Reading is trending again, both the actual act and using books and similar literary memorabilia as fashion accessories. But for some people, reading is a full-on lifestyle — and if that sounds like you, there’s a festival for that! A massive literary festival is popping up for one weekend only in downtown Toronto, and you’ll be able to stock up on enough books for the entire year thanks to some major discounts — and maybe even meet your favourite author.
The Word On the Street has been running in the city for 36 years, bringing Canada’s top magazine and book publishers together for a full weekend of book browsing, panels, author signings and workshops.
Veterans of the literary festival know that this is the place to get all the books on your To Read list and the ones languishing in a months-long hold line at the Toronto Public Library. Publishers and booksellers including HarperCollins Canada, Anansi Press, Simon & Schuster Canada, Coach House Books, Another Story Bookshop, Queen Books and Glad Day Lit will have tents filled with books throughout the festival, and pretty much every tent is offering a discount or promotion of some kind. Publishers and shops will offer BOGO deals, $2 book bins, buy-two-get-one-free and maybe even a few totally free booths (with an optional donation). You’ll also get a chance to browse some literary merch, including tote bags, pins and baseball caps.
There will also be panels and workshops throughout the festival, each stage with a different theme: this year, there’s The Neighbourhood Stage featuring local voices, Vibrant Voices Stage featuring diverse voices and perspectives, Love & Shadows Stage featuring genres like sci-fi and fantasy to romance, mystery, crime and horror, Young Readers Tent and a Kids Activity Tent. Workshops this year cover the making of a magazine, becoming a self-published author, a poem workshop and even author speed dating.
The Word On the Street runs from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sunday at David Pecaut Square. And you can plan to spend a full day browsing for books: there will be food vendors and trucks stationed at each entrance for a refuel.