The Word on the Street's 2023 Line Up Will Feature Catherine Hernandez, Kenneth Oppel, Zoe Whittall, & More

The Word on the Street is one of Toronto's most beloved literary traditions, and two changes to the festival last year proved to be popular tweaks: the festival moved back to their old stomping grounds at Queen's Park (after several years of being held at the Habourfront Centre) and they shifted from their traditional autumn timing to a late spring festival. This followed a previous expansion of the long-running one-day festival to a two-day weekend-long celebration of all things CanLit.

These changes continue to be in place this year, and the festival has just announced their two-day 2023 line up for this year's May 27 & 28 dates. Packed with CanLit greats and fascinating newcomers, and inclusive of every genre a book lover could desire, it's a great kick off to the spring literary season.

Featured guest authors include award-winning novelist and screenwriter Catherine Hernandez, celebrated chef and cookbook author Laura Calder, children's literature superstar Kenneth Oppel, Giller-nominated writer Zoe Whittall, and two of Open Book's own columnists, Lindsay Zier-Vogel and Stacey May Fowles, amongst many others. 

The festival will also offer some exciting new stages and themes for readings and panels this year, including a celebration of thrillers, noir, and mystery called Twist Endings, and a romance-centric Love & Letters stage (both new stages operate only during the Saturday portion of the festival). The popular outdoor marketplace will feature publishers, bookstores, magazines, independent authors, literacy organizations, writers’ groups, food vendors, and more. 

Stay tuned to Open Book for coverage of The Word on the Street, and check out their website for more festival information, including accessibility, schedules, and opportunities to support the festival through donations. 

Full list of authors appearing at the 2023 edition of The Word on the Street:

Saturday Festival

Michael Adams, Randell Adjei, Nekesa Afia, S.K. Ali, Marjorie Beaucage, Maggie K. Black, Erin Bow, Kate Cayley, Corinna Chong, Lily Chu, Charlene Chua, Loridee De Villa, Judy Eaton, Molly Fader, Barbara Fradkin, Elyse Friedman, Hollay Ghadery, Heba Helmy, Catherine Hernandez, Camille Hernández-Ramdwar, Farah Heron, Jennifer Hillier, Nadia L. Hohn, Helena Hunting, Marjorie Ingall, Uzma Jalaluddin, Sameea Jimenez, Amy Jones, Ann Lambert, Ruby Lang, t. liem, Hudson Lin, Brooke Lockyer, Harriet Alida Lye, Susan McCarthy, Hannah Mary McKinnon, Wendy Million, Romi Moondi, Geoffrey D. Morrison, Nicole Nwosu, Ardo Omer, Janika Oza, BH Panhuyzen, A.G. Pasquella, Amanda Peters, Casey Plett, Corinne Promislow, Natasha Ramoutar, K.D. Richards, Ronnie Riley, Emily Saso, Carey Sookocheff, Amy Stuart, Andrew F. Sullivan, Bryn Turnbull, Katie Wicks, Kari-Lynn Winters, Zoe York, A. Light Zachary, and Lindsay Zier-Vogel

Sunday Festival

Maya Ameyaw, S. Bear Bergman, Aparita Bhandari, Chantal Braganza, Laura Calder, Annahid Dashtgard, Claudia Dávila, Lisa de Nikolits, David Demchuk, Cherie Dimaline, Cary Fagan, ryan fitzpatrick, Stacey May Fowles, Paul Gilligan, Christina Gonzales, Maika Harper, Perry King, Stephen LaFrenie, Karon Liu, Victoria Mbabazi, John Brady McDonald, Brian McLachlan, Terese Mason Pierre, Ginette Mohr, Jennifer Mook-Sang, Téa Mutonji, Heather M. O'Connor, Kenneth Oppel, Neil Pasricha, Ursula Pflug, Menaka Raman-Wilms, Sarah Raughley, Kelly Robson, Itah Sadu, Sid Sharp, Antanas Sileika, Shannon Lee Simmons, Dianah Smith, Tanya Turton, Emily Urquhart, Anuja Varghese, Zoe Whittall, and Louise Zimanyi