more nuanced understanding of Black existence as a spectrum.

That goal is foregrounded in the upcoming Black Writers Matter, an anthology of African Canadian creative nonfiction edited by Whitney French. We’ll be celebrating the release of the book on February 20 as part of Kuumba 2019, and in anticipation, we spoke to a few of the contributors who will be participating in the event: Simone Dalton, Scott Fraser, Phillip Dwight Morgan and Angela Wright.

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Accessible Reading: An Interview with Natalie Martiniello

Library for the Blind, Braille Reading

Library for the Blind, Braille Reading via New York Public Library

January doesn’t just mark the start of the New Year – it’s also Braille Literacy Month, commemorating the birth month of French educator Louis Braille, who first published his tactile system of reading and writing in 1829, 17 years after losing his own vision. In recognition of Braille Literacy Month, we reached out to Natalie Martiniello, President of Braille Literacy Canada (BLC), to learn more about the medium as well as the organization’s efforts to bring together and advocate on behalf of braille users, transcribers and producers.

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Looking Ahead with TIFA Director Geoffrey E. Taylor

Geoffrey E. Taylor

Geoffrey E. Taylor

From all of us here at TIFA: Happy New Year! To commemorate 2019, we sat with TIFA Director Geoffrey E. Taylor for a quick interview about the past, present and future of the Toronto International Festival of Authors. If starting a new year is anything like starting a new book, consider this a very special foreword from the man behind the curtains.

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Awe & Inspiration: Coming Full Circle at #FestofAuthors18

Danielle Bourgon

Danielle Bourgon (L) and her mother (R) at Danielle’s 2012 UBC commencement ceremony

In her first stint as a Delegate for the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA), Danielle Bourgon, a frequent contributor to BookRiot, found a second chance to listen to and soak in the teachings of  legendary singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, who was also the key speaker at Danielle’s commencement ceremony years prior.

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Writers Who Forge Their Own Path

Kevin Hardcastle

Kevin Hardcastle

What do authors Craig Davidson, Eden Robinson, Cherie Dimaline and Waubgeshig Rice have in common? As returning Delegate Kevin Hardcastle sees it, not only were they participants at #FestofAuthors18—their approach to storytelling and the subsequent trajectory of their careers all demonstrate the shifting preferences and expectations of Canadian readers.

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