What's on at Queen's Park

Adult Programming

 

  • Scotiabank Bestsellers Stage

    The flagship venue at The Word On The Street, this venue features some of the biggest names in Canadian literature, all under one roof!

  • Canadian Magazines Tent

    Come and hear experts from some of our country's most-loved magazines as they dispense everything from fashion tips to advice on freelancing. 

  • CBC Stage

    Check out your favourite CBC personalities live at the CBC Stage!

  • City of Toronto Tent

    Nominees for the Toronto Book Award plus a selection of past years' finalists and winners will read from their nominated works.

  • Comics & Graphic Novels Tent

    Presented in partnership with the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, this lively tent features a series of discussion panels and presentations from some of the best creators in Toronto's comics and graphic novels scene.

  • Cooks 'n' Books Stage

    The Word On The Street is excited to present its first cooking stage this year!  Programmed in partnership with The Cookbook Store, this venue will host tantalizing food demonstrations and sampling led by some of our country's top chefs.

  • Diaspora Dialogues Tent

    Diaspora Dialogues will offer an “urban mash-up” of readings, music, spoken word and other artistic demonstrations that reflect the complexity of our culturally-diverse metropolis.

  • EYE WEEKLY Music Stage

    Focusing on the art of song, this venue will feature interactive segments on hot new music-related books and musical performances by local bands.

  • Great Books Marquee

    The place to be for the most exciting and dynamic books of the year, this venue features a variety of hot spring and fall titles including fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

  • Money Matters Tent

    Another first for our 20th festival, this venue is devoted to the world of money today. Some of Canada’s top financial experts will be on hand to dispense advice on everything from surviving the recession to RRSPs.

  • Proud Voices Tent

    Co-presented with Pride Toronto, Proud Voices will feature a variety of works in celebration of the queer community.

  • Toronto Star Tent

    Back by popular demand, the Toronto Star offers thought-provoking presentations from some of its most popular writers.

  • Wordshop Marquee

    This venue will offer a day of writing workshops covering craft and career strategy for aspiring writers featuring the esteemed faculty of The Humber School for Writers.

  • World Music Stage

    Programmed in partnership with Small World Music Festival and presented by Citytv, this venue will host a blend of music from around the globe!

 

 

KidStreet Programming

 

  • Children's Activity Tent

    This venue will feature creative crafts and interactive presentations inspired by new children's books, plus music and animals too!

  • Children's Reading Tent

    Come and see some of Canada's most renowned children's authors and illustrators present some of the best children's books of 2009.

  • Little Readers Tent

    Featuring segments by early-literacy experts, this venue will offer storytelling, rhyming activities and music for kids age 0-3 while tricks and tips are dispensed to parents on how to introduce early-literacy into their daily schedule.

  • TVO Kids Stage

    Favourite personalities from TVOKids take the stage for a day of fun-filled literacy-focused entertainment including music, stories, readings and interactive sessions.


 

 

  • Diaspora Dialogues Tent

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  • EYE Weekly Music Stage

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  • Great Books Marquee

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  • Money Matters Tent

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Click on a segment below to learn more.
  • 12:00 -12:30 :: Ray Robertson

     Ranging over the early years of the pioneering Elgin Settlement, David's wild, whiskey-fueled early years in Chatham as a factory worker and apprentice grave-robber and his day-to-day life with his ex-prostitute German lover in present-day, 1895 Chatham, David is a portal to a fascinating, if mostly unknown, piece of Canadian history, as well as the story of one man's search for wisdom, peace and forgiveness.  Learn more about Ray Robertson

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  • 1:00 -1:30 :: John Bemrose

     In the heart of cottage country in Ontario, bordering on a native reservation, Ann and Richard are confronted with the abrupt reappearance of Billy, whose presence in their lives brings back powerful memories and rekindles old conflicts, love and a betrayal, as each of their past and present stories gradually unfolds during one 1980s summer.
    Learn more about John Bemrose

  • 1:30 -2:00 :: Barry Callaghan

     Adam Waters’ search for the woman he loves, who has mysteriously disappeared from their hotel room, takes him from the casinos of Puerto Rico to war-torn Gabon and a leper colony deep in the African bush. Counterpointing Adam’s quest are his memories from boyhood, and of his father, wandering jazzman Sweet Web Waters, his experiences as a war correspondent and the girl who becomes his lover, the dancer Gabrielle O’Leary..
    Learn more about Barry Callaghan

  • 2:00 -2:30 :: Cordelia Strube

     For Lemon, high school is misery, a trial run for an unhappy adulthood of bloated waistlines, bad sex, contradictions and inequities and nothing guidance counsellor Blecher can say will convince Lemon otherwise. It will be up to Lemon if she can survive things with her usual cavalier aplomb..
    Learn more about Cordelia Strube

  • 2:30 -3:00 :: Emily Schultz

     Heaven is Small is the funny and profound story of Gordon Small, a degree-clutching slacker and failed fiction writer. Gordon is also recently deceased -- "an event he failed to notice." But when Gordon finds himself suddenly employed at the Heaven Book Company, the world's largest romance publisher, he does notice that things are odd. With sly deadpan humour, brilliant insight into the human condition and exceptionally beautiful writing, Schultz explores what it's like to be truly alive only after you're dead. Learn more about Emily Schultz

  • 3:00 -3:30 :: Darrell Bricker and John Wright

     The anonymity of a phone line is the secret to success for Darrell Bricker and John Wright of Ipsos Reid, the largest market research company in Canada. Ipsos’ accuracy in gathering people’s thoughts and predicting trends makes the company the go-to source for almost everyone seeking answers to strange but intriguing questions. We Know What You’re Thinking is filled with fascinating insights about Canadians—and peppered with fun graphs, factoids and quizzes.
    Learn more about Darrell Bricker and John Wright

  • 3:30 -4:00 :: Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie

     The most dangerous pollution has always come from commonplace items in our homes and workplaces. For this book, over the period of an average week, the authors use their own bodies as the reference point to tell the story of pollution in our modern world, the miscreant corporate giants who manufacture the toxins, the weak-kneed government officials who let it happen and the effects on people across the globe..
    Learn more about Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie

  • 5:30 -6:00 :: Zoe Whittall

     What is it like to grow into adulthood with the “war on terror” as your defining political memory, with the aftermath of SARS and Hurricane Katrina as your backdrop? Rising star Zoe Whittall presents a dazzling portrait of a generation we’ve rarely seen in literature – the twenty-five-year olds who grew up on anti-anxiety meds and text-messaging each other truncated emotional reactions, unsure of what’s public and what’s private.
    Learn more about Zoe Whittall