The International Festival of Authors took to the streets this morning in downtown Toronto to drum up public interest in the fest, which gets underway at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre on Oct. 21. Festival organizers hired a rag-tag band of actors to give impromptu readings from a number of books featured in the fest “ including Ian Weir’s Daniel O’Thunder (Douglas & McIntyre), Lauren Kirshner’s Where We Have to Go (McClelland & Stewart), Nicholson Baker’s The Anthologist, and Sarah Waters’ The Little Stranger “ and to give away hundreds of free books. [UPDATE: Organizers are handing out backlist titles by some of the authors featured at the fest, so don’t expect to get a free copy of The Anthologist.]

Organizers will repeat the stunt at Nathan Phillips Square from noon to 1 p.m. See below for photos from this morning’s happening.