The Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) is a vibrant celebration of the stories that shape our world. As Toronto’s premier literary organization, TIFA offers a breadth of immersive, one-of-a-kind events that connect readers and authors alike for five days of conversations, workshops, performances, and book signings from October 28 to November 1, 2026 at Victoria University in the University of Toronto.

The Festival offers the opporunity to meet many acclaimed writers, including Dave Eggers, Ann-Marie MacDonald, David Shribman, Canisia Lubrin, Carol Off, Jesse Wente, Andrew Sean Greer, David Szalay, Marie NDiaye, Patrick deWitt, and Philippe Sands, who are included among the more than 100 of Canada’s and the world’s most celebrated writers, thinkers, and storytellers. 

Alongside a lineup of literary fiction luminaries, with guests from 20 countries including Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands, France, Italy, Australia, and UAE, this year’s festival delves into politics and history, with a strand of non-fiction programming curated by international human rights lawyer and award-winning author Philippe Sands. Throughout the festival, audiences will discover new perspectives on the world around us, explore the possibilities of adaptation and translation, and experience performances that bring music and the written word together.

Below is a list of select TIFA programme highlights and guests attending over the course of the Festival. For the full Festival programme and schedule, please visit FestivalofAuthors.ca.

INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

TIFA welcomes leading writers from around the world:

  • Rachel Maddow (host of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC) and Rebecca Solnit (author of No Straight Road Takes You There) in conversation with Nahlah Ayad (CBC Ideas). Introduced by Margaret Atwood. This special conversation is the Festival’s opening event at Koerner Hall on Tuesday, October 28, 2025
  • Kōtarō Isaka in his first North American appearance. His new novel, Hotel Lucky Seven, features the characters made famous in The Bullet Train, recently adapted for film starring Brad Pitt
  • Kiran Desai: The 2006 Man Booker Prize Winner presents her new novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny (Booker longlisted for 2025) in her only Canadian appearance
  • André Aciman: author of Call Me By Your Name (which became a hit film), presents his new memoir, My Roman Year
  • Richard Armitage: TV star of The Hobbit and many Harlan Coben adaptations on his new novel, The Cut
  • Serhii Plokhy: one of the world’s foremost writers on Ukraine and Russia presents his new book The Nuclear Age; his book Chernobyl is a television hit
  • Nathan Harris: his new novel Amity; his debut The Sweetness of Water was one of President Obama’s Favorite Books of 2021
  • Cho-Nam Joo (Kim Ji-Young 1982), Chris Pavone (The Expats, The Doorman), Catherine Newman (Sandwich), Jonas Hassan Khemiri (The Sisters), Susan Choi (Flashlight), Eimear McBride (The City Changes its Face), Alka Joshi Six Days in Bombay) & more

CELEBRATING CANADIAN VOICES

A spotlight on Canada’s most acclaimed authors:

  • Giller Prize winners Ian Williams, Michael Redhill, and Souvankham Thammavongsa launch their new novels
  • Much loved Canadian authors Thomas King, Madeleine Thien, Emma Donoghue, and Guy Gavriel Kay present their new books
  • Festival of Indigenous Stories, co-curated with Niigaan Sinclair: Brian Thomas Isaac, David A Robertson, Katherena Vermette, Kyle Edwards and Tracey Lindberg

ELBOWS UP CANADA!

Across non-fiction and fiction, capturing the state of our nation in 2025:

  • Andrew Coyne, Globe & Mail columnist, on Canada’s democratic institutions
  • Brian Stewart on his life as a foreign correspondent with CBC
  • David Shribman on the future of history in the USA
  • Susan Swan and Cathrin Bradbury on being a woman in the ‘troisieme age’
  • The Hilary Weston Non-Fiction Prize: celebrate the shortlisted authors
  • Kanata Classics: explore the CanLit canon with David Chariandy, David A Robertson and Claire Cameron
  • Alex Neve: 2025 Massey Lecturer in conversation on Universality & Human Rights
  • Rogers v Rogers, from Page to Stage: with director Chris Abraham, playwright Michael Healy and author Alexandra Posadzki, in partnership with Crow’s Theatre

WELCOME WORLD: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

Offering access to global conversations and perspectives:

  • Singapore: Jeremy Tiang (State of Emergency) and Jemimah Wei (The Original Daughter), acclaimed Singaporean writers and translators
  • Taiwan: Lin King (Taiwan Travelogue) and Terao Tetsuya (Spent Bullets)
  • Korea: Cho-Nam Joo (Kim Jiyoung Born 1982), Bo Young-Kim (I’m Waiting for You: And Other Stories) and Jinwoo Park (Oxford Soju Club)
  • Arabic Voices: including Ziyad Saadi (Three Parties), Fadi Zaghmout (A Man of Middling Height) and Ibtisam Azem (The Book of Disappearance)
  • Diverse US authors: Alejandro Heredia (Loca); David Wright Faladé (The New Internationals), Michel Nieva (Dengue Boy), Adam Haslett (Mothers and Sons), Samrat Upadhyay (Darkmotherland) and more

IDEAS IN ACTION

A nonfiction lineup exploring imagination as a force for change and creativity, including:

  • Francesca Wade (Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife) on Gertrude Stein, the salonista and modernist literary legend
  • Garth Risk Hallberg (The Uncollected Stories of Mavis Gallant) on Mavis Gallant, iconic Canadian writer
  • Susan Aglukark (Kihiani: A Memoir of Healing) and Natalie MacMaster (I Have a Love Story) on music, memory, and resilience
  • Ira Wells (On Book Banning: Or, How the New Censorship Consensus Trivializes Art and Undermines Democracy) on censorship and book banning
  • Victoria Hetherington (The Friend Machine: On the Trail of AI Companionship) on AI & emotion

PARTNERSHIPS & PROGRAMMES

  • Writers Collective of Canada workshops on writing and wellbeing
  • Masterclasses in partnership with Humber School for Writers
  • Yoga & Journalling sessions

Highlights from the expanded 2026 programme include:

  • Festival of Indigenous Stories
    • Times: Daily events throughout the Festival
    • Venues: Emmanuel Chapel & Northrop Frye Hall Room 003
    • Bringing together nine Indigenous authors and artists from Canada and Australia for a slate of conversations and new commissions exploring Indigenous yearning and futurity, the programme features Alicia Elliot, Bebe Oliver, Jasmin McGaughey, Quill Christie-Peters, Nardi Simpson, Kirli Saunders, and Jesse Wente.
    • The Festival of Indigenous Stories is co-curated by award-winning Goorie and Koori poet Evelyn Araluen (The Rot; Dropbear), and bestselling author of Bad Cree, Jessica Johns, of Sucker Creek First Nation.
    • Produced in partnership with Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
  • Rupture/Justice
    • Nonfiction programme created with Guest Curator Philippe Sands
    • Award-winning author and international human rights lawyer Philippe Sands joins TIFA as Guest Curator for Rupture / Justice, bringing together an extraordinary international line-up including Caroline Elkins, Adam Hochschild, Jane Mayer, Arlie Russell Hochschild, Gaël Faye, Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse, Jesse Wente, Mayo Moran, Rebecca Hogue and Robert Moor.
    • Across five conversations, they explore the fault lines fracturing our world: from the unfinished legacies of history and the forces driving political division, to literature as a means of survival and healing, Canada’s ongoing journey towards reconciliation, and our collective responsibility for a planet in crisis.
    • Opening with 5 Moments of Justice in Words and Music, Sands is joined by Gideon Zelermyer, Stephen Glass and Daniel Singer, before closing the series with the acclaimed theatrical performance East West Street: A Song of Good and Evil, featuring Natalie Dessay and Laurent Naouri.
  • IV Programme Keynote Conversation with James Daunt
    • Time: Wednesday, October 28 at 2:30 PM
    • Venue: Isabel Bader Theatre
    • This year’s IV Programme Keynote welcomes James Daunt, the founder of Daunt Books, Managing Director of Waterstone’s and CEO of Barnes & Noble.
  • In Conversation with Andrew Sean Greer on Villa Coco
    • Time: Wednesday, October 28 at 6:30 PM
    • Venue: Alumni Hall at Victoria University in the University of Toronto
    • What happens when a young American arrives in Tuscany expecting to catalogue art and instead finds himself swept into the eccentric world of an unforgettable Baronessa? Pulitzer Prize–winning author Andrew Sean Greer discusses Villa Coco, his new novel. Told with the signature wit, charm, and humanity that made Less an international phenomenon, Villa Coco is a dazzling, sun-soaked ode to life itself.
  • In Conversation with Dave Eggers
    • Time: Thursday, October 29 at 7:00 PM
    • Venue: Alumni Hall at Victoria University in the University of Toronto
    • Dave Eggers — bestselling author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius — discusses his latest novel Contrapposto, a sweeping story of friendship, the lifelong pursuit of art, and the pain and exhilarations of the creative impulse. Named among the most anticipated books of the year by People, and Oprah Daily, the novel draws on Eggers’ own experiences attending art school and training as a classical figurative artist.
  • The Politics of Patriotism: Omer Aziz & Carol Off
    • Time: Thursday, October 29 at 7:30 PM
    • Venue: Emmanuel College, Room 119
    • What does it mean to love a country—and what happens when patriotism becomes a tool for power? Join writer, lawyer and former foreign policy advisor Omer Aziz (Shadows of the Republic) and Carol Off (True Patriot Love) for a timely conversation about patriotism, democracy and identity. Drawing on the history of fascism in America, Aziz examines political movements that challenge democratic ideals, while Off explores the complexities of loving a country honestly. Together, they’ll consider nationalism, political extremism and whether challenging our countries can be an essential expression of patriotism.
  • 10 years on: A Celebration of Leonard Cohen
      • Time: Thursday, October 29 at 8:00 PM
      • Venue: Isabel Bader Theatre
      • Ten years after his passing, TIFA celebrates the extraordinary life, work and enduring influence of Leonard Cohen. In a very special evening, a cavalcade of musicians, writers and artists including Justin Rutledge, Luke Doucett, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Anne Michaels, Michael Christie and Britta B. come together to honour one of Canada’s – and the world’s – most iconic and beloved creative voices. Through music, readings and performance, the evening will journey through the rich landscape of Cohen’s poetry, novels and songs, and the creative life that continues to resonate with audiences around the world.
      • Presented in collaboration with McClelland & Stewart, with the support of the Leonard Cohen Estate.
  • Birds of a Feather: Jackie Morris, Mark Peck, and Emily Rondel
      • Time: Sunday, November 1 at 1:30 PM
      • Venue: Victoria Chapel
      • Calling all birdwatchers! Join us for a conversation celebrating the wonderful birdlife of Ontario and beyond. Jackie Morris’s artwork in The Book of Birds (written by Robert Macfarlane) offers an illustrated exploration of birds, their habitats, and their habits, while Mark Peck and Emily Rondel’s A Field Guide to Birds of Ontario provides an essential guide to identifying the province’s diverse species. Together, the authors will explore birdwatching, conservation, illustration, and the joy of paying closer attention to the skies above us
  • In Conversation with David Shribman
    • Time: Sunday, November 1 at 3:30 PM
    • Venue: Victoria Chapel at Victoria University in the University of Toronto
    • As tariffs and trade tensions continue to reshape our relationship with our nearest neighbour, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Shribman joins Kyle Wyatt, editor of the Literary Review of Canada, to make sense of these unprecedented times and what may come next.

Passes & Tickets

Festival passes, which include over 110 events at the Isabel Bader Theatre, located within Victoria University on the grounds of the University of Toronto, can be purchased at tickets.festivalofauthors.ca/

Single tickets to events at the Winter Garden Theatre can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist based in Toronto with a focus on tourism, lifestyle, entertainment and community issues. He has written several travel articles and has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He’s willing to take on any assignments of interest, attend parties with free booze, listen to rants, and travel the world in search of the great unknown. He’s eager to discover the new, remember the past, and look into the future.