Contact details:
Website address: http://festivalofauthors.ca
Email address for general inquiries: info@ifoa.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FestofAuthors/
Goals/mission:
TIFA’s mandate is to “cultivate and advance the cause of literature,” according to its 2017 Festival Guide. Specifically, TIFA does so by connecting established, emerging, and potential writers with each other and the larger public at the eponymous festival, among other outreach initiatives.
Notable past and current activities:
The primary activity in which TIFA participates is the International Festival of Authors, held annually around the end of October at the Harbourfront Centre on Toronto’s Queen Quay. At this festival, which lasts around 10 days, authors from Canada and the broader world gather to network with each other and give talks, perform readings, sign books, participate in interviews, and discuss issues in panel conferences before audiences. Many of these events require purchasing tickets, but others, including events targeted specifically for people living in low-income neighbourhoods, are free to attend. The festival features authors of multiple kinds: novelists are represented, as are screenwriters, poets, journalists, critics, historians, and cartoonists.
Two other initiatives TIFA manages include Toronto Lit Up and ALOUD. Lit Up is a multi-year initiative designed to give Toronto-based writers increased representation to larger audiences, accomplished through launches and outreach events throughout the city. ALOUD is a collection of literary initiatives for youth, including visits from authors and bookplate-making workshops.
Ways in which people can get involved:
The major way in which the public can be involved with TIFA is by engaging with the festival and its featured authors and events. TIFA programming also relies on volunteers, and donations are always accepted.