Word on the Street Toronto is this Sunday! If the Giller Prize longlist announcement wasn’t enough of an indication, this really ushers in the Fall publishing season.
I first attended WOTS in 2011 as a volunteer and I loved it. There were so many people all there to go to author readings, gets autographs, and buy books! I really hope I can make it back this year.
For 2014, I’m putting a challenge out to all of you:
Find the diverse books at Word on the Street!
Every time you see a diverse book for sale or go to a reading by an author from a marginalized group, tweet it! Include the title and author of the book, where you found it, and the hashtags #DiverseCanLit and #wotsTO. For extra fun, share a picture of yourself with the book or author and post it to Instagram. This will help other people at Word on the Street find those books and authors. Tip: Check out the WOTS schedule to give yourself a headstart.
If you want to take your commitment to diversity up a notch, try these other #DiverseCanLit challenges:
- Go to at least 1 diverse author’s reading or signing.
- Buy at least 1 book by a diverse author whose work you have not read before.
- Buy at least 1 diverse book to give away to a friend or stranger.
That’s all! Easy, right? I hope you take the challenge and share it with your friends. Enjoy!
FAQs
Whatdya mean “diverse”?
On this blog, diverse refers to the inclusion of people from marginalized groups. A diverse book is a book whose main character or author identifies as part of a marginalized group. It’s not the perfect word but it does the job.
Whatdya mean “marginalized”?
By marginalized, I mean people who are currently and historically mistreated because of their identity. This includes but is not limited to people of color, people who are not straight, people who are trans or in other ways do not conform to gender binaries, Native peoples, people who are disabled physically or mentally, and people who are not part of dominant religious traditions.
Join the conversation!