When Jael Richardson launched the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) in 2016, it was the first literary festival in Canada to centre stories by underrepresented authors. This year, as The FOLD celebrates its milestone tenth anniversary, Richardson reflects on the changes she’s witnessed — not just within the festival itself, but across the literary landscape that it has helped to evolve.
“I think the most significant shift for the FOLD has been the addition of virtual experiences,” she says. “We moved the FOLD and FOLD Kids Book Fest to virtual in 2020 in response to the global pandemic. And when we saw how people were able to connect virtually at the FOLD from all over the world, the festival took a shift that I couldn’t have imagined when we started the festival. I’m so proud of the way we’ve built the virtual experience, and I’m invested in seeing it expand and grow – because for so many, that may be the only way they experience the festival.”
This year, FOLD virtual programming includes nearly 30 digital events, ranging from author meetups to robust panel discussions. Highlights include:
- a Canada Reads All-Stars panel with Kamal Al-Solaylee, David Chariandy, and katherena vermette (April 27)
- Community Through Conflict featuring Andrea Currie, Sheung-King, and Kagiso Lesego Molope (April 27)
- Monsters in My Mind: A Mental Health Conversation (April 28), with David A. Robertson, K. J. Aiello, and Samantha Jones, moderated by The FOLD Writer-in-Residence Kate Gies.
Audiences can also tune into panels like Success in Self-Publishing, and numerous hands-on workshops in FOLD’s interactive virtual space and mobile app.
This year’s theme, A Decade of Change, is both a celebration and an invitation to reflect. But for Richardson, the anniversary doesn’t mean resting on laurels or compromising the festival’s core mission of fostering rich and necessary conversations. “Themes often feel like boxes you have to stuff all your programming into. And when it comes to anniversaries, there’s often added pressure to make the year special,” she notes. “But we had a great anniversary committee who threw out some good ideas – and then let us run with it, as a staff.”
The lineup they have curated balances literary gravitas and joyful celebration. “One of my favourite ways to lighten the load is to mix literary events with food and/or other art forms,” shares Richardson. Thus, “we have our annual literary cabaret and our high tea. And this year, we’re adding an incredible new dining experience called Eat the Books with chef and author Ozoz Sokoh. They’ll be talking about Nigerian food and Nigerian writing and storytelling, and that’s my favourite way to celebrate a big year!” Eat the Books takes place on May 3, and pairs Sokoh with YA fantasy author Shade Lapite in this exploration of identity and storytelling through cuisine and conversation. Other one-of-a-kind in-person events include The Great Readception: A Literary Cabaret (May 2), Critical Conversations hosted by CBC’s Mattea Roach (May 3), and the ever-popular Literary High Tea at The Alderlea (May 4), featuring Uzma Jalaluddin, K. D. Richards, and Ruby Barrett, in conversation with FOLD Board Chair Lavanya Narasimhan.
Also in this milestone year, Richardson is expanding the festival’s storytelling reach through a new medium: podcasting. She and FOLD team member Hudson Lin have been co-hosting Into the FOLD, a behind-the-scenes look at the festival’s journey. “When we first met with our 10th Anniversary Committee, we took down all of their ideas and then went away to consider what we could reasonably manage,” she explains. “They suggested a podcast and a few other projects, and while we did a few, I think the podcast is probably our favourite.” This simple suggestion quickly turned into a personally and collectively meaningful documentation of the festival’s origins, evolution, programming – and even its finances: “Lin is our newest staff member, and while I’ve obviously been around since the start, the podcast allowed us to document the journey and share what we’ve done with a wider audience throughout the year. It’s also been a really great and creative way to get to know each other as colleagues.”
As an accomplished author herself, Richardson brings deep personal insight into FOLD’s focus on stories that reflect a range of lived experiences. Her books include the picture book Because You Are. Her memoir The Stone Thrower (also adapted into a picture book of the same name) and her debut novel Gutter Child explore themes of identity, systemic injustice, and resilience — ideas that inform the festival’s programming and purpose. And the 2025 festival lineup is, as always, packed with authors whose work resonates across genres. “There’s such a great mix of authors at this year’s festival! I say that every year, and I’m biased. But it’s always true! And I’m very grateful,” Richardson smiles.
Just some of the standout works featured at the FOLD include Uzma Jalalludin’s Detective Aunty, R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface, and Countess by Brampton author Suzan Palumbo. “For nonfiction readers,” notes Richardson, “David Alexander Robertson has two books out, and Samantha Jones has an amazing collection of poetry Attic Rain. I truly hope every reader finds at least one book that really excites them at the festival. I’m currently reading Amanda Leduc’s Wild Life, and I love it!” And the festival concludes on May 4 with a special screening of Brother, the acclaimed film adaptation of David Chariandy’s novel – followed by a virtual talkback with the author and a networking event presented in partnership with the Brampton Arts Organization.
Whether readers join virtually or in person, Richardson’s hope for the festival is simple but powerful: “Every year, I hope that the FOLD makes people excited about books. These are really stressful times, and I think books can – and do – provide a magical way of escaping, and an incredible way of understanding the world better. I hope people who join us virtually and those who come in person get excited in a new way about reading an incredible book.”
The Festival of Literary Diversity runs April 27 to 30 virtually, and May 1 to 4 in person in Brampton, Ontario. A special preview event with Jael Richardson and award-winning author Ian Williams takes place April 26 at 7:30 p.m., in partnership with the Brampton Public Library. Find the full festival schedule and tickets at thefoldcanada.org. Read Sesaya Arts’ 2023 interview with Richardson here – for more on her vision and the festival’s evolution.
© Arpita Ghosal, Sesaya Arts Magazine, 2025
