Yesterday, I took part in The Word On The Street Toronto Festival. I read from Maya at the TD Children’s Literature Stage. I’ve attended the festival every year since I moved to Toronto in 2011, and it never occurred to me I might take part as an author, let alone as a children’s book author! It was so thrilling.

The weather was good to us too, important because WOTS is mostly an outdoor festival. It was a beautiful fall day. Clear, cloudless, with the sun bright and warm while a cool breeze blew in from the lake. This was the second year the festival took place at Harbourfront Centre (it used to be, for a long time, at Queens Park). It was impressively organized, with booths cozied together like in a bazaar but not overcrowded. And the number of events and readings and activities happening! It was dizzy-making and so exciting.

WOTS is among the reasons I love Toronto so much. The festival is entirely free. It’s diverse, accessible, family-friendly and community-friendly. I am looking forward to the 2017 edition!