Festival 2024 Events

Join the historian, philosopher and the bestselling author for this exclusive Canadian event.

Fri, Sep 13 • 7pm

TIFA Presents: Yuval Noah Harari

Yuval Noah Harari

Thursday, September 19

Join the #1 New York Times bestselling author for a talk on her latest hit book!

Thu, Sep 19 • 5:30pm

A Flight of Revelations

Liane Moriarty, Ashley Audrain

Gather for an evening of true stories told live and without notes.

Performance

Thu, Sep 19 • 8pm

The Moth

Jon Goode, Tarek El-Ariss, Shayla Lawson, Esau McCaulley, Carolyn Meyer

Friday, September 20

The Canadian poet offers personal reflections on Held, a breathtaking and mysterious new novel.

Fri, Sep 20 • 6:30pm

Journeys Through Time

Anne Michaels

Performance

Fri, Sep 20 • 7:30pm

Student Literary Cabaret

Various participants

Join emerging artists for a thrilling night of cabaret-style performances, poetry & storytelling!

Bite The Book

Hungry for change? Don't miss this talk on food and feminism.

Fri, Sep 20 • 7:30pm

Women’s Rights (and Tasty Bites)

Geraldine DeRuiter

Hear from the acclaimed Scottish author about the scandals that fill his latest bestselling novel!

Fri, Sep 20 • 8:30pm

The Unravelling of Public and Private Lives

Andrew O’Hagan

Saturday, September 21

Don't miss this conversation on how the concept of home can shape our sense of belonging and identity.

Sat, Sep 21 • 11am

Friendship, Home and Identity

Sadi Muktadir, Edward Y. C. Lee, Shyam Selvadurai

The Blank Page: Contemplation Space

Various participants

An outdoor quiet oasis created by students in OCADU's writing programme.

Explore books, ezines, graphic novels & more from small & medium-sized presses from Toronto & beyond.

Exhibition

Sat, Sep 21 • 11:30am

Small Press Book Fair

Various participants

These writers will share their unique perspectives on femininity, privilege, survival and more.

Sat, Sep 21 • 12pm

Women Unscripted: Exploring Identity, Humour and Resilience

Zoe Whittall, Deepa Rajagopalan

Bad Artist, Good Art: Caught Between Creativity and Productivity

Gillian Turnbull, Pamela Oakley

Join us for a discussion on creativity in a world that worships productivity!

Storydrop

Various participants

Join The Children's Book Bank for their Great Big Book Jacket creation!

TIFA Kids

Take your own guess at what's inside the cookie tin!

Sat, Sep 21 • 12:30pm

A Sweet Adventure

Yolanda T. Marshall

Join the young adult authors for a look at their latest mysterious tales.

Sat, Sep 21 • 12:30pm

Identity and the Supernatural

Cheryl Isaacs, Efua Traoré

Write Your Way Home

Various participants

Join the Writers Collective of Canada for an exploratory expressive writing workshop!

Transform life events into a captivating story with this Canadian author.

Sat, Sep 21 • 1pm

From Fact to Fiction

Antanas Sileika

Hear from one of Canada's best loved writers on her latest moving novel.

Sat, Sep 21 • 1pm

An Unforgettable Life

Jane Urquhart

Hear from two authors about their entertaining and thought-provoking YA novels.

Sat, Sep 21 • 1:30pm

Hearts and Hauntings: YA Love Novels

Markus Harwood-Jones, Lynn Painter, J.M. Frey

Travel to a different world while listening to two fantasy authors discuss their latest books.

Sat, Sep 21 • 2pm

Rebellion With a Cause

Pascale Lacelle, M.K. Lobb, K.J. Aiello

All The Writing Advice I Wish I Had Ignored

J.M. Miro, Jackie Lau

Bestselling authors share what not to stress about when it comes to crafting stories & getting published.

This event promises insightful discussions on courage, loss and the power of storytelling.

Sat, Sep 21 • 2:30pm

Dislocation and Relocation

Tasneem Jamal, Nazneen Sheikh

Write Your Way Home

Various participants

Join the Writers Collective of Canada for an exploratory expressive writing workshop!

Home, Sweet Home

Lian-En Lin

Colour, collage and let your creative juices flow!

Get tips, tricks and techniques for writing poetry from this award-winning poet.

Sat, Sep 21 • 3:30pm

Don’t Explain: Smashing Things Together in Poems

Adam Sol

Hear two authors discuss narrative and mental illness.

Sat, Sep 21 • 3:30pm

Real-life Terror of Mental Illness

A.G.A Wilmot, K.J. Aiello

Join the conversation on the challenges facing our fast-warming world.

Sat, Sep 21 • 4pm

Burning Questions: Confronting the Challenges of our Global Climate Crisis

Margaret Atwood, John Vaillant, Catherine Abreu, Nahlah Ayed

Rally the Tropes: Romance Showdown

Lily Chu, Markus Harwood-Jones, Jackie Lau, Lynn Painter

The pros are ready to debate! Join our authors as they go head-to-head on what romance trope is the best.

Join these authors as they discuss fame, fortune & returning home when things take a turn for the worst.

Sat, Sep 21 • 4:30pm

Started from the Bottom: Welcoming Celebrities Back Home

Greg Kearney, Timothy Taylor

Hear from the author of the highly anticipated sequel in the Talents Trilogy.

Sat, Sep 21 • 5pm

Bringer of Monsters and Other Worlds

J.M. Miro

Discovering the Korea Canada Anthology

Bora Chung, Lisa Bird-Wilson

Join us for a chat with two authors from the Korea-Canada Exchange Program: Anthology Project.

Bite The Book

Don't miss this chance to discover Canada's favourite comfort food with free poutine!

Sat, Sep 21 • 6:30pm

The Heart of Poutine: From Chip Wagons to National Symbol

Justin Giovannetti Lamothe

Why can't we talk to each other anymore? Join us for a conversation on the art of conversation.

Sat, Sep 21 • 7pm

The Lost Art of Conversation

Ian Williams

Explore the small town lives of these deeply flawed characters.

Sat, Sep 21 • 7pm

On the Edge: Stories of Struggle and Survival

Colin Barrett

Sunday, September 22

The Blank Page: Contemplation Space

Various participants

An outdoor quiet oasis created by students in OCADU's writing programme.

Join us for an engaging literary discussion exploring themes of home and identity.

Sun, Sep 22 • 11am

On the Outside Looking In

Chido Muchemwa, Amal Elsana Alh’jooj

Discovery Fun with the Ontario Science Centre

Various participants

Discover the wonder of our world with hands on science activities!

Join these two Toronto authors as they discuss imagination and safe spaces in their novels.

Sun, Sep 22 • 11:30am

Finding Spaces of Comfort

Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez, Jess Taylor

Storydrop

Various participants

Join The Children's Book Bank for their Great Big Book Jacket creation!

Write Your Way Home

Various participants

Join the Writers Collective of Canada for an exploratory expressive writing workshop!

Explore a new perspective on the life of the renowned naturalist, poet and abolitionist.

Sun, Sep 22 • 12pm

Musings on Henry David Thoreau

Helen Humphreys

TIFA Kids

Join us for storytelling and interactive activities!

Sun, Sep 22 • 12:30pm

A Journey Across Generations

Saumiya Balasubramaniam

First person or third person? Learn all about point of view from this bestselling author.

Sun, Sep 22 • 1pm

Point of View

Shyam Selvadurai

An examination of war and conflict through two contrasting lenses.

Sun, Sep 22 • 1pm

Frontline Fiction: War and Humanity

Saad T. Farooqi, Jacob Wren

Rally the Tropes: Horror

Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez, A.G.A Wilmot

(Ghostface voice) What's your favourite scary trope?

Step 1: Meet Mr. Perfect. Step 2: Join a conversation with two Toronto romance writers!

Sun, Sep 22 • 1:30pm

Swooning for Romance Novels

Lily Chu, Jackie Lau, J.M. Frey

Write Your Way Home

Various participants

Join the Writers Collective of Canada for an exploratory expressive writing workshop!

Meet the beloved host behind the widely popular CBC Radio show Quirks and Quarks!

Sun, Sep 22 • 2pm

Curiosity Unleashed

Bob McDonald

Dive into the eerie worlds where the safe haven of home turns into a living nightmare.

Sun, Sep 22 • 2:30pm

House of Horrors

Mason Coile, Marcus Kliewer

Writing Queer

J.M. Frey, Markus Harwood-Jones

Join this panel of authors as they discuss bringing queer narratives to life.

Learn about the life of the literary icon told through a graphic novel.

Sun, Sep 22 • 3:30pm

The Life and Art of Anaïs Nin

Léonie Bischoff

Learn about writing loose & free, then how to clean it up in editing with this award-winning writer.

Sun, Sep 22 • 3:30pm

Heart First, Head Follows: Writing with Instinct and Emotion

Nina Dunic

Home, Sweet Home

Lian-En Lin

Colour, collage and let your creative juices flow!

From absurdity to the dystopian, explore the fantastical worlds in these short story collections!

Sun, Sep 22 • 4pm

Utopias, Noir and The Stories They Tell

Bora Chung, Canisia Lubrin

Enjoy a conversation about Alfred Hitchcock’s impact on this new novel, then stay for a film screening!

Sun, Sep 22 • 4:30pm

Echoes of Alfred Hitchcock: Exploring The Hitchcock Hotel

Stephanie Wrobel

Hear from the authors of two emotionally raw and moving stories.

Sun, Sep 22 • 5:30pm

Wars Fought at Home: Writing Trauma

Chinenye Emezie, Jenna Tang

Hear from the preeminent Canadian cultural athropologist and ethnobotanist.

Sun, Sep 22 • 6pm

Beneath the Surface: Culture, Landscape and the Planet

Wade Davis

Tuesday, September 24

2024 IVY Award and Conversation

Nicole Winstanley, Dawn Davis

Join us for the presentation of the annual IVY Award, followed by a keynote talk and conversation.

Understand the changing meanings of words like freedom, democracy, truth in today's age.

Tue, Sep 24 • 7pm

Words are Weapons

Carol Off

Wednesday, September 25

Beyond Initial Enthusiasm: Embracing long-term diversity in publishing, with insights and strategies from leading publishers

Various participants

Examine the issues and solutions in the pursuit of wider diversity within companies and the authors they publish.

Hidden Successes and Surprises: Opportunities and Challenges in Markets Around The World

Rafal Czech, Alexandra Heimann, Hannah Chukwu, Marion Wichmann

Join IV fellows and distinguished guests as they discuss the bright spots in the publishing industry.

Learn some tips, tricks and techniques for writing a great story.

Wed, Sep 25 • 5:30pm

How to Write a Non-Fiction Novel

Nicola Lagioia

Join two essayists as they discuss culture and belonging within the self, family and society.

Wed, Sep 25 • 6:15pm

Finding Families in Many Forms

Gloria Blizzard, Jenny Heijun Wills

An evening celebrating 30 years of Canada's Journey Prize for short fiction.

Wed, Sep 25 • 7:30pm

Canada’s Best Short Stories: Celebrating the Journey Prize

Alexander MacLeod, Souvankham Thammavongsa

Join these authors for a conversation on our obsession with true crime and bringing it into fiction.

Wed, Sep 25 • 8pm

Fact in Fiction: Novels with True Crime

Nicola Lagioia, Michael Melgaard

Thursday, September 26

Celebrate emerging writers from the Creative Writing Program at the UofT School of Continuing Studies!

Presentation

Thu, Sep 26 • 5pm

And The Winner Is… The UofT SCS Creative Writing Awards

Various participants

Evoke powerful emotions, build tension & create depth without overwhelming the reader.

Thu, Sep 26 • 5:30pm

How Much Is Too Much: On The Power of Withholding and Restraint In Writing

David Bezmozgis

Join us for an evening celebrating Toronto and its arts scene featuring music, food, books, history & more!

Thu, Sep 26 • 6pm

The Heart of the City: Celebrating Toronto

Len Senater, Shawn Micallef, Catherine Hernandez

Join us for a lively conversation about love, connection & the complexities of human relationships.

Thu, Sep 26 • 7pm

Relationships Reimagined

Myriam Lacroix, Holly Pester

Don't miss this conversation with the historian on the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege.

Thu, Sep 26 • 8pm

The Siege: Iranian Embassy, 1980

Ben Macintyre

Friday, September 27

Humber Liberal Arts Conference

Presentation

Fri, Sep 27 • 3pm

Keynote: Regulating Emotions in an Apocalyptic Time

Nathan Radke, Lee Kuhnle, Shelly Lesher

The hosts of The Uncover Up & My Nuclear Life podcasts explore what would happen if a nuclear war broke out.

Dive into the crafting narratives inspired by home and explore what it can represent in fiction.

Fri, Sep 27 • 5:30pm

Writing and Housing

Holly Pester

Dive into the magic of the heartwarming and quirky global sensation Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

Fri, Sep 27 • 7pm

The Secrets of a Time-Traveling Café

Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Don’t miss this high-energy spectacle of original content!

Performance

Fri, Sep 27 • 7pm

Toronto Poetry Slam

Dwayne Morgan, Afra Atiq

Saturday, September 28

If you love historical fiction with a dash of fantasy, here is an event you surely don't want to miss!

Sat, Sep 28 • 11:30am

Tea, Cake and Stories of Sorcery

Kate Heartfield, Anna Rasche

Don't miss deep sea adventures and storymaking!

Sat, Sep 28 • 12pm

Storytime at Sea

Sarabeth Holden

The Performance of Poetry

Afra Atiq, Martin Gomes

From page to performance, poetry makes the leap with ease.

Join us for a timely conversation on the economic challenges facing Canada and the world.

Sat, Sep 28 • 12pm

A Changing World: Inflation, War and Sanctions

Jeff Rubin

Explore how art and stories can bridge cultures and ignite imaginations with the Agha Khan Museum.

Workshop

Sat, Sep 28 • 12:30pm

Cultural Connections: Discovering Home Through Art and Storytelling

Various participants

Write Your Way Home

Various participants

Join the Writers Collective of Canada for an exploratory expressive writing workshop!

Explore two experimental novels that touch on identity politics, memory and cultural collision.

Sat, Sep 28 • 1pm

Between Worlds

Sinan Antoon, Noor Naga

Dive into these time travelling books!

Sat, Sep 28 • 1:30pm

Telling Tales of Time

Scott Alexander Howard, Shelley Wood

Don't miss this engaging conversation about crucial social justice topics.

Sat, Sep 28 • 2:30pm

Social Justice and Transformation

Ruha Benjamin

Why We Write

Various participants

Join the Writers Collective of Canada for a compelling panel about the social impact of making art.

This bestselling author will break down her plotting process and share it in smaller, digestible steps.

Sat, Sep 28 • 3:30pm

How to Eat an Elephant…and Other Plotting Advice

Hannah Mary McKinnon

Dragon Tails and Tales

Ebtisam Al-Beiti

An adventure through colours and emotions!

Discover vibrant stories of resilience and identity.

Sat, Sep 28 • 4pm

The Cities We Called Home

Danny Ramadan, Barrack Zailaa Rima

Learn about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada from one of the founding commissioners.

Sat, Sep 28 • 4:30pm

Towards Truth and Reconciliation

Marie Wilson

A can't-miss conversation on the reign of Justin Trudeau.

Sat, Sep 28 • 5pm

Inside Canada’s Political Turmoil

Stephen Maher

Arab writers in the diaspora discuss activism and creativity.

Sat, Sep 28 • 5:30pm

Arab Authors in the Diaspora: Navigating Activism and Identity

Sinan Antoon, Saeed Teebi

Learn how to use research to create authentic, believable fiction.

Sat, Sep 28 • 6pm

The Uses of Research for Writing Fiction

Joe Kertes

Join us for this personal deep dive with one of Canada's literary giants!

Sat, Sep 28 • 6:30pm

A Poetic Journey Through the World

Michael Ondaatje

Hear a conversation about what it means to be ‘at home’, then enjoy an emerging Tamil voices showcase.

Sat, Sep 28 • 7pm

Tam Fam Lit Jam: Home/Safe

Padma Viswanathan, Catherine Hernandez

Sunday, September 29

Don’t miss this culinary journey celebrating the rich tapestry of Mi’kmaq recipes.

Sun, Sep 29 • 11am

Savouring Indigenous Heritage

Margaret Augustine, Lauren Beck

Learn how to transform the book you wrote into the book you wanted to write.

Sun, Sep 29 • 11am

Reimagining the Edit

Harriet Alida Lye

The Ghosts of Stories Past

Lesley Crewe, Sarah Leipciger

Join this spirited talk on the stories, characters & plot twists that juuuuust didn't quite make it.

Write Your Way Home

Various participants

Join the Writers Collective of Canada for an exploratory expressive writing workshop!

Join the prize-winning author for a discussion of his latest compelling Paula Spencer novel.

Sun, Sep 29 • 12pm

Opening the Door on the Past

Roddy Doyle

Join us for an important conversation on reconciliation, justice and the search for truth.

Sun, Sep 29 • 12pm

Journeys of Justice

Murray Sinclair, Niigaan Sinclair

TIFA Kids

An adventure through colours and emotions!

Sun, Sep 29 • 12:30pm

Dragon Tails and Tales

Ebtisam Al-Beiti

Explore the Toronto literary scene with these captivating two novels.

Sun, Sep 29 • 1pm

Writers and the City

Jean Marc Ah-Sen, Alex Pugsley

Cookbook Writing 101

Puneeta Chhitwal-Varma, Devan Rajkumar

Come ready to learn all about what it takes to write a mouth watering cookbook!

Dive into Mohawk heritage with this award-winning artist and bestselling author.

Sun, Sep 29 • 1pm

Mohawk Warriors, Hunters & Chiefs

Tom Wilson Tehoháhake

Write Your Way Home

Various participants

Join the Writers Collective of Canada for an exploratory expressive writing workshop!

These award-winning authors will be discussing their powerful and intriguing short story collections.

Sun, Sep 29 • 2pm

Narrative Wisdom: Dissecting the World with Short Stories

Carleigh Baker, Amanda Peters

Demystify writer's block, make revisions on the fly & find joy in the unexpected with this class.

Sun, Sep 29 • 2pm

From Outline to Draft

Kate Heartfield

How should we read the US elections? Examine the issues of this unprecedented moment in history with us.

Sun, Sep 29 • 2pm

How to Read the US Elections

David Shribman

Canadian authors explore marriage, grief and the trials of having to find a new way forward.

Sun, Sep 29 • 3pm

Journeys Through Heartache

Lesley Crewe, Sarah Leipciger

Join these award-winning journalists for a remarkable conversation on their fight for justice.

Sun, Sep 29 • 3:30pm

Voices of Fire and Resilience

Brandi Morin, Angela Sterritt

The Butterfly Effect

Geraldo Valério

Get inspired by the world of caterpillars and butterflies with this Brazilian illustrator!