The Festival of Literary Diversity Festival events designed for students in grades 9-12
The Festival of Literary Diversity features a series of in-person and virtual events specifically designed for high school students, accompanied by an Educator Guide which includes pre- and post-event activities designed by an educator (available early April).
All virtual events designed for school groups will be presented live on our virtual platform April 28 – 29, 2026 at 10:00am ET and 1:00pm ET. They’ll be made available for on-demand viewing on the festival platform within a few hours of their live presentation. On-demand events will be available to watch and re-watch until June 30, 2026.
A virtual pass can be purchased for $30 and allows teachers to access the entire virtual festival for use in their classrooms starting April 23 when the virtual platform opens. Teachers can also choose to receive Student Access Logins (SALs) which allows students to view events on their own devices – including through our new festival app – until the platform closes on June 30. For information on School Board Passes, head over to the Educator Information page.
While the School Group events are specifically designed for classroom viewing and discussion, teachers are welcome to watch other events in the classroom or for their own professional development.
There will be two in-person events on Thursday, April 30 at 10:00am ET and 12:30pm ET taking place at the Rose Theatre. Authors will be available following the event for a meet-and-greet and book-signings.
In-person tickets are available through the Rose Theatre Box Office for $7 per student for a single event and free for educators.
Educators can book tickets online by heading to the Arts Adventure page and entering the code TEACH into the promo code box. Tickets can also be purchased by phone (905 874 2844 Ext. 62803 or 62804) or by email boxofficeEDU@brampton.ca.
Educators who want to attend both events can take advantage of the bundle price of $10. This can be redeemed ONLY by calling or emailing the Box Office.
See below for the School Group events schedule.
School Group events at the Festival of Literary Diversity are ideally suited for students grade 9-12 due to mature themes and subject matter. School group events in November, for the FOLD Kids Book Fest will be tailored to elementary, middle grade, and secondary students.
Young Adult Titles
Another Story Bookshop, the FOLD’s official festival bookseller, will be onsite for the April 30 – May 3 for in-person events. ASB also offers online sales of FOLD titles every year in the month leading up to the festival.
10:00AM ET | PANEL CONVERSATION
Friendship can be transformative — and complicated. They can fall apart without warning or evolve as we grow. In this thoughtful and engaging virtual panel discussion, young adult authors Farzana Doctor, Ahmad Saber, and Curtis Campbell discuss how their novels explore loyalty, conflict, identity, and repair. Designed for high school students, this conversation offers rich entry points for classroom discussion and meaningful school-wide engagement.
Sponsored by Simon & Schuster Canada.
1:00PM ET | WORKSHOP
In this interactive virtual workshop designed for high school students, author Kim Spencer shares her personal journey to becoming a writer and the lessons she learned along the way. Through engaging exercises, images, and music as creative prompts, students will explore memory, identity, and imagination and will leave with practical tools for storytelling.
10:00AM ET | PANEL CONVERSATION
Big impact. Fewer pages. In this virtual panel discussion, authors Marty Chan, Mahtab Narsimhan, and Julie Thompson explore the craft and creative possibilities of short fiction in this timely panel conversation. From flash fiction to short stories, they discuss how this form challenges writers to be precise, bold, and intentional — while giving readers stories they can finish in a single sitting. Ideal for classroom exploration, this conversation highlights how short fiction strengthens critical thinking and sharpens reading and writing skills.
1:00PM ET | INTERVIEW
In this edition of The Writer’s Life interview series, young adult author Ahmad Saber reflects on balancing a career in medicine with his path to publication. From the inspiration behind Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions to the realities of drafting a debut novel, Saber shares insight into his creative process and publishing journey. Moderated by Ameema Saeed, this conversation offers practical writing advice, behind-the-scenes perspective, and an honest look at building a life in books.
10:00AM ET | INTERVIEW
Celebrate the launch of Swift Water Books, a new Indigenous publishing imprint with Penguin Random House Canada, at the 2026 Festival of Literary Diversity. Designed for high school students, this dynamic in-person event at Brampton’s Rose Theatre explores why Indigenous-led publishing matters, how coming-of-age stories resonate through an Indigenous lens, and the barriers Indigenous writers continue to navigate within the industry. Acclaimed author David A. Robertson joins Kim Spencer — one of the imprint’s first published authors — for an inspiring conversation about story, sovereignty, and the future of Indigenous literature.
Educators can book tickets online by heading to the Arts Adventure page and entering the code TEACH into the promo code box. Tickets can also be purchased by phone (905 874 2844 Ext. 62803 or 62804) or by email boxofficeEDU[at]brampton.ca.
Sponsored by Penguin Random House Canada.
12:30PM ET | PRESENTATION
In our annual spoken word showcase, three poets—Brainer Nwabeke and Naziha Ullah—take the mic and present incredible poetry. Hosted by poet Patrick de Belen, this event is geared towards high school students and will feature a Q&A with the poets!
Educators can book tickets online by heading to the Arts Adventure page and entering the code TEACH into the promo code box. Tickets can also be purchased by phone (905 874 2844 Ext. 62803 or 62804) or by email boxofficeEDU[at]brampton.ca.
Tickets are available through the Rose Theatre Box Office for $7 per student for a single event and free for educators.
Educators can book tickets online by heading to the Arts Adventure page and entering the code TEACH into the promo code box. Tickets can also be purchased by phone (905 874 2844 Ext. 62803 or 62804) or by email boxofficeEDU@brampton.ca.
Educators who want to attend both events can take advantage of the bundle price of $10. This can be redeemed ONLY by calling or emailing the Box Office.
Registration for all festival events* opens on March 25. Details will be shared closer to the date.
*In-person school group events are now open.
An educator can register for a virtual pass starting March 25, which will give them access to all the virtual events from April 26 – May 3. During registration, you’ll have the option to opt into receiving Student Access Logins (SALs).
If your board has purchased a board pass, you’ll receive a code to register for a virtual pass for free. You’ll have the option to add in-person tickets at check out (school board codes offer free access ONLY for virtual passes).
Educators in the following school boards should check their message board and reach out to a representative or email the FOLD for their School Board Code:
Educators registering for a virtual pass will be given the option to create a STUDENT ACCESS LOGIN (SAL)* during registration. It provides students with access to the platform by allowing them to login on their own devices with a generic account that’s connected to their educators. SALs limit a student’s reach on the platform for safety and security reasons. SALs can only be created at the time of registration.
*NOTE: Some boards may not allow the creation of SALs as part of their particular board policy.
If you’re planning to show the events in class, you will not need an SAL, but when you register as an educator who will be showing the events in class, one will automatically be created for you. SALs are helpful if a student is away or if they are planning to watch events on their own device. If you do need an SAL, you must select yes when registering for the SAL to be created.
Your board-wide access code will remain the same for FOLD 2026. You will still need to register for FOLD 2026 by visiting festivalofliterarydiversity.org.
You can login to the platform by visiting festivalofliterarydiversity.org. We recommend logging into the platform on the website or though the vFairs app as soon as you register. You’ll be prompted to create a password using your email. Please do this for your SAL as well so that you can share the code and the password with any student who needs it. On the day of an event, login and head to the Auditorium. Click on the screen and click “Play” on any completed or pre-recorded event.
The virtual festival takes place on an innovative, customized virtual platform called vFairs. All virtual events take place in the platform using Zoom. Events can also be viewed on the vFairs mobile app.
The Festival of Literary Diversity is taking every precaution to keep all guests safe. SAL’s give students restricted access on the platform. They will never appear on video. While they can pose questions in Zoom, they cannot participate in the chat or on the leaderboard. All questions will be monitored by a designated FOLD team member. Any concerns with student use will result in the suspension of that code and a follow up with the teacher associated with the account.
Our Virtual Safe Space Policy will be posted on the platform. In the unfortunate event that inappropriate behaviour does occur, FOLD staff will act swiftly, in consultation with the teacher and school board.
We recommend logging in to the platform 10 mins before the event. The event will go live roughly 3-5 mins before start time to give people time to enter Zoom. You can test out your sound quality by trying out any of the previously recorded events. If tech issues arise, contact tech support on the virtual platform via the email address at the top of the screen, through the chat, or through the Info Desk.
All the Festival of Literary Diversity virtual events will be made available within a few hours of being presented live. A recording of the panel conversation will be made available on the festival platform soon after the festival ends. All videos will be available until June 30.
All virtual passes and Student Access Logins (SALs) provide full access to all virtual events. In-person event passes, and specialty tickets must be purchased separately.
Other than our in-person school group events at the Rose Theatre, access to individual virtual events is not available. However, virtual passes are set at a reasonable rate, providing access to more than 25 incredible literary events. We’re confident that educators we be able to find a number of events for you and/or your class to enjoy.
As of March 25, 2026, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, Peel District School Board, Waterloo Region District School Board and Durham District School Board purchased passes for all of their educators. Please contact your board representative and/or check your board message board to see if there are any updates after March 19. Email us if you have any questions.
When registering, educators will be given the option to receive Student Access Logins (SALs). Get the number of SALs you MIGHT need and adjust the amount once you know your class numbers. SALs cannot be added once your registration has been completed.
Our in-person school group event will take place on Thursday, April 30. The panel conversation will take place at 10am ET and the spoken word event will take place at 12:30pm ET. The runtime for both events will be 60 mins and will be held at The Rose theatre (1 Theatre Ln, Brampton, ON L6V 0A3).
For students, it’s $7 for a single event and $10 if you’re attending both. It’s free for teachers to attend both events.
To take advantage of the bundle deal, you can redeem it ONLY by calling or emailing the Box Office.
Tickets are available through the Rose Theatre Box Office for $7 per student for a single event and free for educators.
Educators can book tickets online by heading to the Arts Adventure page and entering the code TEACH into the promo code box. Tickets can also be purchased by phone (905 874 2844 Ext. 62803 or 62804) or by email boxofficeEDU@brampton.ca.
Educators who want to attend both events can take advantage of the bundle price of $10. This can be redeemed ONLY by calling or emailing the Box Office.
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