Looking for something to do this Spring? The Festival of Literary Diversity is BACK!

Founded in 2016, The Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) celebrates diverse authors and storytellers from Canada and around the world. It’s the first literary festival devoted to celebrating underrepresented storytellers, with events, panels, and discussions that provide an important space for writers, readers, storytellers, educators,  and industry professionals.

This year, the festival runs from April 28th – May 5th. Events from April 28th – May 1st will be virtual, and events from May 2nd – 5th will be in-person, in Brampton, Ontario.

You can buy festival passes for the virtual portion alone, or for both the virtual & in-person parts of the festival. You can also buy specialty tickets for individual events like their Paint Night, their Literary Cabaret, a Literary High Tea, and more. 

To help you schedule your festival experience, we’ve highlighted a few of our “must-attend” panels and events for you below:

APRIL 28TH:

FOLD KICK-OFF EVENT (April 28th, 11 am EST) – Virtual

Kick off the festival at 11 am, with the virtual opening event. You can get to know the incredible team behind the festival & participate in trivia to try to win great bookish prizes. 

FREADOM: AUTHORS ON ACTIVISM (April 28th, 12 pm EST) – Virtual

One of the panels I’m most excited about is FREADOM: Authors on Activism. Authors Farzana Doctor, Marjorie Beaucage, & Rodney Diverlus will join moderator Jessica Kirk in a frank and open discussion about the role of authors in times of crisis. 

THE WRITER’S HUB: ROUNDTABLES (April 28th, 3 pm EST) – Virtual
Drop in to a variety of virtual conversations to meet publishers, agents, and editors, and discover how to navigate the publishing industry. This is a great tool for writers or book industry professionals to meet others in the industry.

CANADA READS 2024 REUNION (April 28th, 7:30 pm EST) – Virtual

FOLD Executive Director Jael Richardson moderates a discussion with four of the 2024 finalists on being selected for the Canada Reads show, and what it was like to see their books debated. The authors featured are Jessica Johns, Catherine Leroux, Téa Mutonji, and Christina Wong. This event will be followed by a virtual meet-and-greet where fans can meet the authors at a roundtable.

APRIL 29TH:

LUNCH N’ LEARN: WRITING HORROR (April 29th, 12 pm EST) – Virtual

Author Matteo L. Cerilli explores how activism and politics can be infused and explored in horror writing, offering strategies for how writers can navigate themes of fear and hope, while simultaneously challenging tired tropes in the genre.

THE BUSINESS OF BOOK INFLUENCERS (April 29th, 4 pm EST) – Virtual

Moderator Monica Tang is joined by book influencers from TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram to discuss their role in Canada’s publishing industry. This panel is a great place to learn helpful tips for anyone hoping to create engaging digital content, or review books.

APRIL 30TH:

LUNCH N’ LEARN: MANAGING WRITER’S BLOCK (April 30th, 12 pm EST) – Virtual

As both a writer and a psychotherapist, author Farzana Doctor brings a unique perspective to this discussion on writer’s block, and strategies to deal with it, as well as improve your writing.

NAVIGATING GHOSTS: MEMOIRS AND MEMORIES (April 30th, 7:30 pm EST) – Virtual

Moderated by Amanda Leduc, in this panel, memoir writers Tara Sifhoo Fraser, Tania De Rozario and Tessa Hulls discuss the ideas and themes that influenced their creative nonfiction, exploring topics like mental health, grief, disability, and loss. 

MAY 1ST:

SCHOOL GROUPS WORKSHOP: CRAFTING CHARACTERS (May 1st, 9:45 am EST) – Virtual

In this workshop for teens, author Emily Pohl-Weary explores and teaches how to develop great characters – the way they speak and move, their little quirks and habits, and of course, what makes them “tick”.

TRIVIA TIME: CLOSING TRIVIA EVENT (May 1st, 7 pm EST) – Virtual

Compete to win prizes and solve puzzles in the final virtual trivia event for the 2024 festival.

MAY 2ND:

STUDENTS AT THE ROSE: ONE-ON-ONE WITH WAUBGESHIG RICE (May 2nd, 10 am EST) – In-Person at The Rose Theatre

At this event geared towards high-school students, Anishinaabe author Waubgeshig Rice returns to The FOLD to build upon the success of Moon of the Turning Leaves, sequel to his bestselling Moon of the Crusted Snow. Interviewed by fellow dystopian author (and founder of FOLD) Jael Richardson, they will explore what it means to create an apocalypse story through an Indigenous lens. 

STUDENTS AT THE ROSE: THE SPOKEN WORD (May 2nd, 12:30 pm EST) – In-Person at The Rose Theatre

At the annual teen spoken word showcase, three poets will take the mic, perform their poetry, and answer audience questions.

MAY 3RD:

THE GREAT READCEPTION: A LITERARY CABARET (May 3rd, 7:30 pm EST) – In-Person at the Rose Theatre

In this popular annual event, six authors appearing at the festival read a sample of their work, accompanied by a live jazz band. This is a compelling evening of entertainment for festival attendees, book lovers, and music lovers alike… This one’s a fan favourite!

MAY 4TH:

FRIGHTFUL INDIGENOUS FICTION (May 4th, 11 am EST) – In-Person at the Rose Theatre

Moderated by Amanda Leduc, this much-anticipated panel features authors Alicia Elliott, Jessica Johns, and Waubgeshig Rice, whose novels use Indigenous storytelling to infuse themes of science fiction and horror. Join them as they discuss the stories and inspiration behind their unputdownable stories.

MAY 5TH:

A LITERARY HIGH TEA AT ALDERLEA: ROMANCE WRITERS EDITION (May 5th, 11 am EST) – In-Person at Alderlea Manor

The FOLD’s popular annual Sunday brunch is back! Wear your Sunday best, grab your friends, and take part in a delicious high tea with three incredible romance writers: Taj McCoy, Alina Khawaja, and Opal Wei. Moderated by Lavanya Narasimhan, this special-tea event includes trivia, with some great prizes.

Photos by George Pimentel for Immina Films

THE MAKING OF RU: FILM SCREENING AND TALK-BACK (May 5th, 2 pm EST) – In-Person at the Rose Theatre

Join The FOLD for a special screening of RU, the film adaptation of the award-winning novel by Kim Thúy. The film will be in French, with English subtitles, and includes a talk-back with the author. This screening will be followed by a film networking event.

This is just a taste of the incredible lineup at this year’s Festival of Literary Diversity. For more information about the great events being held, as well as ticket and location information, you can check out the festival schedule here. 

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Ameema Saeed (@ameemabackwards) is a storyteller, a Capricorn, an avid bookworm, and a curator of very specific playlists and customized book recommendations. She’s a book reviewer, a Sensitivity Reader, a book buyer at Indigo Books & Music, and the Books Editor for She Does the City, where she writes and curates bookish content, and book recommendations. She enjoys bad puns, good food, dancing, and talking about feelings. She writes about books, big feelings, unruly bodies, and her lived experiences, and hopes to write your next favourite book one day. When she’s not reading books, she likes to talk about books (especially diverse books, and books by diverse authors) on her bookstagram: @ReadWithMeemz