Word On The Street returns to David Pecaut Square with free book festival this weekend
Toronto Poet Laureate Lillian Allen leads programming both days, with debut novelists, food-writing panels, and roaming poets performing throughout the weekend.
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Toronto's annual Word On The Street book festival opens this weekend at David Pecaut Square with free admission both days and a full slate of readings, panels, and live performances.
The festival runs Saturday, September 26, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, September 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Toronto Poet Laureate Lillian Allen anchors Saturday's programming from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., sharing her work with poet Chiedza Pasipanodya and welcoming guest poets reading about Toronto. Allen has organized roaming poets from OCAD University's creative writing program for spontaneous performances both days, ending with a collectively improvised piece.
Saturday afternoon features food-writing panels with Sonali Menezes discussing Depression Cooking and Khalil Akhtar exploring How to Eat with Your Hands, while Trillium Book Award finalists Farah Ghafoor and Hajer Mirwali read poetry. Toronto's first Youth Poet Laureate, Shahaddah Jack, hosts a spoken word showcase with three young poets at 4:30 p.m. On Sunday, debut novelists Liz Johnston (The Fall-Down Effect), Tyson Stewart (The Return of the Nish), and Jinwoo Park (Oxford Soju Club) discuss their books, and Don Gillmor, Carrianne Leung, and Adrick Brock explore Toronto stories. The festival also features independent publishers, magazines, and workshops requiring advance registration.
Before you go
When and where is Word On The Street?
Word On The Street runs Saturday, September 26, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, September 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at David Pecaut Square in Toronto.
Is there an admission fee?
No, Word On The Street offers free admission both days.
