So many of my favourite writers will be appearing at this year’s International Festival of Authors.
Over the years, the festival and reading series have involved over 8,000 authors (from more than 100 countries), and the names below are certainly not the only authors appearing at this year’s festival.
These are the authors whose books I’ve read recently or plan to read and post about during the month of October, either on my IFOA Wednesdays in advance (which began early August) or on the festival days.
Jami Attenberg – Théodora Armstrong – Nadeem Aslam
Margaret Atwood – Martha Baillie – Linwood Barclay –
David Bezmozgis – Dennis Bock – Joseph Boyden
Krista Bridge – Catherine Bush – Jowita Bydlowska
Eleanor Catton – Janie Chang – Wayson Choy
George Elliott Clarke – Michael Crummey
Lauren B. Davis – Charles de Lint – Anthony De Sa
Sahar Delijani – Farzana Doctor – Louise Doughty
Margaret Drabble – Cynthia Flood – Douglas Gibson
Douglas Glover – Wayne Grady – Charlotte Gray
Lawrence Hill – Miranda Hill – Wayne Johnston–
Guy Gavriel Kay – Thomas King – Stephen King
Rachel Kushner – Amanda Leduc – Annabel Lyon
Mary-Rose MacColl – Pasha Malla – Lisa Moore
Evan Munday – Mary Novik – Grace O’Connell
Katrina Onstad – George Pelecanos – Chad Pelley
Elizabeth Ruth – Eric Schlosser – Shyam Selvadurai
Olive Senior – Carsten Stroud – Mary Swan
Ania Szado – Rupert Thomson – Ian Thornton –
Miriam Toews – Michael Winter – Alissa York
Every year, I rush to read as many of the attending writers’ books as possible and this year I started in June, which means that I’ve managed to read more of them than before and, yet, the stacks around here look untouched.
Writers new-to-me from this list? Jami Attenberg and Carsten Stroud (And for fiction, George Pelecanos, though I’ve enjoyed his writing for television.)
Writers I’ve been meaning to read for ages, but this list nudged them onto the current stacks? Anthony De Sa, Amanda Leduc, Evan Munday, Chad Pelley, Elizabeth Ruth and Ania Szado
Writers with really long new books that I probably would have missed even though I enjoy their work? Eleanor Catton, Guy Gavriel Kay and Eric Schlosser
Writers I really enjoy, but I’ve gotten lazy about keeping up with their new books? Michael Crummey, Charles de Lint, Charlotte Gray, Stephen King, Mary Swan, Miriam Toews and Michael Winter
One of the events that I think is most exciting is the Tribute to Alice Munro (on Saturday, November 2, 8:00pm, 2013 in the Fleck Dance Theatre). It is billed as a “who’s-who of Canada’s literary community, including other writers, close colleagues and family members, as they present readings of Munro’s work”.
My Alice Munro reading project has been underway since 2010, and my next read is Love of a Good Woman; I will begin it shortly in advance of this event. (For other Munro lovers, take note of another annual event that may be of interest: the Alice Munro Writers and Readers Festival which was held recently in Wingham, Ontario.)
Some attendees prefer the readings, but I am most fond of the interviews and round tables: my favourite kind of bookishness.
Do you have a favourite literary festival? Is there an event you’ll be attending this season that you’re particularly keen on?
I was hoping I’d have time to go to IFOA this year, but it’s looking like I may miss out again. I like a combination of readings, interviews. I had a whole list of possible things to attend, but it’s hard for me to get into Toronto from where I am on a week night, in-time for a lot of the events. I may still try for the Tribute to Alice Munro – if tickets are still available, otherwise I may be missing out on this – again.
Is it easier to target one of the weekend days? I remember when I wasn’t living here, I had to just choose the best run of days to come for, and I ended up attending a lot of events that I hadn’t been aiming for because there were others around them that I had wanted to be here for, and some of those unplanned-for events have ended up on my list of best IFOA experiences.