Event Details

The Toronto International Festival of Authors presents the finest international novelists, poets, playwrights, short story writers and biographers, and provides Canadian writers with an internationally recognized forum in which to present their work.

Incorporated in 1986 as a non-profit organization with a mandate to cultivate and advance the cause of literature, the organization operates under the principal sponsorship of Harbourfront Centre, Toronto’s leading multidisciplinary centre for contemporary arts. The Toronto International Festival of Authors is home to a weekly event series (September to June), the annual International Festival of Authors (October) and, for younger readers, YoungIFOA (October) and ALOUD: a Celebration for Young Readers with Forest of Reading® Festival of Trees™ (May), presented with the Ontario Library Association.

The Festival and weekly series together have held readings, round table discussions, interviews and performances involving over 8,000 authors from more than 100 countries. In 2007, IFOA introduced its touring programme, IFOA Ontario, which now visits communities in numerous cities and towns across the province. More information about this programming can be found on litontour.com.

This funding is for the marketing of “Celebrating 40 Years of Words & Ideas”, special anniversary programming taking place September 26 to November 15, 2019 in 13 locations across the province with the core events taking place at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto October 24 to November 3. The 11-day Festival will present over 250 participants at more than 60 events from over 30 countries. Programming will include:

(1) “A History of Words & Ideas” (October 24 to November 3): an exhibition of Festival memorabilia and art works dedicated to storytelling and the social value of reading and authors. The exhibit will be complemented with a podcast series produced by TIFA and the Toronto Public Library;

(2) “A City of Books: Celebrating 45 years of the Toronto Book Awards” (November 2): in collaboration with the City of Toronto and the Toronto Book Awards, TIFA will host a special event celebrating the 45 years of the Toronto Book Awards with a panel of winning authors and the unveiling of David Chariandy’s winner plaque at the Toronto Book Garden;

(3) “Theatre of the Mind” (October): a theatrical adaptation of Miriam Toews’s book Women Talking in collaboration with the Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF), the Edinburgh Royal Lyceum Company (ERLC) and the British Council. he presentation will also feature a discussion between the author and the company moderated by an interviewer;

(4) “Into the Future” (November 2): a showcase of the new generation of Canadian and international writers. The event will see prominent authors (Thomas King, Rachel Cusk, André Alexis and Rabindranath Maharaj) introducing the new literary talents. TIFA will be collaborating with Book*hug to publish “The Unpublished Nation”, an anthology featuring the emerging writers;

(5) “World Literature” (October 24 and November 3): an expanded component of the Festival that will see authors from nearly 30 countries present their work. Invited authors include: Lloyd Jones, Toni Morrison, Ian McEwan, Leila Slimani and others. TIFA is currently in discussions with the Goethe Institute to collaborate in bringing German authors to the 2019 Festival;

(6) “Open Stage Nights” (October 24 and November 3): an open mic night for emerging and unpublished writers;

(7) “People and Place” (November 2): TIFA will be collaborating with the Nicholas Metivier Gallery and visual artist John Hartman to present a special event and book launch featuring the artist in conversation with two authors. The event will be complemented by a projection of John Hartman’s works at Harbourfront Centre that would run during the Festival and will serve as a preample to the Hartman exhibit at the McMichael Gallery scheduled for February 2020; and

(8) “Lit On Tour” (September 28 – November 7): TIFA’s touring program will visit 12 locations across the province, touring 30-37 Canadian and international authors. Tour stops include Thunder Bay, Woodstock, Scarborough, Owen Sound, Etobicoke, Midland, Goderich, Keswick/ Pefferlaw, Aurora, Cobourg, Collingwood and Sudbury. In addition, online broadcasts will reach Manitoulin Island, Timmins, Huntsville, Sault Ste. Marie and Fort Erie.