The FOLD Presents: An Evening with R.F. Kuang - The FOLD

The FOLD Presents: An Evening with R.F. Kuang

Photo of audience sitting in a dark theatre. Text Reads: The FOLD presents An Evening with R.F. Kuang. On the right is a photo of an East Asian woman with black hair in a ponytail, wearing a black shirt against a blue background. And a 3D image of a hardcover book with green covers and sprayed edges.

Join the Festival of Literary Diversity for an evening of conversation with bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface, R.F. Kuang, as she shares insights into her highly anticipated new novel, Katabasis.

This event will include an onstage conversation with the FOLD’s executive director Jael Richardson, followed by an audience Q&A.

Don’t miss this special opportunity to hear from one of today’s most compelling literary voices—live at The Rose Theatre in Brampton on Monday, September 15, 2025 at 7:30 PM.

Tickets

Book and Ticket Bundle | $55

Includes admission plus one pre-signed deluxe limited edition copy of Katabasis (retails at $43) with a custom Canadian tour stamp provided by HarperCollins Canada.

Ticket | $18

Admission only (excludes the deluxe limited edition book).

FAQs

Will this event be recorded?

No, this event will not be recorded.

Will there be a signing after the event?

No, there will not be a signing or photo opportunities with R.F. Kuang after the event.

What is a deluxe limited edition of Katabasis?

The deluxe limited edition version of Katabasis is a collector’s hardcover that features stencilled edges, case effects, and illustrated endpapers. There will only be one print run of this edition.

What is a custom Canadian tour stamp? 

The custom Canadian tour stamp is an ink stamp, only available at Canadian book tour stops. It is provided by HarperCollins Canada. A stamp table will be set up in the lobby where you can stamp your copy of Katabasis or other R.F. Kuang titles.

Will books be available for sale onsite? 

Yes, Another Story Bookshop is our onsite bookseller. They will have all R.F. Kuang books available for sale before and after the event.

About Katabasis

3D mock-up of hardcover book with green background and gold text.Two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul—perhaps at the cost of their own.

Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek:

The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality: her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world.

That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams….

Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion.

With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, enough chalk to draw the Pentagrams necessary for their spells, and the burning desire to make all the academic trauma mean anything, they set off across Hell to save a man they don’t even like.

But Hell is not like the storybooks say, Magick isn’t always the answer, and there’s something in Alice and Peter’s past that could forge them into the perfect allies…or lead to their doom.

About R.F. Kuang

East Asian woman with black hair in a ponytail and bangs. Wearing a black shirt against a blue background.Rebecca F. Kuang is the award-winning, #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, and Yellowface. She has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford; she is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale.

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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