Session Description
Join us for a new festival experience—enjoy a fun and lively evening at the Festival of Literary Diversity where readers and festivals authors sit shoulder to shoulder, sharing tables, conversation, and a few rounds of food and trivia in a welcoming, team-based format. Designed to spark conversation and community, this special event offers a unique opportunity to experience the festival and connect with authors in a more intimate and interactive way.
This event will take place at Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives (9 Wellington Street East). Street parking and public parking lots are available within 50-200 metres of the entrance.
$40/person. Tickets available until April 26.
Sponsored by HarperCollins Canada.
Featured Speaker(s)
Antonio Michael Downing
Antonio Michael Downing (he/him) is the author of the acclaimed memoir Saga Boy and children’s book, Stars in My Crown. Antonio Michael is the current host of the CBC Radio program The Next Chapter where he discusses books with authors and columnists. He spends his time writing books, singing songs, and trying to make his grandma proud. Black Cherokee is his debut novel.
Elamin Abdelmahmoud
Elamin Abdelmahmoud (he/him) is the host of CBC’s daily arts, entertainment, and pop culture show Commotion. He is an award-winning culture writer who has written for the New York Times, BuzzFeed News, the Globe and Mail, and others. Elamin is the author of the No. 1 best-selling memoir, Son of Elsewhere, a New York Times notable book and a Globe and Mail 100 book. He is the recipient of the 2025 Max Wyman Award for Critical Writing.
Liann Zhang
Liann Zhang (she/her) is a second-generation Chinese Canadian who splits her time between Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario. After a short stint as a skincare content creator, she graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in psychology and criminology. Her debut novel, Julie Chan Is Dead, was an instant bestseller. She lives with her two cats, Juice and Bean.
Sunny Dhillon
Sunny Dhillon (he/him) is a former news reporter whose viral essay “Journalism While Brown and When to Walk Away” highlighted the significant challenges that journalists of colour can face. Sunny worked as a print reporter for 10 years. He has also appeared on television and radio and spoken at conferences. He is passionate about racial justice and continues to write on that theme. He holds a Master’s degree in journalism from the University of British Columbia. He and his young family now live in Ottawa, where Sunny attends law school. This is his first book.
Elle Douglas
Elle Douglas (she/her) is the author of ten small-town romances for Harlequin and Tule Publishing. Between writing love stories and working as a high school guidance counsellor, she works exclusively in helping others find their happily-ever-afters.
Elle is a graduate of TMU’s Radio and Television Arts program, OISE at the University of Toronto, and the U of T Creative Writing program. She is an instructor in the Creative Writing program at Algonquin College.
Find her on Instagram at @elledouglaswriter
Ardra Shephard
Ardra Shephard (she/her) is the author of Fallosophy: My Trip Through Life with MS (Douglas & McIntyre, 2025), nominated for the 2026 Forest of Reading® Evergreen Award™. She is the blogger and podcaster behind the award-winning Tripping On Air, and the host and creator of television’s Fashion Dis (AMI+). A columnist with Healthline’s BezzyMS (“Ask Ardra Anything”), Ardra is a sought-after writer, consultant, and speaker. Named one of The Kit’s Changemakers, she is a leading voice in the disability rights movement, serving on multiple advisory boards advancing accessibility and inclusion in Canada and beyond.