I’m happy to announce that I’ve joined the Board of Directors for The Word on the Street as of September 23, 2026.
If you’re not familiar, The Word On The Street, or WotS, is a national celebration of reading, writing, and literacy. Each year, it hosts hundreds of author readings for visitors of all ages and a vibrant marketplace featuring the best selection of books and magazines in Canada.
The festival is free to the public and has been held in September for the last two years in David Pecaut Square, which is located between Roy Thomson Hall and the City of Toronto’s Metro Hall on King Street, just west of University Avenue.
If you attend the Toronto International Film Festival, the locations overlap. Roy Thomson Hall is also a popular filming location for movies like X-Men and TV shows like The Expanse.
I’ve attended WotS as a book lover for many years and twice as an indie author and vendor (2023 and 2024). Operating rain or shine, WotS is a wonderful and vibrant experience, attended by book lovers from all over Toronto and beyond.
Giving back to Toronto’s book community
Plans for 2026’s main event, held September 26 and 27, were well underway when I joined the board of directors.
I attended the festival on the Saturday to experience the festival in person. In the past, WoTS was held on the east side of University Avenue (around Queen’s Park). I hadn’t seen this new location.
We had an incredible day thanks to the core team and volunteers who make this event so successful. Over five author stages, including programming for children, ran throughout the weekend. Toronto Police Services estimates over 130,000 people attended!
Many of the authors I spoke to sold out or came close to selling out their stock for the weekend. Several of the booksellers were running low by the end of the day and restocked for Day 2 overnight.
If you’re an author or bookseller, that’s a wonderful problem to have!
Community partners like Toronto Public Library, the Toronto International Festival of Authors, and the Canadian Authors Association also attend. The festival is a great way to learn more about publishing in general and the community that supports it.
I’m excited to be a part of The Word on the Street and look forward to learning more about the organization as planning begins for next year.
Donor contributions keep the festival free to the public. If you’d like to support WotS, visit their donation page at Canada Helps.