The second edition of the MOTIVE Crime & Mystery Festival is almost here, and with beautiful summer weather ahead, we know it’s going to be an excellent weekend to celebrate over 70 Canadian and international authors and their books!
With 60+ events and free activities taking place June 2–4 throughout Harbourfront Centre’s gorgeous lakeside campus, we’ve put together this ultimate guide with tips and tricks to make the most of it all.
Don’t forget your #MotiveTO pass
A MOTIVE Pass is your ticket to explore as much of the Festival as you wish… Come for a day or join for all three! You can choose the type and duration that suits you best.
A regular 1-day and 3-day pass gets you in the door for all Standard events, conversations and launches. You can also upgrade to a Premium 1-day or 3-day pass to get access to both Standard and Premium events. See all pass options here. Masterclasses are not included with passes.
Passes will be available for pick up once the Festival begins (June 2) at the MOTIVE Information Desk inside the Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay W, Toronto).
A limited number of single tickets for Premium events have also been released, here.
Questions? Call the Harbourfront Box Office at 416-973-4000 or email tickets@harbourfrontcentre.com.
Learn from the experts with creative writing masterclasses
A hit with new writers and pros alike, our masterclasses give you a chance to learn from world-class authors in a small classroom setting. From character building to writing true crime stories, there are five classes taking place throughout the weekend featuring authors Melodie Campbell, Catherine Fogarty, Ryan Gattis, Johana Gustawsson and Paul E. Hardisty. Classes are $49 each. Browse them all, here.
Discounts for students & book clubs
If you are on a student budget, we’ve got a deal for you! With TIFA’s student and youth (aged 25 and under) discount, you can get MOTIVE regular and premium passes for less. Be sure to select either the TIFA Student or Youth option on our online box office, here.
Keep your book club conversation going with a trip to MOTIVE this weekend. From cosy mysteries to chilling thrillers, we have a great selection of books, authors and conversations for readers of all kinds. Book Clubs can save 25% on ticket prices when booking five or more passes, or tickets to the same event, by calling the Harbourfront Centre Box Office 416-973-4000 (choose option 1).
Free readings, book signings & more
Along with a variety of conversations and classes, Harbourfront Centre’s campus will be bustling with free readings, book signings and presentations on Saturday and Sunday. The west lawn will be packed with the Toronto Crime Tours team, Adam Bunch, and the Crime Writers of Canada and their stellar group of writers. The Stage in the Park and Harbourfront Centre’s West Bays will feature readings by authors including Paul E. Hardisty, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Amy Stuart, Marcie R. Rendon and more. Check out all the free events, here.
If you are looking to get a book signed by your favourite author, head to the Marilyn Brewer Community Space after the event for the book signing. There are a few exceptions: Newfoundland Noir with Perry Chafe (Lakeside Terrace); The Twist of a Knife with Anthony Horowitz (Harbourfront Centre Theatre); and Central Park West with James Comey (Harbourfront Centre Theatre).
Food at Harbourfront Centre
If you need an energy boost or a quick bite to eat between events, be sure to check out The Bays Café and Boxcar Social. The Bays Café, located in Harbourfront Centre’s west bays, will be open 12–7pm on Saturday and Sunday with non-alcoholic drinks and light food options available for purchase.
Boxcar Social’s Harbourfront location will be open with food and drinks for purchase:
Friday: 9am – midnight (closed 3–7pm for a private event)
Saturday: 9am – midnight
Sunday: 9am – 10pm
Books, books, books and more books
With over 70 authors joining us this year, we have quite the selection of books from our official booksellers Indigo and Rakuten Kobo that will be perfect for your TBR pile. If you prefer e-books and audiobooks, Kobo’s got you covered, and Indigo has all you need in paperback and hardcover. Browse the full MOTIVE 2023 Festival reading list, here.
Indigo’s pop-up bookstore will be in Harbourfront Centre’s shop, located on the north-east corner of the building. You’ll be able to explore the shop from 12pm to 10pm each day of the Festival.
Getting to and around Harbourfront Centre
Plan your way to Harbourfront Centre before you leave, to avoid unnecessary troubles. You can find directions for getting here by train, TTC, car and foot, here.
Plot twist! Please be advised that Harbourfront Centre’s main building is undergoing renovations. As a result, the travel distances between venues may be slightly longer than usual. The building still remains accessible through elevators and ramps, and portable restrooms have been added to the campus. Please plan accordingly, and know that volunteers will be on hand to assist with any questions. Like a well-written mystery, the building’s final reveal will be worth the wait – we promise!
Check out the Festival map (click image for larger size):
Keep in touch!
Share your MOTIVE Festival experience with us! We want to see your pictures and hear your stories, so be sure to follow and tag us on social media:
Don’t forget to use #MotiveTO in your posts.
Have a question? See if it is answered on our FAQ page.
Browse the full schedule of MOTIVE events, readings and conversations, here.
If you can’t join us in person at Harbourfront Centre, be sure to check out the free, digital events, here.
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.
On April 13, 2023, the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) announced the 26 new titles that have been selected to be part of the latest season of Toronto Lit Up, a joint initiative with Toronto Arts Council that spotlights Toronto writers and provides career-building opportunities through book launch celebrations. The upcoming season will take place between April 2023 and March 2024, and feature new works of fiction and non-fiction for adults and young people, poetry, memoir and drama, by debut and established Toronto authors. Between April 2016 and March 2023, Toronto Lit Up has presented 165 events featuring over 200 Toronto authors and illustrators.
The following new books by Torontonians will be featured during this season of Toronto Lit Up:
- Curtis Campbell, Dragging Mason County (Annick Press)
- Patricia Scarlett, Blinded by the Brass Ring (Baraka Books)
- Bardia Sinaee & Anita Lahey, Best Canadian Poetry 2024 (Biblioasis)
- Simon A.G. Spencer, Blood of Gods (Birthright, book 2) (Brain Lag)
- Derwin Mak, Mecha-Jesus and Other Stories (Brain Lag)
- Jennilee Austria, Reuniting with Strangers: A Novel in Stories (Douglas & McIntyre)
- Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki, Roaming (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Camille Hernandez-Ramdwar, Suite as Sugar (Dundurn Press)
- Daniel Innes & Christina Wong, Denison Avenue (ECW Press)
- Evelyn Chick, For the Love of Cocktails (Figure 1 Publishing)
- Sean Morley Dixon, The Abduction of Seven Forgers (Freehand Books)
- Thao Lam, Happy Birthday to Me (Groundwood Books)
- Carey Sookochef, The Remembering Stone (Groundwood Books)
- Danila Botha, Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness (Guernica Editions)
- Chiedza Pasopanodya, The Sweet Spot (Hush Harbour Press)
- Jaypeetee Arnakak, The Woman and Her Bear Cub (Inhabit Media Inc.)
- Kate Siklosi, Selvage (Invisible Publishing)
- M. NourbeSe Philip, Zong! 15th Anniversary Edition (Invisible Publishing)
- Sadé Smith, Julie and the Mango Tree (Macmillan Publishers)
- Lien Chao, Spiritual Pursuits and Other Stories (Mawenzi House Publishers)
- Craig Shreve, The African Samurai (Scribner)
- Mary Fairhurst Breen,Pride and Persistence: Stories of Queer Activism(Second Story Press)
- Mai Nguyen, Sunshine Nails (Simon & Schuster)
- Naila Keleta-Mae, Performing Female Blackness (Wilfrid Laurier University Press)
- Jake Byrne, Celebrate Pride with Lockheed Martin (Wolsak and Wynn)
- Zhang Ling, Where Waters Meet (Amazon Publishing)
Book launch events to celebrate these titles will take place in person across Toronto from April 2023-March 2024. All events will be free to attend and open to the public. The first events of the season will be:
- April 15, 2023 at 2pm ET — Thao Lam, Happy Birthday to Me, & Carey Sookocheff, The Remembering Stone (Groundwood Books) at Queen Books (914 Queen St. East, Toronto, ON)
- May 1, 2023 at 6:30pm ET — Natasha Adiyana Morris, The Negroes are Congregating (Playwrights Canada Press) at the Blackhurst Cultural Centre (777 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON)
- May 4, 2023 at 7pm ET — Brooke Lockyer, Burr (Nightwood Editions) at Larry’s Folly (1462 Queen St. West, Toronto, ON)
From the Toronto Arts Council
“Partnering with TIFA to amplify the work of Toronto authors and illustrators is something we are very proud to do. Toronto Lit Up not only generates excitement for published work, but it promotes and further strengthens our city’s rich literary community. Congratulations to the 25 authors and illustrators who are taking part in this season of Toronto Lit Up!” – Kelly Langgard, Director & CEO, Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation.
The Committee
Each submission is reviewed by the Toronto Lit Up Committee, composed of Ayesha Chatterjee (past president, League of Canadian Poets), Alison Jones (Quill and Quire), Ian Keteku (OCAD U) and Hazel Millar (Book*hug).
This is Ian Keteku’s first year on the committee. He is a writer, performer and multimedia artist. He has written and directed projects for TVO, CBC, PBS and Sesame Street. An award-winning poet, Keteku is the 2010 World Poetry Slam Champion. Keteku’s work follows in the lineage of ancient African storytellers by paying homage to the past and revisiting themes and lessons from previous generations. Keteku teaches creative writing at OCAD University.
Toronto Lit Up is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.
ABOUT TORONTO LIT UP
Toronto Lit Up is a multi-year initiative, started in 2016 by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and Toronto Arts Council, to spotlight Toronto writers and empower local artists with career-building opportunities. Between April 2016 and June 2022, Toronto Lit Up has presented 137 events to launch 161 books by 236 Toronto authors. Launches are always open to the public and free to attend.
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:
On July 26, 2022, the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) announced that 21 new books have been selected to be part of the latest season of Toronto Lit Up, a joint initiative with Toronto Arts Council that spotlights Toronto writers and provide career-building opportunities through book launch celebrations. The latest Toronto Lit Up season will take place between July 2022 and March 2023, and feature new works of fiction and non-fiction for adults and young people, poetry, memoir and drama, by debut and established Toronto authors.
The authors and new books selected for the new Toronto Lit Up season are:
• Didier Leclair, Toronto, I Love You (translated to English by Elaine Kennedy) (Mawenzi House)
• Pamela Mordecai, de Book of Joseph (Mawenzi House)
• Curtis Carmichael, Butterflies in the Trenches: The Hood, an Epic Bike Ride, and Finding Inspiration (Synergy)
• Sophie Jai, Wild Fires (HarperCollins Canada)
• Khashayar Mohammadi, WJD (Gordon Hill)
• Emily Saso, Nine Dash Line (Freehand Books)
• Diane Borsato with illustrations by Kelsey Oseid, Mushrooming: The Joy of the Quiet Hunt – An Illustrated Guide to the Fascinating, the Delicious, the Deadly and the Strange (Douglas & McIntyre)
• Tanya Turton, Jade Is a Twisted Green (Dundurn Press)
• Nancy Lam, The Loyal Daughter (At Bay Press)
• Robert Priest, If I Didn’t Love the River (ECW Press)
• Daniel Scott Tysdal, The End Is in the Middle: MAD fold-in poems (Icehouse Poetry)
• Sam Shelstad, Citizens of Light (TouchWood Editions)
• Danee Wilson, Murder at San Miguel (Radiant Press)
• S.K. Ali, Love from Mecca to Medina (Simon & Schuster Canada)
• Jon S. Dellandrea, The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case: The Group of Seven & Tom Thomson Forgeries (Goose Lane Editions)
• Elaine Kachala, Superpower? The Wearable-Tech Revolution (Orca Book Publishers)
• Chris MacDonald, The Things I Came Here With: A Memoir (ECW Press)
• Elizabeth Gillian Muir, An Unrecognized Contribution: Women and Their Work in 19th-Century Toronto (Dundurn Press)
• Natasha Adiyana Morris, The Negroes Are Congregating (Playwrights Canada Press)
• George Elliott Clarke, Canticles III (MMXXII) (Guernica Editions)
• Brooke Lockyer, Burr (Nightwood Editions)
Book launch events will take place at venues throughout Toronto. Event dates and details will be posted throughout the season at FestivalofAuthors.ca/Toronto-Lit-Up. As always, Toronto Lit Up events are open to the public and free to attend.
“Toronto Lit Up continues to provide invaluable opportunities for Toronto writers to enjoy well-deserved time in the spotlight, along with the resources to celebrate and promote their publishing accomplishments. Toronto Arts Council is pleased to partner with TIFA as we applaud twenty-one accomplished authors participating this season, reflecting a wealth of diverse and compelling stories” – Claire Hopkinson, Director & CEO, Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation
“It’s an honour for us to continue to celebrate local Toronto authors and be a part of showcasing the diversity of the city’s vibrant literary landscape. We are particularly delighted that many of this season’s launches are scheduled to be in-person after many, many months of virtual launches. Congratulations to all the authors launching new books this year. We look forward to receiving – and greatly encourage – new submissions when the next call opens this fall.” – Ayesha Chatterjee, Toronto Lit Up committee member.
This is an extended season of Toronto Lit Up, which takes into account that many book launches were delayed during the past two years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
All submissions were 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).
Toronto Lit Up is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.
ABOUT TORONTO LIT UP
Toronto Lit Up is a multi-year initiative, started in 2016 by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and Toronto Arts Council, to spotlight Toronto writers and empower local artists with career-building opportunities. Between April 2016 and June 2022, Toronto Lit Up has presented 137 events to launch 161 books by 236 Toronto authors. Launches are always open to the public and free to attend.