25. Made in Brampton - The FOLD
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Home Festival & Events The Festival of Literary Diversity Registration 25. Made in Brampton

25. Made in Brampton

Feature Event

Session Description

Four authors, all hailing from the hometown of the Festival of Literary Diversity, discuss their careers — how writing figures into their everyday lives and how recent and current events have changed their approach to craft. In the face of unexpected events, do authors write their way into the hard moments, discovering new things about themselves? Or do they read their way out, relying on others to better navigate a world in trouble? From literary influences to childhood memories, this event promises to make you think and make you laugh as you take a behind-the-scenes look at writers who are creating art that pushes boundaries from a city that’s often undervalued and overlooked. In this gathering of local voices, Trey Anthony (Black Girl In Love (with Herself)), Louisa Onomé (Like Home), Jael Richardson (Gutter Child), and Ian Williams (Word Problems) reflect on how their art is shaped by home, place, and memory.

How to Register

Events scheduled for May 1-15 are available via an all-access festival pass. The festival pass costs $39 and gives you access to a virtual festival platform, which includes an auditorium hosting forty virtual events, an exhibit hall with a live chat feature for communicating with vendors, and a lounge for engaging in discussions before and after events with other festival-goers.

Passholders will have be able to compete in the space for incredible prizes and will have access to the platform and all of the recorded festival events, as well as bonus content, until May 30, 2021. If the cost of the pass is prohibitive, please fill out the Patron Pass form, and a pass will be made available.

Featured Speaker(s)

A Black woman with long braids and a brown fedora.
Trey Anthony
Bio
Louisa Headshot Original Official_1
Louisa Onomé
Bio
A middle-aged Black man is sitting on a stool and smiling against a black background. He wears a button-down dark blue shirt.
Ian Williams
Bio
A Black woman wearing green-rimmed glasses smiles at the camera. She wears a black turtleneck top.
Jael Richardson
Bio
A Black woman with long braids and a brown fedora.

Trey Anthony

Trey Anthony is an award-winning writer, motivational speaker, and relationship/life coach. She is the first black woman in Canada to have a television series on a prime-time network. Her work includes the plays, ‘da Kink in My Hair and How Black Mothers Say I Love You. Trey’s life purpose is to empower women to live their best damn lives! Her new book, Black Girl in Love (with herself), published by Hay House, will be available January 2021. She divides her time between Atlanta and Toronto. She is an adoption advocate and the proud momma bear to her son Kai. In her spare time, she enjoys laughing at herself and all her antics and eating cupcakes! Follow Trey on Instagram @blackgirlinlove and visit treyanthony.com to learn more about her.

Louisa Headshot Original Official_1

Louisa Onomé

Louisa Onomé is a Nigerian-Canadian writer of books for teens. She holds a BA in professional writing from York University. Like Home is her first novel. When she is not writing, her hobbies include picking up languages she may never use, crying over her favourite video games, and perfecting her skincare routine. She currently resides in the Toronto area.

A middle-aged Black man is sitting on a stool and smiling against a black background. He wears a button-down dark blue shirt.

Ian Williams

Ian Williams is a poet and fiction writer. He is the author of five books, including the poetry collection, Word Problems, and the novel, Reproduction, which won the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize. He grew up in Brampton, moved to the US, then Vancouver, and now he teaches English at the University of Toronto. He is currently at work on a collection of essays.

A Black woman wearing green-rimmed glasses smiles at the camera. She wears a black turtleneck top.

Jael Richardson

Jael Richardson is the author of The Stone Thrower, a book columnist on CBC’s q, and the founder and the Executive Director for the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD). Her debut novel, Gutter Child, was published in January 2021 with HarperCollins Canada. She lives in Brampton, Ontario.

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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