Sarah Polley, Canada Reads winner Joshua Whitehead to appear at Toronto literary fest

Actress and filmmaker Sarah Polley, singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright and Canada Reads winner Joshua Whitehead are among the storytellers taking part in the Toronto International Festival of Authors.

The annual celebration of Canadian literature, which runs from Sept. 22 to Oct. 2, released this year’s lineup featuring dozens of in-person discussions, exhibitions and readings.

Polley will present her recent collection of personal essays, “Run Towards the Danger,” while Wainwright is on tap to discuss her memoir, “Stories I Might Regret Telling You,” a reflection on life in the music industry.

Whitehead is lined up to speak about “Making Love with the Land,” his non-fiction work that delves into the nuances of ingenuity, queerness and language. The author’s debut novel, “Jonny Appleseed,” picked up the Canada Reads prize last year.

Organizers say many of the events will be followed by free book signings.

Festival tickets go on sale Aug. 29.

Other highlights include a talk titled “Disinformation, Dictators & Democracy” where Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa and Citizen Lab founder Ronald Deibert will discuss freedom of expression and human rights. Margaret Atwood is billed to address “the link between disinformation and the decay of our democracies” as part of the event.

Music writer Michael Barclay and hip-hop musician Rollie Pemberton, who performs under the name Cadence Weapon, are set to reflect on the state of Canada’s contemporary music scene.

Barclay’s new book “Hearts on Fire: Six Years That Changed Canadian Music 2000–2005” explores a pivotal period in homegrown music, while Pemberton digs into the history of Canada’s underappreciated early hip hop and rap music scene in “Bedroom Rapper.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2022.

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