Canadian author Margaret Atwood.The Globe and Mail
The lineup for Inspire! Toronto International Book Fair will feature more than 400 Canadian and international authors, including high-profile writers such as Margaret Atwood, William Gibson, Kathy Reichs and Anne Rice.
Big names in children's literature, cookbooks, and memoir are also scheduled to take part in the inaugural event.
The fair – which is expected to attract 50,000 people – will include eight stages and feature areas at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from Nov. 13 to 16. Its lineup was revealed at an event on Wednesday in Toronto.
In addition to Atwood, Gibson, Reichs and Rice, authors who will take part in main stage events include comedian Jim Gaffigan, whose Food: A Love Story – the follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Dad Is Fat – is out in October; and U.S. novelists Lev Grossman (The Magicians), Meg Wolitzer (The Interestings), romance writer Sylvia Day (Pride and Pleasure) and Lisa Genova, whose self-published debut novel, Still Alice, was acquired by Simon & Schuster and became a bestseller.
There is a strong contingent of children's and young adult authors scheduled to appear, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid series author/illustrator Jeff Kinney; Captain Underpants series author/illustrator Dav Pilkey; Toronto-based award-winning author/plasticine illustrator Barbara Reid (The Subway Mouse); Winnipeg-born, Los Angeles-based Governor General's Award-winning author/illustrator Jon Klassen (Cats' Night Out); and former CBC broadcaster Kevin Sylvester, now author/illustrator of the Neil Flambé series.
Authors appearing to discuss their memoirs include former hockey star Theo Fleury (Playing with Fire); Elaine Lui – also known as Lainey Gossip (Listen to the Squawking Chicken: When Mother Knows Best, What's a Daughter To Do? A Memoir (Sort Of) ); and Alison Pick, whose novel Far to Go made the Booker Prize longlist, and whose memoir, Between Gods, comes out this fall.
A number of chefs and food writers will present cookbooks as well as recipe demonstrations and taste testing – including veteran Canadian foodies Elizabeth Baird and Rose Reisman; as well as U.S. diet book writer Tosca Reno, The Great Lobster Cookbook author Matt Dean Pettit, and David Sax (The Tastemakers: Why We're Crazy for Cupcakes but Fed Up with Fondue).
Canada's largest award for self-published books will be presented on the fair's final day. The Creation of Stories: Canada's Self-Publishing Awards will award $3,000 each to winning books in three categories (adult, YA and children's books) and $1,000 to a People's Choice Award winner.
In addition, there will be workshops and seminars for people in the industry as well as aspiring writers, and a marketplace with more than 200 exhibitors.
Marsha Lederman