The ReWrite

What started out as a few weeks of schools being shut down in March 2020 suddenly turned into a long-term situation of juggling at-home schooling and trying to keep kids engaged. In this episode, we reached out to three individuals to hear about their experiences supporting kids and teachers, and the impact the arts had on creating connection for students during a confusing and isolating time. Tune in to hear from Tessa Eisenberg from First Book Canada, Tim Walker from Harbourfront Centre and William Wallace, a high school English teacher with the Toronto District School Board. Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Stephanie Fraser. Visit festivalofauthors.ca/TheReWrite to learn more.

Through the editing stage to organizing author appearances at festivals, readings and more, there are many people behind the scenes at publishing houses who work together to get books into a readers' hands. In this episode, hear from two publishing professionals, Cory Beatty at HarperCollins Canada and Jillian Levick at Simon and Schuster Canada, about their experiences in the last year and a half. From an online bookstore finder to virtual book launches, their teams have found exciting new ways to connect authors and readers. Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Stephanie Fraser. Visit festivalofauthors.ca/TheReWrite to learn more.

In 2020, many organizations were faced with the impossible situation of determining how to proceed with their book events when Toronto was shut down to keep people at home. After months of planning, some were forced to cancel or postpone indefinitely, but many organizations took on the challenge to find new ways to reach audiences through online events.    In this episode, we spoke with Gregory McCormick, the Manager of Cultural and Literary Programming at the Toronto Public Library; Tara Mora, an Executive Producer at CBC Books; Amanda Halfpenny, an Events and Program Coordinator at Canadian Children's Book Centre; and Daphna Rabinovitch, the Submissions and Marketing Manager of the Scotiabank Giller Prize, to learn more about their experiences last year.    Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Stephanie Fraser. Visit festivalofauthors.ca/TheReWrite to learn more.

The book industry has gone through many transformations within the past decade, but 2020 took those changes to a whole new level for booksellers. Readers were thrilled when their favourite independent bookstores extended beyond their local neighbourhood boundaries with the creation of online bookshops. And with ebooks and audiobooks available 24/7 at their fingertips, it was a book lover's world. In this episode, we spoke with Alex Snider, co-owner of Queen Books; Hannah White, Marketing Manager at the University of Toronto Bookstore; and Kobo's President & CEO Michael Tamblyn to learn more about their experiences last year.   Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Stephanie Fraser. Visit festivalofauthors.ca/TheReWrite to learn more.

From cancelled contracts to publishing a book during a lockdown, the pandemic has been challenging in different ways for writers. In this episode, we spoke with Canadian writers Omar Mouallem and Bridget Canning about their experiences during a year of isolation, virtual events and finding new ways to connect through writing. Tune in to hear how Omar became the Fake Dean of the Pandemic University School of Writing in 13 days and what it was like for Bridget to attend an in-person event in October 2020.  Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Stephanie Fraser. Visit festivalofauthors.ca/TheReWrite to learn more.

Hear from staff at the Toronto International Festival of Authors about their experiences in 2020 and the process of planning a digital programme with over 200 events. In the first episode of the new season, our host Stephanie Fraser sat down with Roland Gulliver and Jamaal Azeez to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Festival and their favourite moments from the 41st edition.   Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Stephanie Fraser. Visit festivalofauthors.ca/TheReWrite to learn more.

Director of the Toronto International Festival of Authors, Roland Gulliver, talks about how the organization has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, what his goals are for the upcoming 41st edition of the festival this fall, and more. Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Ardo Omer.

The Festival of Literary Diversity (The FOLD)’s Founder and Artistic Director, Jael Richardson, and Communications and Development Coordinator, Amanda Leduc, discuss the experience  of turning their physical festival into a digital one, what they learned about themselves during the process, and much more. Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Ardo Omer.

Alex Snider of Toronto’s Queen Books talks about the experience of opening an online book shop, being able to reach beyond the shop’s local Leslieville neighbourhood, and more. Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Ardo Omer.

Picture book creators Andrew Katz and Charlene Chua discuss their newly formed collective, Picture Books, Eh!, the response it’s garnered, and much more. Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Ardo Omer.

Children’s author and illustrator Kevin Sylvester talks about the origins of his moving picture book, Oak and Maple, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected him as a creative, and more. Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Ardo Omer.

Authors Terese Mason Pierre and Jenny Heijun Wills talk about their make-up looks inspired by book covers, the content they’ve been consuming to help get through the pandemic, and more. Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Ardo Omer.

BookNet’s CEO, Noah Genner, discusses recent changes to book sales, reader habits and more, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Ardo Omer.

Bestselling and award-winning children’s author Kenneth Oppel talks about the daily readings he uploaded onto YouTube this past March, his latest book, Bloom, and more. Produced by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and hosted by Ardo Omer.