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April FOLD 2025 Challenge: Poetry by a South Asian Canadian Author

Apr 1, 2025

By Monica Nathan 10 years ago, Rupi Kaur’s milk and honey exploded onto the literary scene, inspiring a new generation of poetry lovers and revitalizing the genre in ways this country hadn’t seen in decades. milk and honey became a cultural phenomenon, translated into over 40 languages and selling more than 11 million copies worldwide,...

Book cover of How the Boogeyman Became a Poet by Tony Keith Jr. Cover features an illustration of a Black boy from behind.

April FOLD Kids 2025 Challenge: A book in verse by an author from a marginalized community

Apr 1, 2025

By Ardo Omer This month, we’re reading books written in verse by an author from a marginalized community. A book in verse is when a story uses poetry instead of traditional prose. The books we’ve chosen to recommend for this month use poetry to share powerful feelings and messages. In his YA memoir, How the...

FOLD 2025 Registration Now Open

Mar 19, 2025

The Festival of Literary Diversity 2025 – Celebrating a Decade of Change – Featuring David Chariandy, Kate Gies, Uzma Jalaluddin, R. F. Kuang, David A. Robertson, Mattea Roach, Ozoz Sokoh, Tanya Talaga, katherena vermette and many more BRAMPTON, ON | March 19, 2025 – Jael Richardson, founder and Executive Director of the Festival of...

Rectangular graphic with green border showcasing the book covers for the titles chosen for the March FOLD Kids Challenge. The titles are: Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution! by Joy Ellison and illustrated by Teshika Silver; Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words edited by Dr. Lindsay Herriot and Kate Fry; and Identity: A Story of Transitioning by Corey Maison and illustrated by Ahmara Smith with Zuiker Anthony. Below the text is the website: thefoldcanada.org/kidschallenge25.

March FOLD Kids 2025 Challenge: A book inspired by a true story by a transgender author

Mar 1, 2025

By Toni Duval This month, we’re reading books that were inspired by true stories by transgendered authors. The true story of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, two transgender women of colour who helped to kickstart the Stonewall Riots, is captured in the engaging picture book “Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution!” by Joy Ellison...

March FOLD 2025 Challenge: Memoir by a Transgender Author

Mar 1, 2025

By Hudson Lin & Ardo Omer In the last decade, we’ve seen an increase of trans authors sharing their stories and taking control of their narratives both in fiction and non-fiction. While fiction has the power to transport a reader, let’s not underestimate the visceral truth of non-fiction especially memoir. Memoir reveals to us the...

A graphic with "The Festival of Literary Diversity" logo on top of a newspaper photo.

FOLD in the News: February 2025

Feb 28, 2025

Welcome to FOLD in the News! This is the monthly round up of the Festival of Literary Diversity’s media coverage. Meet Brampton’s first-ever writer in residence, Kevin heronJones. (CBC This is Toronto) February 24, 2025 Brampton’s writer-in-residence Keven heronJones talks about the city’s influence on his writing and performs his poem, Black Like Me. LISTEN...

February FOLD 2025 Challenge: Literary Fiction by a Caribbean Canadian Author

Feb 1, 2025

By Alya Somar Caribbean Canadian literary fiction has been present for many years in the CanLit scene. As immigration policies have shifted and changed over the decades, so has the work being produced by authors in Canada. Writers that have either come from the West Indies, or have heritage there, have used their lived experiences...

Rectangular graphic with green border showcasing the book covers for the titles chosen for the February FOLD Kids Challenge. The titles are: Stars in My Crown by Antonio Michael Downing and illustrated by Richy Sánchez Ayala; We Are the Medicine by Tasha Spillett and illustrated by Natasha Donovan; and Where Was Goodbye? by Janice Lynn Mather. Below the text is the website: thefoldcanada.org/kidschallenge25.

February FOLD Kids 2025 Challenge: A book by a Caribbean Canadian author

Feb 1, 2025

By Ardo Omer This month, we’re reading a book by a Caribbean Canadian author! Antonio Michael Downing (Trinidadian), Tasha Spillett (Cree/Trinidadian) and Janice Lynn Mather (Bahamian) have titles that range in form and in topics. There are many islands in the Caribbean with a rich history of storytelling and many of its people have made...

A graphic with "The Festival of Literary Diversity" logo on top of a newspaper photo.

FOLD in the News: January 2025

Jan 30, 2025

Welcome to FOLD in the News! This is the monthly round up of the Festival of Literary Diversity’s media coverage. FOLD director Jael Richardson on a decade at the helm (Quill & Quire) January 29, 2025 As founder and executive director of the Festival of Literary Diversity, Jael Richardson has had to oversee a lot...

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