Eden Robinson (Arden Wray)

To kick off the 100-day countdown until the sixth annual Festival of Literary Diversity, the beloved Brampton, Ontario, event announced the first of a record 60 authors who will speak at this year’s festival: Eden Robinson, the bestselling author of Monkey Beach and the Trickster series. The virtual festival, to be held from May 1 through 15, will include Canadian and international authors.

“The virtual format allows us to include more international voices, while keeping Canadian voices at the centre of everything, and the range of authors we’ve secured for this year is incredible,” executive director Jael Richardson said in an announcement.

This will be the second virtual edition of the festival. COVID-19 protocols made it necessary to cancel the physical 2020 festival, but virtual versions of the events were well-attended and more accessible geographically as well as to people of all abilities. Registration for this year’s festival will open on March 25. Authors and events will continue to be rolled out on FOLD’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.