DESI DIARY

WORD ON THE STREET RETURNS TO TORONTO

Canada’s premier free storytelling festival, WOTS, is taking over Toronto’s David Pecaut Square, September 26 and 27. Image credit: JOHNNY McCLUNG on Unsplash.

The Word On The Street (WOTS) Toronto is taking over David Pecaut Square this weekend, September 26 and 27, dropping Canada's biggest literary names right into the heart of the downtown core. As the country's premier free storytelling festival, WOTS is bringing an unfiltered, massive lineup of investigative journalists, bestselling thriller writers, and breakout indie voices directly to the public for two full days of live events. 

Leading the charge is a marquee roster of Canada's most recognizable talent, featuring international thriller author Shari Lapena alongside fantasy heavyweight Kelley Armstrong, USA Today bestselling sensation Jennifer Hillier, and horror master Nick Cutter. TSN senior investigative correspondent Rick Westhead brings a critical national conversation to the stage with his explosive hockey culture exposé, We Breed Lions. They are joined by Polaris Music Prize winner Rollie Pemberton (Cadence Weapon), multifaceted artist Vivek Shraya, and Governor General’s Award-winning author Don Gillmor. We are also thrilled to welcome beloved Canadian broadcasters like Evanka Osmak, essential local historians including Scarborough's Barbara Dickson, and a massive wave of breakout literary voices like June Hur, Didier LeClair, and Téa Mutonji.

Beyond the headline conversations, the festival delivers an expansive array of multidisciplinary programming for everyone. If you are bringing the family (dogs included), kids can jump into fun art workshops and listen to stories in our live reading tents. Plus, you can walk through Canada’s largest outdoor book market to find amazing new reads from local indie creators.

To explore the complete programming schedule and review the full lineup of participating authors, visit The Word On The Street Toronto.