TIFA 2025 Events

October 29, 2025 • 3:30pm

Yoga & Journaling with Janet Smyth

October 29, 2025 • 5:00pm

Find Your Horror Story with Craig Davidson

Craig Davidson

Learn from the best in a Creative Writing Masterclass

October 29, 2025 • 5:30pm

Critical Conversation: When Artificial Intelligence Feels Real

Nehal El-Hadi, David Eliot, and Victoria Hetherington

Creative Tool, Emotional Companion, or Existential Crisis?

October 29, 2025 • 5:30pm

Critical Conversations

Kiran Desai: Love Lost & Found

Kiran Desai

Conversation with acclaimed author

October 29, 2025 • 6:00pm

East Coast Lit-Style: Celebrating Twenty Years of Vagrant Press

Celebrate this East Coast publishers anniversary!

October 29, 2025 • 6:30pm

Coaching Creativity: Mentorship in U of T’s Creativity Writing MA

Conversation in partnership with the Centre for Creativity

October 29, 2025 • 6:30pm

OCAD Student Literary Cabaret

Hear from OCAD Students at this cabaret

Performance

October 29, 2025 • 7:30pm

Natalie MacMaster: Family & Fiddles

Natalie MacMaster

A Conversation and performance from this Canadian musician

October 29, 2025 • 7:30pm

A Modern Marriage: Eimear McBride & Ian Williams

Eimear McBride and Ian Williams

Conversation with two authors on love in the modern age

October 30, 2025 • 2:30pm

Thursday, October 30

Yoga & Journaling with Janet Smyth

October 30, 2025 • 2:30pm

Building a Sustainable Writing Practice with Amy Stuart

Amy Stuart

Learn from the best in a Creative Writing Masterclass

October 30, 2025 • 5:00pm

Garth Risk Hallberg on Mavis Gallant: Dizzying Humanity of a 20th-Century Genius

Garth Risk Hallberg

Hear from the editor of a new collection of stories from one of Canada's greatest authors

October 30, 2025 • 5:00pm

The Re-Read

Tackling the Hardest Form of Literature: The Picture Book with David A. Robertson

David A. Robertson

Learn from the best in a Creative Writing Masterclass

October 30, 2025 • 5:30pm

And The Winner Is… The UofT SCS Creative Writing Awards

Celebrate emerging writers in the University of Toronto's creative writing program

October 30, 2025 • 6:00pm

Richard Armitage: Cutting Room Floor

Richard Armitage

Conversation with the actor and author

October 30, 2025 • 6:00pm

Elbows Up! Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance

Join Canadian authors in a conversation on a new collection of essays

October 30, 2025 • 7:00pm

Brian Stewart: History, Up Close and Personal

Brian Stewart

Hear from a prominent CBC journalist

October 30, 2025 • 7:30pm

Healing & Reconciliation: Susan Aglukark & David A. Robertson

Susan Aglukark and David A. Robertson

Conversation part of the Festival of Indigenous Stories

October 30, 2025 • 7:30pm

Brick Books 50th Anniversary Celebration

A Party celebrating 50 Years of Brick Books. Free with Registration.

October 30, 2025 • 7:30pm

Michael Redhill: The Trial of Katterfelto

Michael Redhill

Hear from an icon in Canadian literature on his new novel

October 30, 2025 • 8:00pm

Chris Pavone: Class Clash

Chris Pavone

Hear from the best-selling thriller writer

October 31, 2025 • 2:30pm

Friday, October 31

Let’s Get Political: How to Mix Fiction and Politics with Samrat Upadhyay

Samrat Upadhyay

Learn from the best in a Creative Writing Masterclass

October 31, 2025 • 3:30pm

Yoga & Journaling with Janet Smyth

October 31, 2025 • 5:00pm

The Art of Detail in Speculative Fiction with Shyam Selvadurai

Shyam Selvadurai

Learn from the best in a Creative Writing Masterclass

October 31, 2025 • 5:00pm

Stories of Family & Politics: Vinh Nguyen & Jeremy Tiang

Vinh Nguyen and Jeremy Tiang

A conversation on stories of family and politics in the midst of two wars

October 31, 2025 • 5:30pm

Linden MacIntyre: An Accidental Villain

Linden MacIntyre

Join the prize-winning author for a conversation on his latest book

October 31, 2025 • 6:00pm

Madeleine Thien: Memory & Migration

Madeleine Thien

Join award-winning author for a talk on her latest novel

October 31, 2025 • 6:30pm

Karen Bartlett: Women & Justice in Kabul

Karen Bartlett

From award-winning journalist comes a new book on the never-before-told story of Afghan women's fight for justice

October 31, 2025 • 7:00pm

Home in Graphic Novels: Eric Kim & Hong Yeon-sik

Eric Kim and Hong Yeon-sik

Hear from these two graphic novelists about the concept of home

October 31, 2025 • 7:30pm

Toronto Poetry Slam

A performance & open mic you won't want to miss

October 31, 2025 • 8:00pm

Life, Love & Literary Legacies: Francesca Wade on Gertrude Stein

Francesca Wade

Hear from the biographer of one of the 20th century's greatest authors

The Re-Read

Saturday, November 1

November 1, 2025 • 10:00am

Publishing Forward: Mentorship in Action from Concept to Cover

International Visitors Programme Industry Panel, also open to the public

IV Programme

November 1, 2025 • 10:00am

Small Press Fair

Visit booths from indie publishers across Ontario

Exhibition

November 1, 2025 • 11:00am

Chilling Thrillers: Michael Bennett & Kelley Armstrong

Michael Bennett and Kelley Armstrong

An electrifying event with two authors who bring fresh perspectives to the thriller genre

November 1, 2025 • 11:00am

Tea, Cake and Family Sagas: Fatma Aydemir & Jonas Hassen Khemiri

Fatma Aydemir and Jonas Hassen Khemiri

Enjoy tea, cake, and conversation with these authors!

November 1, 2025 • 11:00am

Plot Twists Ahead: The Evolution and Future of Genre Fiction

International Visitors Programme Industry Panel, also open to the public

November 1, 2025 • 11:30am

IV Programme

Fiction Taking Root: Brian Thomas Isaac & Eliana Ramage

Brian Thomas Isaac and Eliana Ramage

Hear two powerful storytellers and stories that span generations

November 1, 2025 • 11:30am

Memory, Resistance, and the Power of Story: Ibtisam Azem, Zeina Sleiman, Saeed Teebi

Ibtisam Azem, Zeina Sleiman, and Saeed Teebi

Join three Palestinian writers for a conversation on the power of storytelling

November 1, 2025 • 11:30am

On Biography Writing with Francesca Wade

Francesca Wade

Learn from the best in a Creative Writing Masterclass

November 1, 2025 • 12:00pm

Exporting Canadian Literature

International Visitors Programme Industry Panel, also open to the public

November 1, 2025 • 12:30pm

IV Programme

Alka Joshi: Six Days in Bombay

Alka Joshi

Hear from the New York Times best-selling author

November 1, 2025 • 12:30pm

Serhii Plokhy: Understanding the Nuclear Age

Serhii Plokhy

Join this Cold War historian for a talk on his latest book

November 1, 2025 • 1:00pm

Writers Collective of Canada Workshop

Join WCC for an expressive writing workshop in a shared, inclusive space

November 1, 2025 • 1:00pm

A Haunted History of Toronto with Adam Bunch

Adam Bunch

Join the author for a lesson on Toronto's dark past

November 1, 2025 • 1:30pm

Diaspora Dialogues: CanLit at Home in the World

November 1, 2025 • 1:30pm

Stories Across Time and Memory: Bo-Young Kim & Jacquelyn Zong Li Ross

Bo-Young Kim and Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross

Two groundbreaking authors discuss how their works push the boundaries of imagination and storytelling

November 1, 2025 • 1:30pm

Fiction Across Worlds: André Alexis & Susan Choi

André Alexis and Susan Choi

Join us for a conversation with two award-winning authors

November 1, 2025 • 2:00pm

The Roots of Story: Maria Joao Lopo de Carvalho & Irene Marques

Maria João Lopo de Carvalho and Irene Marques

Two genre-defying voices for a spellbinding conversation on how fiction can traverse borders

November 1, 2025 • 2:00pm

Writers Behind Typewriters

Get a personalized piece from an OCAD student

November 1, 2025 • 2:30pm

Stories Without Borders: Sheung-King & Terao Tetsuya

Terao Tetsuya and Sheung-King

Step into an event where stories cross borders, genres, and states of mind.

November 1, 2025 • 2:30pm

Beyond Tropes, Saviourism and the White Gaze: A conversation with Newcomer & Refugee Writers

Panel curated by Qissa

Kanata Classics & Rewriting the CanLit Cannon

CANCELLED: The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Claire Cameron, David Chariandy, Niigaan Sinclair, and Stephanie Sinclair

In partnership with University of Guelph

Guelph Masterclass Conversation: Cho Nam-Joo

Cho Nam-Joo and Canisia Lubrin

Join WCC for an expressive writing workshop in a shared, inclusive space

Writers Collective of Canada Workshop

What role can art and imagination play in resisting exclusion and erasure?

Identities & Expectations: Matthew R. Morris & Saeed Teebi

Matthew R. Morris and Saeed Teebi

November 1, 2025 • 3:30pm

Kotaro Isaka: Hotel Lucky Seven & Seesaw Monster

Kōtarō Isaka

Join the author for his first North American appearance

November 1, 2025 • 4:00pm

Literature in Translation: Ryad Assani-Razaki, Lin King & Jeremy Tiang

Ryad Assani-Razaki, Lin King, and Jeremy Tiang

Free panel on the art of translating books

November 1, 2025 • 4:00pm

Alex Neve: The Fight for Human Rights

Alex Neve

Hear from the author of the latest CBC Massey Lecture

November 1, 2025 • 4:30pm

Diaspora Dialogues: Writing War

November 1, 2025 • 4:30pm

Vanishing Worlds, Fractured Homelands: Ibtisam Azem & Samrat Upadhyay

Ibtisam Azem and Samrat Upadhyay

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on upheaval, loss, and belonging

November 1, 2025 • 5:00pm

Stories in Time: Emma Donoghue & Alyson Richman

Emma Donoghue and Alyson Richman

Two beloved stars of historical fiction bring their latest page-turning adventures to TIFA

November 1, 2025 • 5:00pm

The Significance of Rewriting (And I’m Not Talking about Just Revising!) with David Wright Faladé

David Wright Faladé

Learn from the best in a Creative Writing Masterclass

November 1, 2025 • 5:30pm

The Past Reimagined: Guy Gavriel Kay & Susanna Kearsley

Guy Gavriel Kay and Susanna Kearsley

Hear from these two master storytellers on their latest novels

November 1, 2025 • 5:30pm

Small Press, Big Impact: Why Independent Publishing Still Matters

Hear from the indie publishers of Canada

November 1, 2025 • 6:00pm

Words We Carry: Tracey Lindberg & katherena vermette

Tracey Lindberg and katherena vermette

Part of the Festival of Indigenous Stories

November 1, 2025 • 6:30pm

From Page to Stage: Rogers v. Rogers

Join the writers and director of the book-turned-play for a conversation on adaptation

November 1, 2025 • 6:30pm

Echoes Across Eras: Lin King & Jinwoo Park

Lin King and Jinwoo Park

Dive into two gripping and genre-defying works that span continents and time

November 1, 2025 • 7:00pm

Auks & Oddities: Sibylle Grimbert & Michel Nieva

Sibylle Grimbert and Michel Nieva

Join these authors for a conversation on humanity in the wake of change

November 1, 2025 • 8:00pm

Literature & Memory: Pete Crighton

Pete Crighton

An exploration the past, desire, and identity

November 2, 2025 • 10:00am

Sunday, November 2

History in Your Hands

Visit this immersive exhibit by the Aga Khan Museum

Exhibition

November 2, 2025 • 11:00am

The Global Canadian Revisiting History: Ann Y. K. Choi, Vinh Nguyen & Jinwoo Park

Ann Y. K. Choi, Vinh Nguyen, and Jinwoo Park

Revisit history with these three authors from the Asian diaspora

Reading

November 2, 2025 • 11:00am

Tea, Cake & Family Sagas with Catherine Newman and Zeina Sleiman

Catherine Newman and Zeina Sleiman

Enjoy tea, cake, and conversation with these authors!

A rich conversation with Giller Prize-winning authors

Changing Colours: Souvankham Thammavongsa & Ian Williams

Souvankham Thammavongsa and Ian Williams

Join WCC for an expressive writing workshop in a shared, inclusive space

Writers Collective of Canada Workshop

Dismantling some of the comforting myths to offer a wake-up call and a call to action

Andrew Coyne: The Crisis of Canadian Democracy

Andrew Coyne

Learn from the best in a Creative Writing Masterclass

Writing with the Senses with Alka Joshi

Alka Joshi

November 2, 2025 • 12:00pm

Past Our Prime: Susan Swan & Cathrin Bradbury

Cathrin Bradbury and Susan Swan

Join two outstanding women who celebrate the unashamed pleasures of life in the latter years

November 2, 2025 • 12:00pm

Canisia Lubrin: The World After Rain

Canisia Lubrin

Join us for an event with award-winning Canadian poet

November 2, 2025 • 12:30pm

Bound & Unbound: Adam Haslett & Shani Mootoo

Adam Haslett and Shani Mootoo

Sit down with two acclaimed authors

November 2, 2025 • 1:00pm

Belonging Across Borders: Alejandro Heredia & David Wright Faladé

Alejandro Heredia and David Wright Faladé

Delve into two unforgettable stories of love and transformation

November 2, 2025 • 1:00pm

Family Faultlines: Ziyad Saadi, Zeina Sleiman & Jemimah Wei

Ziyad Saadi, Zeina Sleiman, and Jemimah Wei

Exploring the intricacies of family

November 2, 2025 • 1:30pm

Diaspora Dialogues: The Intimacies of Chosen Families

November 2, 2025 • 1:30pm

Patchen Barss: The Impossible Equation of Genius

Patchen Barss

Join the Toronto-based journalist for his latest biography on a Nobel prize-winning physicist

November 2, 2025 • 2:00pm

David Shribman: The Future of History in America

Hear from a prominent journalist on the state of America, past, present, and future

November 2, 2025 • 2:00pm

A Daughter’s Place, A Woman’s Voice: Martha Bátiz & Christine Estima

Martha Bátiz and Christine Estima

Step into history, love, and stories of resilience

November 2, 2025 • 2:30pm

Re/writing Connection

Writers Collective of Canada moderates a compelling panel discussion on the power of storytelling

November 2, 2025 • 2:30pm

Joy Fielding: Jenny Cooper Has a Secret

Joy Fielding

Step into the chilling world of psychological suspense with New York Times bestselling author

November 2, 2025 • 2:30pm

How to Change Your Mind in a Poem with Adam Sol

Learn from the best in a Creative Writing Masterclass

November 2, 2025 • 3:00pm

Guelph Masterclass Talk: Jeremy Tiang

Jeremy Tiang and Canisia Lubrin

In partnership with University of Guelph

November 2, 2025 • 3:00pm

Fight for Freedom, Search for Truth: Nathan Harris & Patrick Tarr

Nathan Harris and Patrick Tarr

A gripping conversation about survival, memory, and the haunting legacies of war

November 2, 2025 • 3:00pm

The Bonds that Shape Us: Ryad Assani-Razaki & Jemimah Wei

Ryad Assani-Razaki and Jemimah Wei

A powerful conversation on survival, ambition, and the bonds that shape us

November 2, 2025 • 3:30pm

Silent Forces, Fierce Voices: Ann Yu-Kyung Choi & Cho Nam-Joo

Ann Y. K. Choi and Cho Nam-Joo

A Conversation on storytelling as a way to unearth silenced histories, honor resilience, and imagine new futures

November 2, 2025 • 4:00pm

Creativity and the Classroom in the Age of AI

Conversation in partnership with the Centre for Creativity

November 2, 2025 • 4:30pm

Quiet Revolutions: Ziyad Saadi & Fadi Zaghmout

Ziyad Saadi and Fadi Zaghmout

A powerful conversation on masculinity, identity and the quiet revolutions of everyday life

November 2, 2025 • 4:30pm

Diaspora Dialogues: Expanding Black Narratives

November 2, 2025 • 4:30pm

Thomas King: Aliens on the Moon

Thomas King

Part of the Festival of Indigenous Stories

November 2, 2025 • 5:00pm

Reading Rhythms x TIFA

Close out the Festival with reading time!