2026

Festival Event Schedule

Meet the extraordinary voices shaping contemporary literature. Our featured authors and speakers represent a range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that challenge and inspire.

April 26 - May 3, 2026
Virtual & In-Person
Brampton, Ontario

2026 Events

  • Category: Festival of Literary Diversity
    Format: In-Person Audience: Adults Location: The Rose Theatre

    Spoken Word Showcase

    Speakers:

    Britta B. |

    Desiree Mckenzie |

    Akil Elijah

    Date
    May 2, 2026
    Time
    7:30PM - 9PM ET
    Location
    The Rose Theatre

    The annual spoken word showcase returns to the Rose Studio for an evening of powerful, unforgettable performances curated by Patrick…

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  • Category: Festival of Literary Diversity
    Format: In-Person Audience: Adults Location: Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives

    Dish It! With the Authors

    Speakers:

    Ardra Shephard |

    Liann Zhang |

    Elamin Abdelmahmoud |

    Sunny Dhillon |

    Elle Douglas

    Date
    May 2, 2026
    Time
    4:30PM - 6:30PM ET
    Location
    Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives

    Join us for a new festival experience—enjoy a fun and lively evening at the Festival of Literary Diversity where readers…

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  • Category: Festival of Literary Diversity
    Format: In-Person Audience: Adults Location: The Rose Theatre

    The State of Truth

    Speakers:

    Elamin Abdelmahmoud |

    Sunny Dhillon |

    Chantal Braganza

    Date
    May 2, 2026
    Time
    2PM - 3PM ET
    Location
    The Rose Theatre

    Can we trust what we read? In an era of misinformation, deepfakes, and shrinking newsroom budgets, the reliability of the…

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  • Category: Festival of Literary Diversity
    Format: In-Person Audience: Adults Location: The Rose Theatre

    The Politics of the Plot

    Speakers:

    Sharon Bala |

    Yiming Ma |

    Liann Zhang |

    Antonio Michael Downing

    Date
    May 2, 2026
    Time
    11AM - 12PM ET
    Location
    The Rose Theatre

    What happens when the fictional stories we read feel truer than the world around us? In this in-person panel discussion,…

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  • Category: Festival of Literary Diversity
    Format: In-Person Audience: Adults Location: The Rose Theatre

    Workshop: Publishing 101

    Speakers:

    Anita Chong

    Date
    May 2, 2026
    Time
    9:30AM - 10:30AM ET
    Location
    The Rose Theatre

    In this industry-based morning in-person workshop, take a crash course on the publishing industry with McClelland & Stewart editor, Anita…

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  • Category: Festival of Literary Diversity
    Format: In-Person Audience: Adults Location: Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives

    Paint & Poetry Night

    Speakers:

    Britta B.

    Date
    April 30, 2026
    Time
    7PM - 9PM ET
    Location
    Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives

    Enjoy a memorable night of painting at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives as a PAMA Educator leads attendees…

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  • Category: Festival of Literary Diversity
    Format: In-Person Audience: Teens Location: The Rose Theatre

    Teen Spoken Word Showcase

    Speakers:

    Akil Elijah |

    Brainer Nwabeke |

    Naziha Ullah

    Date
    April 30, 2026
    Time
    12:30PM - 1PM ET
    Location
    The Rose Theatre

    In our annual spoken word showcase, three poets—Naziha Ullah and Brainer Nwabeke—take the mic and present incredible poetry. Hosted by…

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