Launched in 2016, the Festival of Literary Diversity is an annual literary festival that celebrates diverse authors and stories through conversations, performances, workshops, readings, and community events.

The Festival of Literary Diversity takes place each spring and features eight days of virtual and in-person programming. The festival kicks off the last weekend in April, beginning with four virtual days, followed by four in-person event days in Brampton, Canada. Visit our Festival page for this year’s dates and schedule and for travel information.

The Festival of Literary Diversity is a multi-modal festival, offering both virtual and in-person events to make programming more accessible to audiences across Canada.

For the first four days of the festival, all authors and audience members partake virtually, gathering on an innovative, state-of-the-art platform. In-person events take place in downtown Brampton, Ontario.

Accessibility and inclusion are central to FOLD programming. Virtual events typically include live captioning and are often available on-demand after the event. In-person events also include captioning whenever possible.

All in-person programming takes place in accessible venues, and care attendants, support workers, and service animals are welcome. Sign language interpretation may be available upon request.

Attendees and participating authors are encouraged to share accommodation requests in advance so we can best support your needs.

Festival events require advance registration and/or paid tickets. Digital passes and in-person ticket information will be made available a few weeks before the festival on our festival page.

In-person events often include opportunities to purchase books from our official bookseller, and meet featured authors for book signings following their sessions.

The festival curation process involves careful planning months before the festival lineup is announced. Please visit our pitching the festival page for information on how to be considered for the festival. Due to the number of requests, pitch emails sent directly to staff members will not be considered or receive a response.

FOLD Kids Book Fest connects young readers with a diverse range of Canadian authors, illustrators, storytellers, poets, and performers through virtual literary events and reading and writing events in Brampton, Ontario during the first week of November.

Programming is designed for a wide range of ages, from early learners through young adults. The majority of events are presented virtually for educators and classrooms. In addition to an in-person middle grade event for school groups on Friday, the festival closes with two days of free community events on Saturday and Sunday for children and families.

Yes. Teachers can purchase a digital festival pass, which provides access to all of the festival’s virtual events live and on-demand for the entire school year. Local schools may also take part in our in-person school group event on the Friday of the festival.

Yes. Weekend community events are free to attend and include storytimes, performances, workshops, family activities, and opportunities to meet authors and illustrators.

Programming is organized by age and grade level, with events for preschoolers, elementary students, middle grade readers, teens, educators, and families.

The festival curation process involves careful planning months before the festival lineup is announced. Please visit our pitching the festival page for information on how to be considered for the festival. Due to the number of requests, pitch emails sent directly to staff members will not be considered or receive a response.

FOLD Academy is FOLD’s year-round industry-development initiative. The program includes workshops and professional development opportunities for writers and publishing professionals like Pitch Perfect and the annual Writers’ Hub.

All are welcome. Some programs are designed specifically for writers, and while some programs like Pitch Perfect have submission requirements, there are no general qualifications or requirements for FOLD Academy.

While the Festival of Literary Diversity occasionally features in-person writing workshops, most FOLD Academy programs are offered exclusively in a virtual format, making them accessible to participants across Canada and internationally.

Registration is available on our website. While the virtual workshops and pitch perfect sessions have registration windows, events like the Writer’s Hub and festival workshops may involve registering for the festival or individual festival events.

Yes. Virtual workshops are available for an entire year on YouTube. Select workshops are available for a longer period of time in the FOLD Academy Archives section on YouTube.

FOLD Reads is our year-round reading community, which features reading challenges, curated book recommendations, and opportunities to discover diverse Canadian voices. The program began with a singular year-round Reading Challenge and has expanded to include a variety of challenges on Beanstack.

Subscribe to the FOLD Reads newsletter and register for challenges on Beanstack. Track your reading, complete activities, and earn badges as you work toward your reading goals.

Yes. FOLD Reads challenges and activities are free to participate in.

Many reading challenges welcome participants throughout the year, while seasonal challenges may have specific start and end dates. Check each challenge for details.

Reading challenges are hosted on Beanstack, where you can register, log your reading, complete activities, and track your progress.

Many challenges include prize draws or incentives. Prize information is listed on each individual challenge page.

Into the FOLD is FOLD’s literary podcast featuring conversations with authors, publishing professionals, and creatives about books, storytelling, and the publishing industry.

Into the FOLD is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit our Into the FOLD podcast page to watch the recordings on YouTube.

New episodes are released throughout the year, approximately every three weeks, starting in August. Follow the podcast or subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when new conversations are available.

The podcast is hosted by two authors with a wide-range of experience in publishing — FOLD Executive Director Jael Richardson and FOLD Program Coordinator Hudson Lin.

Each episode features thoughtful conversations with authors, publishing professionals, educators, and other guests about books, writing, creativity, and the literary world.

FOLD Apparel is our clothing and accessories collection designed for readers, writers, and book lovers. Every purchase helps support FOLD’s charitable programming throughout the year.

We currently ship across Canada and the United States. Shipping rates and delivery estimates are calculated during checkout.

Orders are typically processed within several business days. Delivery times vary depending on your location and the products ordered.

Unfortunately, due to the print-on-demand nature of the process, refunds are not possible. Contact us if there are any errors with your order.