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Virtual Book Fest 2021

Schedule

A list of the incredible virtual events for the 2021 FOLD Kids Book Fest.

Description

The FOLD Kids Book Fest will take place from November 4-7, 2021 on a brand new virtual platform. This year’s festival includes interactive events for kids and classrooms, all-ages family events to watch from home, and virtual workshops for children, authors, and educators. More than thirty authors, illustrators and storytellers will be available for live conversation, covering everything from bats and rats to writing rap lyrics.

Registration is now open. Teachers registering from Waterloo Region District School Board and Upper Grand District School Board should grab the registration code from their board.

Schedule

Wednesday, November 3
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1. FREE PREVIEW: Crisis in the Classroom

Online

8:00 pm - 9:15 pm

A Black man wearing a flat brown cap. He has a small goatee and smiles at the camera.

Khodi Dill

A white trans man with shourt pale blue and pink hair sits on a flight of grey concrete steps, looking off to the side. They wear a light blue button-down t-shirt.

Tash McAdam

A middle-aged Indigenous man with short dark hair and dark-rimmed glasses. He has a short goatee, wears a black t-shirt, and is set against a white background.

David A. Robertson

A woman wearing a patterned headscarf and dark-rimmed glasses smiles at the camera.

Rabia Khokhar

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BONUS REPLAY: What’s the Buzz: 2021’s Must-Read Kid Lit Titles

FKBF Virtual Platform

A photo of a Somali woman with curly hair. She wears dark-rimmed glasses and is laughing.

Ardo Omer

A young Black man with short dark hair and a small dark goatee, wearing a yellow shirt.

Khary Mathurin

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BONUS REPLAY: Social Media for Authors with Liselle Sambury

FKBF Virtual Platform

A young Black woman wears a white floral print dress and stands against a leafy green background.

Liselle Sambury

Thursday, November 4
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2. We Move Together

FKBF Virtual Platform

9:30 am - 10:25 am

A white woman with brown hair, a blunt fringe and glasses stands against a red background smiling. She wears a dark blue top with scattered green leaves.

Kelly Fritsch

A white woman with long dark hair stands against a dark window. She wears dark-rimmed glasses.

Anne McGuire

A young Costa-Rican man with dark hair and a small goatee stands against a white background. He wears a black button-down shirt under a dark grey vest and black-rimmed glasses.

Eduardo Trejos

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3. Fashion Forward: Christian Allaire on the Power of Style

FKBF Virtual Platform

11:00 am - 11:45 am

An Indigenous man with short curly dark hair, wearing a dark button-up shirt, stands against a beige background.

Christian Allaire

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4. The Illustrator Battle

FKBF Virtual Platform

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

A Black man with a dark beard wears a green beret.

Ken Daley

A young Asian-Canadian woman with dark hair pulled back from her face and dark-rimmed glases. She stands on a green lawn and wears a jean jacket and a white sirt.

Rosena Fung

An Indigenous woman with long ombre hair that runs from brown to orange-blonde. She wears a pair of bright yellow overalls, blue-rimmed glasses, and is holding her hands up in two peace signs (index and middle fingers held aloft). She stands against a bright purple-blue background wall.

Bridget George

A photo of a Somali woman with curly hair. She wears dark-rimmed glasses and is laughing.

Ardo Omer

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5. Creating Comics with Rosena Fung

FKBF Virtual Platform

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

A young Asian-Canadian woman with dark hair pulled back from her face and dark-rimmed glases. She stands on a green lawn and wears a jean jacket and a white sirt.

Rosena Fung

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6. Alternate Pasts and Magical Futures in Young Adult Fiction

FKBF Virtual Platform

8:00 pm - 9:15 pm

A non-binary individual with short tousled brown hair and dark-rimmed glasses. They wear a white t-shirt and are sitting against a cream-coloured wall.

Kerry C. Byrne

A black-and-white photo of a young Black woman against a black backdrop. She wears dark-rimmed glasses and is smiling slightly.

Sarah Raughley

A young Black woman wears a white floral print dress and stands against a leafy green background.

Liselle Sambury

An Asian woman with dark red lipstick stands against a beige background. She is wearing a cow snuggly suit.

Xiran Jay Zhao

Friday, November 5
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7. Storytelling with Njacko Backo: French Learning Event

FKBF Virtual Platform

9:30 am - 10:15 am

A Black man wearing a brightly coloured headsccarf and brightly coloured shirt standing against a wooden background.

Njacko Backo

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8. Magic and Marvel in Indigenous Fantasy

FKBF Virtual Platform

11:30 am - 12:30 pm

An Indigenous woman with long dark hair against a beige background. She wears a dark button-up shirt.

Cherie Dimaline

A middle-aged Indigenous man with short dark hair and dark-rimmed glasses. He has a short goatee, wears a black t-shirt, and is set against a white background.

David A. Robertson

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9. Making Memories in Middle Grade Fiction

FKBF Virtual Platform

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

A black-and-white photo of an Asian woman with chin-length wavy dark hair and glasses. She wears a dark long-sleeved top.

Angela Ahn

A middle-aged Chinese-Canadian man stands against a white background. He has clear glasses and wears a black tee beneath a dark red button-down shirt.

Marty Chan

A black-and-white photo of a Latinx woman. She wears glasses and a hat with a brim.

Karleen Pendleton Jiménez

A black-and-white photo of a Black man wearing dreads in a topknot and standing against a grey background. He wears a dark pullover shirt open at the collar.

Chad Lucas

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10. ASL Storytelling with Gaitrie Persaud

FKBF Virtual Platform

5:00 pm - 5:30 pm

A young BIPOC woman with dark hair pulled into a high ponytail, standing against a white and black background.

Gaitrie Persaud

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11. Come Read with Me

FKBF Virtual Platform

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Saturday, November 6
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12. An Urban Ecology Field Trip with Dr. Cylita Guy

FKBF Virtual Platform

10:00 am - 10:45 am

A young Black woman with long dark braids, standing outside against a tree trunk. She wears a dark top with cropped sleeves.

Dr. Cylita Guy

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13. Writing Rhymes with Khodi Dill: A Rap Workshop

FKBF Virtual Platform

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

A Black man wearing a flat brown cap. He has a small goatee and smiles at the camera.

Khodi Dill

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14. Growing Up Trans

FKBF Virtual Platform

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

A young teen with red hair and freckles

Maisie Bodrug

A dark-haired white woman wearing dark-rimmed glasses and a dark blue scoop-necked shirt.

Lindsay Herriot

A young white trans man stands against a beige background.

Wynter

A white trans man with shourt pale blue and pink hair sits on a flight of grey concrete steps, looking off to the side. They wear a light blue button-down t-shirt.

Tash McAdam

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15. Mixed Bag Mayhem: A Ripple Foundation Writing Workshop

FKBF Virtual Platform

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

A young teen with red hair and freckles

Maisie Bodrug

A dark-haired white woman wearing dark-rimmed glasses and a dark blue scoop-necked shirt.

Lindsay Herriot

A young white trans man stands against a beige background.

Wynter

A white trans man with shourt pale blue and pink hair sits on a flight of grey concrete steps, looking off to the side. They wear a light blue button-down t-shirt.

Tash McAdam

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16. A Whole New World: Stories of Borders and Belonging

FKBF Virtual Platform

8:00 pm - 9:15 pm

A young Mexican man stands against a leafy green background. He wears a light grey button-down shirt.

Daniel Aleman

A Chinese-Canadian woman stands against a white background with her hands in her pockets. She has short dark hair and wears a blue denim button-down shirt over dark pants, and is smiling widely.

Jen Sookfong Lee

A Vietnamese woman wearing a floral print red shirt stands against a backdrop of tall pink flowers and blue sky.

Nhung N. Tran-Davies

A Syrian-Canadian man with short brown hair and a small goatee. He wears a grey t-shirt and a dark leather jacket and stands against a wall with golden wings that stretch out from his shoulders.

Danny Ramadan

Sunday, November 7
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17. Making a Picture Book: Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing

FKBF Virtual Platform

10:00 am - 11:15 am

A Black woman with long dark curly hair sits against a white panelled wall next to a green plant. She wears a light pink and turquoise patterned shirt.

Yolanda T. Marshall

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18. Teaching Disability Justice

FKBF Virtual Platform

12:00 pm - 1:15 pm

A white woman with brown hair, a blunt fringe and glasses stands against a red background smiling. She wears a dark blue top with scattered green leaves.

Kelly Fritsch

A white woman with long dark hair stands against a dark window. She wears dark-rimmed glasses.

Anne McGuire

A young Costa-Rican man with dark hair and a small goatee stands against a white background. He wears a black button-down shirt under a dark grey vest and black-rimmed glasses.

Eduardo Trejos

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19. Writing Great Fantasy with Sarah Raughley

FKBF Virtual Platform

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm

A black-and-white photo of a young Black woman against a black backdrop. She wears dark-rimmed glasses and is smiling slightly.

Sarah Raughley

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20. Teaching STEM Through Storytelling

FKBF Virtual Platform

4:00 pm - 5:15 pm

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21. Tackling Problems in KidLit Publishing

FKBF Virtual Platform

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

A woman with dark eyes and a beige hijab smiles at the camera.

S.K. Ali

A middle-aged Chinese-Canadian man stands against a white background. He has clear glasses and wears a black tee beneath a dark red button-down shirt.

Marty Chan

A black-and-white photo of a young Black woman against a black backdrop. She wears dark-rimmed glasses and is smiling slightly.

Sarah Raughley

The FOLD is a remarkable and wonderful event for authors and attendees alike. What an amazing community, dedicated to the vital need for inclusive stories and the critical role they play in building a better world.

Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her

Field Guide to the North American Teenager is my first novel and FOLD was my first Canadian literary festival. While American and Canadian culture overlap quite a bit, especially when it comes to bookshelves, Canadian literature is unique and I was very heartened by to be embraced by that community I consider home despite residing in the US. It was a homecoming I didn’t know I needed!

Ben Philippe, author of Field Guide to the North American Teenager

The Festival of Literary Diversity was an absolute joy–the organizers thought of *everything* and by anticipating authors’ needs, they freed us to focus on connecting with the audience and each other. There was no pretension, no posturing–just very genuine conversations with invested writers and engaged readers.

Zetta Elliott, author of Dragons in a Bag

I have been to a lot of writers festivals and the FOLD is definitely near the top of the list of those I want to be invited back to.

Harold Johnson, author of the memoirs Clifford and Firewater

Being part of such a clearly diverse, inclusive and mutually respectful group was thrilling and inspiring: a glimpse of a better world.

Kathy Page, author of Dear Evelyn, winner of the 2018 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize

Wherever I go in Canada and find another writer of colour, we eventually end up gushing about how great the FOLD is, how by normalizing diversity it liberates us to talk to audiences about craft. It’s hard to imagine the literary landscape returning to a prehistoric pre-FOLD era.

Ian Williams, Author of the Giller Prize-winning novel Reproduction

FOLD is a festival experience unlike any other I’ve had. The FOLD team strive to create a space that’s welcoming and engaging, while allowing for curiosity, ingenuity and the fostering of real community – and they succeed, every year.

Alicia Elliott, author of A Mind Spread Out On The Ground

The FOLD is one of the most important literary events on this continent. By focusing on diverse voices and giving authors space to share their stories and speak their truths, it is revolutionizing the writing and storytelling realm as we know it.

Waubgeshig Rice, author of Moon Of The Crusted Snow

Being part of the FOLD community has provided me with a strong sense of belonging. Sharing diverse stories and listening to different voices that broaden my understanding of the world has impacted me as a person and motivated me as a writer.

Ann Y.K. Choi, author of Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety

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