The MOTIVE Crime & Mystery Festival is back this June with some of Canada’s most renowned crime writers. Taking place June 2–4 at Harbourfront Centre, you will be able to immerse yourself in conversations, masterclasses, book signings and free activities all weekend long.
Join these Canadian masters of mystery to delve into the intricate plots and unforgettable characters that make their stories so loved by readers everywhere. To see the full list of MOTIVE participants, click here.
Roxanne Bouchard
Roxanne Bouchard, a French-Canadian author, playwright and lecturer, has taken the crime fiction world by storm with her atmospheric thrillers. Her fifth novel, We Were the Salt of the Sea, was shortlisted for multiple awards and was named the Quai Du Polar Crime Book of the Year. Now, her latest release, Whisper of the Seals (Orenda Books), has become a number one bestseller in Canada. The novel follows fisheries officer Simone Lord, who is thrust into danger aboard a trawler during a brutal seal hunt on the icy seas of Quebec’s remote Magdalen Islands. Detective Sergeant Joaquin Moralès is on his own case down the St. Lawrence River, and as the two investigations converge, the stakes get higher, and the danger more intense. Bouchard’s gripping and terrifying thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Roxanne Bouchard will participate in the following events:
Open-air Reading: Roxanne Bouchard
June 3, 2023 at 12pm ET, Stage in the Park
Fan Favourite Characters: Roxanne Bouchard & Marcie R. Rendon
June 4, 2023 at 2:30pm ET, Brigantine Room
Perry Chafe
Perry Chafe is a Canadian television writer, producer and songwriter known for his hit TV show Republic of Doyle. Born and raised in the small fishing community of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, Chafe brings his knowledge of the rugged coastal landscapes and the people who inhabit them to his debut novel, Closer by Sea (Simon & Schuster). In this poignant coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of a small island community in 1991, Chafe weaves a literary mystery that explores the fragility of childhood bonds and the brutal reality of both the natural and modern world. Part homage to the people and the place, part suspenseful thriller, Closer by Sea is a powerful novel that captures the delicate and tender moment when childhood innocence gives way to the harsh awakening of adult experience.
Perry Chafe will participate in the following events:
Newfoundland Noir: The Toronto launch of Closer By Sea by Perry Chafe, with special guests
June 3, 2023 at 8pm ET, Brigantine Room
Joy Fielding
Splitting her time between Toronto and Florida, Joy Fielding, the New York Times bestselling author of Someone Is Watching and Now You See Her, delivers another heart-pounding novel with The Housekeeper (Doubleday Canada). Jodi Bishop, a successful real estate agent, hires a housekeeper to help care for her aging parents, Vic and Audrey. But soon, Elyse Woodley, the housekeeper, takes over their lives, shutting Jodi out and manipulating her way into Audrey’s heart. As Audrey’s condition rapidly deteriorates, Jodi begins to suspect that there’s something sinister about Elyse’s intentions. A gripping tale of domestic suspense, The Housekeeper is a must-read for fans of the genre.
Joy Fielding will participate in the following events:
The Housekeeper: Joy Fielding
June 3, 2023 at 11:30am ET, Harbourfront Centre Theatre
Elyse Friedman
Torontonian Elyse Friedman is an acclaimed author, screenwriter, poet and playwright whose works have been recognized by prominent awarding bodies such as the Trillium Book Award and the Tom Hendry Award. Her short story, The Soother, also won the gold National Magazine Award for Fiction. Her latest book, The Opportunist (HarperCollins), is a riveting tale of greed, power and family intrigue, perfect for fans of The Nest and Succession. Join Elyse Friedman on a thrilling ride as she takes readers on a journey through a dangerous scheme full of secrets and surprises. With smart and entertaining writing that brims with shocking twists and turns, The Opportunist is a must-read for those who love razor-sharp commentary on those who wield power in this world.
Elyse Friedman will participate in the following events:
Unsettling Circumstances: Elyse Friedman & Jenny Lund Madsen
June 4, 2023 at 12:30pm ET, Brigantine Room
Maureen Jennings
Maureen Jennings, born in the UK, now residing in Toronto, is a celebrated author known for her gripping Detective Murdoch books, which have been adapted into the hit television series Murdoch Mysteries. She has also authored the Tom Tyler and Christine Morris series, and her books have been translated into multiple languages, including Italian, French, German and Czech. Her latest crime novel, Cold Snap (Cormorant Books), has been shortlisted for the 2023 Howard Engel Award for Best Crime Novel Set in Canada. The story is set in 1936 Toronto, where Charlotte Frayne narrowly escapes a car accident and meets a German refugee who possesses crucial information that could alter history. When Charlotte investigates her estranged mother’s request to locate her long-lost son, the two cases unexpectedly converge, revealing surprising connections.
Maureen Jennings will participate in the following events:
The Merry Widow Murders: Melodie Campbell with Maureen Jennings
June 2, 2023 at 6pm ET, Lakeside Terrace
Murder, Mystery & Mayhem: Kjell Ola Dahl & Maureen Jennings
June 4, 2023 at 6:30pm ET, Harbourfront Centre Theatre
Daniel Kalla
Daniel Kalla, the internationally bestselling author of many novels, including Lost Immunity and We All Fall Down, delivers a breathtaking thriller in Fit To Die (Simon & Schuster). When a famous pop star and social media influencer dies from an overdose of illicit diet pills, LAPD Detective Cari Garcia and Vancouver Detective Anson Chen team up to investigate. As the body count rises, the detectives must race against time to uncover the people responsible for the online marketing and distribution of the lethal pills before it’s too late. Kalla, a practicing emergency medicine physician in Vancouver, infuses the novel with authentic medical knowledge, making for a truly realistic and heart-pounding read.
Daniel Kalla will participate in the following events:
Novel Warnings: Paul E. Hardisty & Daniel Kalla
June 3, 2023 at 12:30pm ET, Brigantine Room
Open-air Reading: Daniel Kalla
June 4, 2023 at 1:15pm ET, Harbourfront Centre’s West Bays
Dietrich Kalteis
Dietrich Kalteis, winner of the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Best Crime Novel for Under an Outlaw Moon, delivers an electrifying tale of crime and consequence in his latest book, The Get (ECW Press). Set in mid-’60s Toronto, Lenny Ovitz, a man with a dark past, is desperate to rid himself of his wife and financial problems in one fell swoop. As a member of a ruthless gangster’s collection racket, Lenny’s days are spent terrorizing locals for protection money. With dirty money borrowed from shady sources, Lenny and his partner Gabe purchase a tenement block that they can’t afford to maintain. Determined to pay off their debts, Lenny concocts a plan to re-mortgage his house without his wife’s knowledge. But, with secrets come consequences, and Lenny’s plan takes a dangerous turn.
Dietrich Kalteis will participate in the following events:
A Tale of Two Crime Cities: Dietrich Kalteis & Sam Wiebe
June 3, 2023 at 11:30am ET, Lakeside Terrace
Amy Stuart
Amy Stuart, bestselling author of Still Mine, Still Water and Still Here, delivers a sensational thriller in A Death at a Party (Simon & Schuster), perfect for fans of Ashley Audrain and Lisa Jewell. The story takes place over the course of a single day, as Nadine Walsh prepares to host a summer garden party to celebrate her mother’s birthday. When Nadine discovers a dead body in her basement, the celebration takes a dark turn, and secrets are uncovered. As the night progresses and her guests mingle, Nadine’s anxieties mount, and she must grapple with haunting memories and unanswered questions about what led to the deadly incident.
Amy Stuart will participate in the following events:
Tea, Cake & Murder with Jessa Maxwell & Amy Stuart
June 3, 2023 at 3pm ET, Lakeside Terrace
Open-air Reading: Amy Stuart
June 4, 2023 at 5:15pm ET, Harbourfront Centre’s West Bays
Scott Thornley
Scott Thornley is a highly acclaimed Canadian author who has written five novels in the popular MacNeice Mysteries series (House of Anansi Press): Erasing Memory, The Ambitious City, Raw Bone, Vantage Point and Middlemen. The series features Detective Superintendent MacNeice, who is thrown into complex cases that require maximum expertise and intuition to solve. Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Thornley drew inspiration from his hometown to create the fictional setting of Dundurn in his books. He was appointed to the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts in 1990 and became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2018. If you’re a fan of crime fiction with richly drawn characters and intricate plots, Scott Thornley’s MacNeice Mysteries series is definitely worth a read.
Scott Thornley will participate in the following events:
Secrets of the Streets: Simone Buchholz & Scott Thornley
June 04, 2023 at 4:30pm, Lakeside Terrace
Sam Wiebe
Sam Wiebe has established himself as one of Canada’s most authentic and critically acclaimed contemporary crime writers. His Wakeland novels have garnered much praise, winning the Crime Writers of Canada Award and the Kobo Emerging Writers prize, and have also been shortlisted for many other awards, including the Edgar, Hammett, Shamus and City of Vancouver Book Prizes. In Sunset and Jericho (Harbour Publishing), the fourth instalment of the Wakeland series, Wiebe takes readers on a thrilling quest to Vancouver’s criminal underworld. PI Dave Wakeland finds himself caught up in a world of class warfare and ethical dilemmas as he investigates the disappearance of the mayor’s brother, and the theft of a transit cop’s service weapon.
Sam Wiebe will participate in the following events:
A Tale of Two Crime Cities: Dietrich Kalteis & Sam Wiebe
June 3, 2023 at 11:30am ET, Lakeside Terrace
Be sure to browse the full list of MOTIVE events here.
Application period: February 13 – April 30, 2023
The 2023 International Visitors (IV) Programme committee, in association with the Toronto International Festival of Authors, is pleased to announce that the application period is now open for 2023 IV Programme fellowships.
Now in its 16th year, the IV Programme hosts publishing professionals from across Canada and around the world during the annual Toronto International Festival of Authors. This year, the programme will take place in Toronto between September 25–29, 2023.
The programme is open to Canadian and international mid-level publishing professionals (minimum three years of experience) who work with, or are interested in working with, Canadian authors and publishers.
Click here for more information
The IV Programme is gratefully supported by:
Now Accepting Submissions for the 2023/24 Season
A new season of Toronto Lit Up is on the way to spotlight Toronto authors and provide career-building opportunities. Publishers of Toronto authors who are launching new books between April 2023 and March 2024 are invited to submit an application for book launch support. Self-published authors who identify with one or more of the Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Groups and are members of The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) are also welcome to apply.
Submissions will be accepted between February 2 and March 9.
Books must be published between April 2023 and March 2024.
All submissions will be reviewed by the Toronto Lit Up Committee, composed of Ayesha Chatterjee (past president, League of Canadian Poets), Alison Jones (Quill and Quire) and Hazel Millar (Literary Press Group).
Programme Benefits
Programme participants will receive:
- Financial support for a public book launch celebration taking place in Toronto within the season dates.
- Publicity support to promote the book launch celebration to the public.
- An honorarium fee for the author and select additional artists (performers, interviewers, hosts, etc.) participating in the book launch event.
About Toronto Lit Up
Toronto Lit Up (TLU) is a multi-year initiative, started in 2016 by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and the Toronto Arts Council, to spotlight Toronto writers and empower local artists with career-building opportunities. Between April 2016 and January 2023, Toronto Lit Up has presented 150 events to launch 174 books by 250 Toronto authors. Launches are always open to the public and free to attend.
Eligibility Requirements
Books:
- All genres are elifible, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, short story, graphic novels, literature for young people, cookbooks, gardening books, sports-related stories, satire and much more.
- Books must be published within three (3) months of the anticipated launch event date.
Authors:
- Authors must have been a resident of the City of Toronto for at least one (1) year prior to their book launch date, and also be a current resident, defined as living in Toronto for at least eight (8) months of the year. The City of Toronto is defined by its 1998 Amalgamation: Steeles Avenue to the north, Rouge River to the east, Lake Ontario to the south, and Etobicoke Creek/Highway 427 to the west.
- As TLU is a Toronto Arts Council (TAC) partnership, the programme is designed to represent the residents of the City of Toronto and its Equity Priority Groups, which include those who identify as persons of colour, deaf persons, persons with disabilities and persons living with mental illness, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIAP, as well as other historically underserved writers.
- Self-published authors who identify with one or more of TAC’s Equity Priority Groups and are members of The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC) are also welcome to apply.
Launch Celebration Event:
- Events may take place anywhere within the City of Toronto.
- Must be open to the public and free to attend.
- Event formats may include panel discussions, readings, one-on-one interviews, and/or interdisciplinary presentations held on-location or virtually.
Publishers:
- Publishers may submit more than one author per programme season.
How to Apply
- Review the eligibility requirements
- Respond to the call for submissions by completing an online proposal on or before Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 5pm, ET.
What to include with your submission?
- Author name
- Author bio
- Book title
- Genre
- Publisher
- Book summary
- Publication date
- Advanced readers copy/manuscript in PDF format
- Book’s publication date
- Anticipated event details (i.e., type and format of event, tentative venue, dates and time)
Questions? email TorontoLitUp[at]festivalofauthors.ca
Start your submission now, by clicking the link below.
Follow along on social media through #TorontoLitUp
Stories have been shared on this land for thousands of years, and the land Toronto International Festival of Authors operates on is home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. During the 43rd edition of the Festival, we are proud to have many Indigenous authors joining us on stage.
Check out the list of 15 books by Indigenous authors to read below, and be on the look out for links to Festival events still to come. In honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada on September 30, we’ve chosen to spotlight Strong Nations, an Indigenous-owned bookstore in British Columbia where you can purchase the titles.
Tainna: The Unseen Ones, Short Stories by Norma Dunning

Drawing on both lived experience and cultural memory, Norma Dunning brings together six powerful new short stories centred on modern-day Inuk characters in Tainna: The Unseen Ones, Short Stories. Norma Dunning’s masterful storytelling uses humour and incisive detail to create compelling characters who discover themselves in a hostile land where prejudice, misogyny and inequity are most often found hidden in plain sight. Tainna won the 2021 Governor General’s Award for literature. Also be sure to pre-order Dunning’s next book, Kinauvit?: What’s Your Name? The Eskimo Disc System and a Daughter’s Search for her Grandmother.
See Norma Dunning in the following event:
Critical Conversation: Continuing to Act: Reconciling, Not Reconciliation
October 2 at 7pm, Studio Theatre
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliot

In an urgent and visceral work that asks essential questions about the treatment of Native people in North America while drawing on intimate details of her own life and experience with intergenerational trauma, Alicia Elliott offers indispensable insight into the ongoing legacy of colonialism in A Mind Spread Out on the Ground. She engages with such wide-ranging topics as race, parenthood, love, mental illness, poverty, writing and representation, and in the process makes connections between the past and present, the personal and political. With deep consideration and searing prose, Elliott provides a candid look at our past, an illuminating portrait of our present and a powerful tool for a better future.
See Alicia Elliot in the following event:
The Re-Read: Tomson Highway on Indigenous Mythology
September 28 at 8pm, Harbourfront Centre Theatre
Laughing with the Trickster by Tomson Highway

Laughing with the Trickster provides brilliant, jubilant insights into the glory and anguish of life from one of the world’s most treasured Indigenous creators. Trickster is zany, ridiculous. The ultimate, over-the-top, madcap fool. Here to remind us that the reason for existence is to have a blast and to laugh ourselves silly.
See Tomson Highway in the following event:
The Re-Read: Tomson Highway on Indigenous Mythology
September 28 at 8pm, Harbourfront Centre Theatre
Mighty Muskrats by Michael Hutchinson

Sam, Otter, Atim and Chickadee are four inseparable cousins growing up on the Windy Lake First Nation. Nicknamed the Mighty Muskrats for their habit of laughing, fighting, and exploring together, the cousins find that each new adventure adds to their reputation. In the midst of community conflict, family concerns, and environmental protests, the four get busy following every lead. From their base of operations in a fort made out of an old school bus, the Mighty Muskrats won’t let anything stop them from solving their case!
See Michael Hutchinson in the following event:
Mighty Muskrats: Michael Hutchinson
October 1 at 4:30pm, Word Lab (Tent A)
Our Voice of Fire by Brandi Morin

A wildfire of a debut memoir by internationally recognized French/Cree/Iroquois journalist Brandi Morin set to transform the narrative around Indigenous Peoples. Morin is also a survivor of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis and uses her experience to tell the stories of those who did not survive the rampant violence. Our Voice of Fire chronicles Morin’s journey to overcome enormous adversity and find her purpose, and her power, through journalism.
See Brandi Morin in the following event:
Critical Conversation: Continuing to Act: Reconciling, Not Reconciliation
October 2 at 7pm, Studio Theatre
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

A daring post-apocalyptic novel from a powerful rising literary voice, blending action and allegory, Moon of the Crusted Snow upends our expectations. Out of catastrophe comes resilience. And as one society collapses, another is reborn. Moon of the Crusted Snow was the winner of the 2019 OLA Forest of Reading Evergreen award.
See Waubgeshig Rice in the following events:
A Different Page: Open Creation
September 30 at 12pm, South Lawn Tent
A Different Page Presented by Pratibha Arts
September 30 at 8pm, Lakeside Terrace
Rehearsals for Living by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson & Robyn Harding

When the world entered pandemic lockdown in spring 2020, Robyn Maynard, influential author of Policing Black Lives, and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, renowned artist, musician, and author of Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies, began writing each other letters which grew into a powerful exchange about where we go from here. By articulating to each other Black and Indigenous perspectives on our unprecedented here and now, Maynard and Simpson create something new in Rehearsals for Living: an urgent demand for a different way forward, and a poetic call to dream up other ways of ordering earthly life.
See Leanne Betasamosake Simpson in the following event:
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson in Concert
October 1 at 7:30pm, Concert Stage
Half-Bads in White Regalia by Cody Caetano

Capturing the chaos and wonder of a precarious childhood, Cody Caetano delivers a fever dream coming-of-age garnished with a slang all his own. Half-Bads in White Regalia is an unforgettable debut that unspools a tangled family history with warmth, humour, and deep generosity.
Màgòdiz by Gabe Calderón

Magodiz (Anishinabemowin, Algonquin dialect): a person who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against the government or ruler of their country.
Everything that was green and good is gone, scorched away by a war that no one living remembers. The small surviving human population scavenges to get by; they cannot read or write and lack the tools or knowledge to rebuild. The only ones with any power are the mindless Enforcers, a formless spiritual entity that has infiltrated the world to subjugate the human population.
With themes of resistance, of ceremony as the conduit between realms, of transcending gender, Magodiz is a powerful and visionary reclamation that Two-Spirit people always have and always will be vital to the cultural and spiritual legacy of their communities.
The Walrus and the Caribou by Maika Harper

When the earth was new, words had the power to breathe life into the world. But when creating animals from breath, sometimes one does not get everything right on the first try! Based on a traditional Inuit story passed forward orally for generations in the South Baffin region of Nunavut, The Walrus and the Caribou shares with young readers the origin of the caribou and the walrus—and tells of how very different these animals looked when they were first conceived.
Celia’s Song by Lee Maracle

Mink is a witness, a shape shifter, compelled to follow the story that has ensnared Celia, a seer, and her village, on the West coast of Vancouver Island in Nuu’Chahlnuth territory. Celia’s Song relates one Nuu’Chahlnuth family’s harrowing experiences over several generations, after the brutality, interference, and neglect resulting from contact with Europeans.
Blood by Tyler Pennock

Conceived in the same world as their acclaimed debut, Bones, Tyler Pennock’s Blood follows a Two-Spirit Indigenous person as they navigate urbanity, queerness, and a kaleidoscope of dreams, memory, and kinship. Pennock weaves longing, intimacy and Anishinaabe relationalities to recentre and rethink their speaker’s relationship to the living-never forgetting non-human kin. It is a reminder that Indigenous people carry the impacts of colonial history and wrestle with them constantly, exploring the relationships between spring and winter, ice and water, static things and things beginning to move, and what emerges in the thaw.
The Misewa Saga by David A. Robertson

Morgan and Eli are Indigenous children who discover a portal at their foster home to another world, Askī; there they discover talking animal beings who connect them to traditional ways, as well as help them deal with the challenges in the real world. A fantasy for readers aged ten and up, the Misewa Saga (“misewa” is Cree for “all that is”) series reflects stories of the sky and the constellations held within its great canvas. Get your copy of Barren Grounds, Great Bear and Stone Child.
All Our Relations: Finding the Path Forward by Tanya Talaga

Based on her Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy series, All Our Relations is a powerful call for action, justice, and a better, more equitable world for all Indigenous Peoples. In this urgent and incisive work, bestselling and award-winning author Tanya Talaga explores the alarming rise of youth suicide in Indigenous communities in Canada and beyond. The Indigenous experience in colonized nations are marked by the violent separation of Peoples from the land, the separation of families and the separation of individuals from traditional ways of life. But, Talaga reminds us, First Peoples also share a history of resistance, resilience, and civil rights activism.
Whitemud Walking by Matthew James Weigel

Whitemud Walking is a genre-bending work of visual and lyric poetry, non-fiction prose, photography, and digital art and design. Using photos, documents, and recordings that are about or involve his ancestors, but are kept in archives, Weigel examines the consequences of this erasure and sequestration.
View the full festival reading list here!
The 43rd Toronto International Festival of Authors runs September 22 to October 2, featuring over 200 events taking place live and in person at Harbourfront Centre. Whether you are a beloved reader of poetry, non-fiction or fiction, there is so much to see and do.
Even if you are an avid TIFA fan, there are new offers in store, so be sure to check out the tips below to make the most of our biggest Festival yet.
Get tickets
With conversations, performances, readings, masterclasses and much more happening throughout the 11 days, don’t miss this chance at hearing world-class authors share their love of storytelling. Get your tickets early so you don’t get caught up in the last-minute rush and lose out on attending any events. Buy tickets online or call the Harbourfront Centre box office at 416-973-4000 (choose option #1).
Box Office Hours:
In-person:
September 22–23: 12–9 pm
September 24 to October 2: 10:30am – 9pm
Satellite box offices will open at the Fleck Dance Theatre and Harbourfront Centre Theatre one hour before events begin at those locations.
Call Centre:
1–5pm daily
See it all with a TIFA pass
With each day packed with a dozen or more events, get yourself a day, weekend or all-access pass for the opportunity to see as many events as you can. Once you get your pass, all you have to do is stop by the box office to pick it up starting September 21, and the schedule becomes yours to explore. Get passes here.
Passes exclude access to masterclasses, TIFA Kids workshops, The Moth, the CCBC 2022 Awards Ceremony, walking tours and Freedom to Write and to Read: Standing with Salman Rushdie.
Take advantage of discounts
If you are planning within a tight budget, make sure you don’t miss out on important discounts. Students and youth (aged 25 and under) can attend TIFA events for only $12. Some exceptions do apply, so be sure to check the box office for details.
As well, if you are part of a book club or reading group, make a plan to visit the Festival together to make the most of the Book Club discount. Book clubs can save 25% on ticket prices when booking five or more tickets to the same event by calling the Harbourfront Centre Box Office 416-973-4000 (choose option 1).
Experience unique TIFA events
As Canada’s largest literary festival, we are thrilled to bring back favourite event series like Critical Conversations, The Re-Read, Masterclasses and Ask the Expert, as well as new formats like walking tours, exhibits and free readings. Additionally, the Festival features the second annual PEN Canada Graeme Gibson talk, The Moth, Theater of War: The Waste Land Project and Dreams in Vantablack: Film Screening. Don’t miss these events and more by browsing the full schedule here.
Find your way to Harbourfront Centre
Don’t get lost! Plan your way to Harbourfront Centre early so you know how to get here without any trouble. You can find directions for getting here by train, TTC, car and foot here.
Once you get to Harbourfront Centre, you can use the 2022 Festival map to find tents, venues and installations. Check out the map here.
Keep up-to-date on Festival news
Be the first to know what’s going on by following @FestofAuthors on:
Or get information right to your inbox by signing up for our enews here.
Don’t forget to share your Festival experience on social media with #FestofAuthors22.
Explore the free activities and performances
There will be free events and activities taking place all over the Harbourfront Centre campus during #FestofAuthors22. From a pop-up coffee shop in the Marilyn Brewer Community Space to Stage in the Park readings, don’t miss the variety of free offerings throughout the 11 days. Browse free events here.
Check your email for your tickets
Once you have purchased tickets to one (or many more) of the events, keep a watchful eye on your email. All tickets will be sent via email. You will need your e-ticket to access the event. If you don’t see it in your inbox, be sure to check your spam or junk folder.
If you have any questions about tickets, reach out to Harbourfront Centre’s box office at 416-973-4000 or tickets@harbourfrontcentre.com.
Browse the reading list
From memoirs to YA, and thrillers to literary fiction, our official booksellers Rakuten Kobo and Indigo have you covered for all your Festival book needs. See the full list of #FestofAuthors22 books here.
If you prefer ebook and audiobooks, you can browse Kobo’s online catalogue at any time here. If hardcover and paperbacks are more your style, be sure to drop by the Marilyn Brewer Community Space inside Harbourfront Centre to pick up books at the Indigo Bookstore.
Have a question? See if it is answered on our FAQ page.
Browse the full #FestofAuthors22 schedule here.
With the 43rd edition of the Toronto International Festival of Authors around the corner, it’s time to spotlight all the fun (and mostly free!) TIFA Kids events taking place September 22 to October 2. Authors and illustrators from Canada and around the world will be joining us to explore identity, history and culture, environment, science and imagination through books.
From crafts to conversations, and storytimes to workshops, these 11-days are packed full of dynamic and engaging events for the whole family. Check out just some of the 30+ TIFA Kids events happening below.
Storydrop

Drop in at the TIFA Kids tent any day of the Festival for endless fun at Storydrop! Presented in partnership with the Children’s Book Bank, Storydrop offers fun, hands-on activities for ages 4 and up. Dress up as your favourite character and bring a book to life at the Book Jacket Photobooth; contribute to the creation of the Great Collage Creature, a large crowd-created art piece to be displayed at the Children’s Book Bank; cozy up for an afternoon of reading in the book nook, where you’ll find books by featured authors and illustrators at the Festival. Plus, each weekend of the Festival from 2–4pm, there will be the chance to join in with an illustrator from the programme to create a giant piece of artwork.
Located on the west lawn at Harbourfront Centre, this space is part of the free, outdoor events at #FestofAuthors22.
Authors & illustrators in person

Hear authors and illustrators talk about their latest books in person each day of the Festival. Don’t miss Rochelle Strauss and Natasha Donovan talking about the ocean or Joyce Grant exploring the importance of teaching kids to navigate the internet with a critical eye. As well, Michael Hutchinson, Nancy Vo, Kenneth Oppel and Sachiko Kashiwaba are just some of the authors joining us for conversations, Q&A and readings. Browse more events here.
The Happiness Collectors

The world’s supply of happiness is running low and The Happiness Collectors need your help! Pop on your headphones and join SAM (Special Agent M) on a journey of sounds and silliness to learn the best ways to collect happiness – and most important of all, how to pass it on! SAM will take your around the world to visit the jungle, the Antarctic, New York City, a beach, an Olympic stadium and the circus.
The Happiness Collectors is friendly for all neurodiverse people and families with children aged 5+. Each audience member will be given a set of wireless headphones to wear for the duration of the performance.
Registration is needed to attend. Book your tickets here. See Additional Performance Dates to select a time.
Located in the South Lawn Tent, this event is part of the free, outdoor events at #FestofAuthors22.
Storytimes

It wouldn’t be a book festival without some of the best storytellers reading books to you! Join your favourite authors reading their own books or even their favourite books. Author and illustrator Kevin Sylvester discusses the latest book in his Hockey Super Six series, In The Game, as well as Apartment 713. Linda Bondestam will take you under the sea in My Life at the Bottom to learn about one of the world’s rarest sea creatures with the chance to do some drawings of your own. On September 25 and October 2, Fay and Fluffy will be on the Stage in the Park spreading their message of inclusivity, kindness and being proud of yourself – and show that reading is FUN-damental! There is much more to see at the festival so be sure to check out all the TIFA Kids event listings.
The Big Create & Make

The Big Create & Make is a drop-in session where you can linger for 10 minutes or 2 hours, and be part of making something big, beautiful and creative! Get in on the Festival fun and meet a published picture-book illustrator, while flexing your own creative muscles. Taking place September 24–25 and October 1–2, each day will feature a different illustrator:
September 24 @ 2pm ET: Linda Bondestam
September 25 @ 2pm ET: Ellie Arscott
October 1 @ 2pm ET: Barbara Reid
October 2 @ 2pm ET: Natasha Donovan
Located in the Storydrop space (Tent B), this event is part of the free, outdoor events at #FestofAuthors22.
Workshops

Calling all aspiring authors and artists! TIFA Kids is offering a variety of free writing and illustration workshops with some of the authors appearing at the festival. Ashley Spires will be talking about how she came up with her character, Binky the Space Cat, and you’ll even get to create your own comic! Ireland’s Laureate na nÓg, Áine Ní Ghlinn will take your storytelling to the next level by offering a range of writing prompts to populate your blank pages. Let your creativity flow!
Spectacular Translation Machine

Have you ever wondered how one language translates to another? Do you think we come up with the same words? Oui ou non? Join us in translating some of the picture book La Petite Créature by French illustrator and graphic artist, Marjolaine Leray. Pick the page and whatever language you like and our translators will help! What will the book look like by the end? It all depends on the words you choose …
Located in Tent C, all day September 24 & 25. this event is part of the free, outdoor events at #FestofAuthors22.
A Tribute to Children’s Books

Children’s books are often the first contact we have with literature and art, and they make a powerful impression. Regardless of age and culture, we have used stories both as entertainment and in search of knowledge, to strengthen our ties with others – both those who are like us and those who are unlike us – and not least in order to understand our own existence. The Swedish Academy for Children’s Books seeks to enable children to have access to powerful and enriching reading experiences and has produced this exhibition as a tribute to children’s literature. Learn more here.
CCBC Book Awards

TIFA is proud to partner with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) to present the 2022 CCBC Book Awards, celebrating the best Canadian books for young people. The winners for the English-language awards will be announced in this broadcast of the much-anticipated event in the world of Canadian books for young people. You can view the event in person or virtually!
See the full list of #TIFAKids events here!
The International Visitors (IV) Programme, in association with the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA), today announced that Iris Tupholme, SVP, Executive Publisher at HarperCollins Publishers Ltd., will be the 11th recipient of the Ivy Award, given annually to an individual who has made a substantial contribution to Canadian publishing. Tupholme will be honoured during the 2022 Ivy Award & Conversation taking place at Harbourfront Centre during TIFA on September 26 at 11:30am (ET). The free-with-registration event will also feature an introduction by award-winning author Lawrence Hill, and a conversation with Chantal Restivo-Alessi, Chief Digital Officer and CEO International Foreign Language for HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. TIFA, Canada’s largest and longest-running literary festival, celebrates its 43rd edition from September 22 to October 2, 2022.
“I’m delighted to be chosen as the 2022 Ivy Award recipient and particularly honoured to know that author Lawrence Hill will introduce me at TIFA for this event,” said Iris Tupholme. “The Ivy Award is such a special acknowledgement because it comes from our industry colleagues whose support and encouragement I have always appreciated.”
“On behalf of the IV Committee I want to state how delighted we all are that Iris Tupholme has been selected to receive this year’s Ivy Award,” said Carolyn Forde, IV Chair, Partner and Senior Literary Agent at
Transatlantic Agency, President, PACLA (Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents). “As the
Publisher of HarperCollins Canada, Iris has a hand in bringing some of this country’s most important books to readers, and in nurturing, supporting and championing a wonderful roster of authors. As if that wasn’t enough, the IV Programme exists because of Iris’s outstanding vision and tireless hard work. Over 15 years ago she conceived of this fellowship program and through it she has done so much to showcase the entire Canadian publishing industry to a wide range of international publishers, editors, agents and scouts and has also created a unique and powerful opportunity for Canadian publishing professionals to work together. We are so grateful to Iris and so happy to see her receive this well deserved recognition.”
This year’s Ivy Award jury is composed of Alison Jones, Carolyn Forde, Kyle Wyatt and Roland Gulliver. Past Ivy Award recipients include: Errol Sharpe (2021), Nurjehan Aziz (2020), Anne Collins (2019), Brian Lam (2018), Phyllis Bruce (2017), Linda McKnight (2016), David Kent (2015), Dean Cooke (2014), Louise Dennys (2013) and Scott McIntyre (2012).
The IV Programme is funded by:
As the official presenter of MOTIVE Crime & Mystery Festival, Kobo Plus is offering Toronto International Festival of Authors guests, friends and supporters an opportunity to try Kobo’s all-you-can-read subscription service.
Choose from hundreds of thousands of popular, classic and original titles for only $9.99 a month.
If you are looking to make the most of the recent summer weather, be sure to drop by MOTIVE Crime and Mystery Festival, presented by Kobo Plus, this weekend! The Toronto International Festival of Authors will be taking over Harbourfront Centre’s waterfront campus with free outdoor activities for mystery fans of all ages.
From thought-provoking discussions to riveting readings, there will be a lot going on Saturday and Sunday. Below is a rundown of the wonder and mystery to expect at the beautiful lakeside location.
Kobo Cabana Reading Lounge
Be sure to visit our friends at the Kobo Cabana Reading Lounge! The welcoming space will have a charging station, comfy couches and some delicious treats. It’s the perfect place to relax, get book recommendations and chat with other crime and mystery fans.
West Lawn – Saturday, June 4 at 11am – 7pm
West Lawn – Sunday, June 5 at 11am – 7pm
Pitch Perfect
Join writers Alan Brand, Bruce Madole, Scott McKinnon and Hope Thompson as they pitch book ideas to a panel of publishing industry experts. Pitching may sound like a stressful process, but it’s all in good fun. After their pitches, the judges will provide constructive, positive feedback on the writers’ ideas. The event will take place inside Harbourfront Centre. Tickets are free with registration.
Main Loft – Sunday, June 5 at 6:30pm
Critical Conversations: Ethics of Crime Writing
At the outdoor stage on Harbourfront’s west lawn, authors Marcie Rendon, Beverley McLachlin and Ryan Gattis will explore the nuances and ethical implications of how crime, criminals and police are represented in the genre. In conversation with Robert Rotenberg, they will discuss their writing choices, as well as their ongoing work to better the criminal justice system. The Critical Conversation series is presented in partnership with the Provocation Ideas Festival.
Outdoor Stage – Saturday, June 4 at 2pm
Meet Me in the Yard: Audio Installation
As you enter MOTIVE’s hub of outdoor activities, an interactive audio installation will you greet you. Take a snapshot of the QR codes to hear different experiences of incarceration. There are a total of five stories being shared, so be sure to explore the entire space. Presented by Trophy, in partnership with Provocation Ideas Festival.
North Orchard – Saturday, June 4 at 1–6pm
TIFA Kids & Family Fun
The TIFA Kids & Family tent will have fun for the whole family! There will be board games, colouring and other free activities to enjoy all weekend long.
Outdoor Tent – Saturday, June 4 at 11am – 7pm
Outdoor Tent – Sunday, June 5 at 11am – 7pm
Crime Writers of Canada Book Signings & Readings
The Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) is joining MOTIVE with free readings and book signings. See authors like James Arnett, Nate Hendley, O’Cinneide, Robert Rotenberg, Lynne Murphy, Dianne Scott and many more throughout the weekend as they read from their books on the outdoor stage. Afterward, head to the CWC tent to meet authors from all over Canada.
Check out their weekend lineup:
Book Signings at the Outdoor Tent – Saturday, June 4 at 11am – 7pm
Readings on the Outdoor Stage – Saturday, June 4 at 6pm
Book Signings at the Outdoor Tent – Sunday, June 5 at 11am – 7pm
Readings on the Outdoor Stage – Sunday, June 5 at 2pm
Toronto Crime Tours
Drop in to hear the true crime stories of Toronto’s past! Presented by Toronto Crime Tours, theirs are the only crime tours in Canada hosted by retired Detectives. Hear stories that are both fascinating and frightening like the Clowns vs. Firefighters Riot of 1855, the tragic case of the Shoeshine Boy and the notorious Boyd Gang. No walking or registration required.
Outdoor Tent – Saturday, June 4 at 1pm – 6 pm
Outdoor Tent – Sunday, June 5 at 1pm – 6 pm
Indigo Bookstore
While the books may not be free, browsing them sure is! Explore Indigo’s Bookstore in the Marilyn Brewer Community Space inside Harbourfront Centre all weekend. From cozy mysteries to chilling thrillers, true crime to police procedurals, the bookstore will be stocked with all the must reads in crime and mystery.
Marilyn Brewer Community Space – Friday, June 3 at 4–9:30pm
Marilyn Brewer Community Space – Saturday, June 4 at 10am – 9pm
Marilyn Brewer Community Space – Sunday, June 5 at 10am – 9pm
Ask the Expert
Two crime-writing experts will be on the outdoor MOTIVE stage to discuss the latest trends in the genre. On Saturday, New York Times journalist and crime fiction expert Sarah Weinman will be chatting about all things true crime. Then on Sunday, Globe & Mail crime fiction reviewer, Margaret Cannon, will be taking a look at the crime genre through a Canadian lens. Don’t miss these great conversations!
Ask the Expert: Sarah Weinman – Saturday, June 4 at 3:30pm
Ask the Expert: Margaret Cannon – Sunday, June 5 at 3:30pm
Want to see the full schedule? Check it out here.
On May 31, 2022, Kegedonce Press will release a remarkable new poetry collection, a collaboration with the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) and Festival of the Peripheries (FLUP), titled Slam Coalkan Performance Poetry: The Condor and the Eagle Meet. In 2021, 17 Indigenous spoken-word artists from Abya Yala (South America) and Turtle Island (North America) were invited by TIFA in Toronto, Canada, and Festival of the Peripheries (FLUP) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in a virtual edition of Slam Coalkan. This project, funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, was created to allow Indigenous poets from across the Americas to meet and share ideas, dreams and aspirations for the future, through two slam performances and a series of roundtables around the importance of storytelling. TIFA then reached out to Kegedonce Press to have the performers’ works published in an English-language anthology.
Slam Coalkan is curated by poets Jennifer Alicia Murrin of Toronto and Renata Tupinambá of São Paulo. The festivals’ directors, Roland Gulliver (TIFA) and Julio Ludemir (FLUP) have each contributed an afterword reflecting on this extraordinary cross-continental collaboration. Digitally enhanced with QR codes, Slam Coalkan links readers to videos of the poets’ performances at the FLUP and TIFA festivals.
The two Slam Coalkan competitions and the resulting anthology evoke an ancient Indigenous prophecy called coalkan, in which South America is represented by the Condor and North America, the Eagle. The prophecy states: The day will come when the Eagle and the Condor will fly together in the same sky, wing to wing, and the world will come into balance. The poetry of Slam Coalkan speaks out against the evils of colonialism, racism, transphobia and genocide.
The artwork on the book’s visually stunning cover is by Philip Cote III and Gustavo Caboco, with design by Chantal Lalonde and Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm.
Tyler Pennock, award-winning author of Bones, writes of Slam Coalkan: “This collection is an invitation, a re-focusing, and a collaboration long overdue. Persistent and affirming, the poets pull our gaze away from centered norms of power, empire, and colony. In this, every poem is a world, unique to the storyteller, diverse and full, maintained as living response to the brutality of oppression. Every page is necessary and compelling – an awakening, and a ‘body that transmutes hate in song.’”
Slam Coalkan will have its official launch at an in-person and online event at Glad Day Bookshop in Toronto on June 21 at 7pm ET. Contributor and editor Jennifer Alicia Murrin will participate and the event will be moderated by Tyler Pennock.
