Canada’s largest literary festival is returning to Toronto this month and Now Toronto is giving away two free passes, plus a tote bag full of festival books!
Fans of literature can let their imagination take flight through 200+ activities at the annual Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) happening from September 21 to October 1 at the Harbourfront Centre. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet, hear and learn from Canadian and international authors and writers from more than 20 countries, while celebrating the power of stories at free and ticketed events.
The charitable organization has been hosting the event since 1974, presenting thousands of authors, including 22 Nobel Laureates, who represent diverse perspectives and a range of literary genres for everyone to enjoy. TIFA is based at the Harbourfront Centre and offers events and activities for Torontonians and visitors to delight in the beauty of literature all year round.
At TIFA’s flagship festival this year there will be a multitude of experiences for all ages, from conversations and readings, to stage performances and workshops. Some prominent story creators coming to this year’s event include Margaret Atwood, Kwame Alexander, Patrick deWitt, Michelle Good, Catherine Hernandez and Sarah Polley, who will be honoured with the 2022 Toronto Book Award, among many others.
Atwood will be the focus of a free event in partnership with Theater of War Productions, called“Patient & Impatient Griselda”, ) which will explore power and control, domestic violence and family dynamics through two versions of the same story. There will be a reading followed by a discussion among community panelists and a guided audience discussion.
Another stage event that visitors shouldn’t miss is “How to Fail as a Pop Star with Vivek Shraya.” The multidisciplinary artist will present her coming-of-age series about a queer brown boy trying to become a mega pop star. The story first started as a one-person stage show to a book adaptation, and now is an upcoming CBC Gem original series. TIFA will present an advance screening of episodes, followed by an insightful conversation with Shraya.
Meanwhile, another new event series this year is “Bite the Book,” where attendees can explore the connection between food and community with a variety of authors, chefs, food critics and nutritional scientists in multi-sensory events, including food and wine tastings, dough-making, baking and other delicious conversations. Some highlights of the series include the self-described “wine witch” Natalie MacLean who will discuss the inspirations behind her national bestseller, “Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much,” and Taras Grescoe who will offer a globe-trotting account of ancient cuisines from his book, “The Lost Supper.”
For those who are a fans fiction that will whisk you out of reality, TIFA is introducing a new POP Fiction event series. The series invites lovers of sweeping sagas, heroes, villains, soulmates and more to enjoy this genre of storytelling. Nick Cutter and Andrew Sullivan will be a part of this series to discuss their book, “The Handyman Method: A Story of Terror,” which tells a modern twist on classic horror with haunted houses and the trials of home improvement. Romance authors Wendy Million and Romi Moondi will also be attending Wattpad’s “Ask the Expert: Writing Romance in 2023” event to discuss the genre’s new wave of popularity.
Also new this year is All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre’s unique one-of-a-kind experience “The Swings.” The free event features a giant five-metre tall swing installation that will spark audience members’ childhood memories and imagination. After the performance, visitors will also have the chance to swing through the air.
Other free events at this year’s festival include exhibitions and installations, such as “Writers Behind Typewriters” by OCAD University’s Creative writing program, and “TIFA Kids,” a fun-filled programme with plenty of activities for children and youth, including storytelling, arts & crafts, and sing-alongs.
Returning to TIFA this year is the daily professional writing masterclass series, in partnership with The Humber School for Writers.Led by renowned staff and acclaimed authors, each 90-minute class will be presented in person and focus on a specific aspect of writing, including tone, finding your voice and writing for an audience.
From Sept. 8-21, Now Toronto is hosting a contest where one lucky storyteller can enter to win two free passes to the festival, along with a tote bag full of books. To enter the contest:
- Follow @nowtoronto and @festofauthors on X (formerly known as Twitter)
- Comment who you want to share a tote full of books with
Limit of one entry per person. The contest closes on Sept. 21 at 11:59 p.m., and the draw will happen on Sept. 22. Rules and regulations can be found here.
The 11-day festival offers a range of day, weekend and full-festival passes, allowing audiences to drop in or spend the entire day. Passes are now on sale at FestivalofAuthors.ca. Students and youth aged 25 and under save up to 50 per cent on all festival pass types, while groups of five or more save 25 per cent on orders. Day passes range from $19.99 to $39.99, a weekend pass is $65.99 and a pass for the entire festival is $249.99.
For the full festival programme and schedule, visit FestivalofAuthors.ca.
