Acclaimed Canadian author Jael Richardson is the visionary founder of the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD), which is held annually in Brampton, Ontario to celebrate diversity in Canadian literature.
She was inspired to create the FOLD by gaps she saw in Canadian publishing and personal challenges she faced in promoting her first book The Stone Thrower: A Daughter’s Lesson, a Father’s Life (Thomas Allen Publishers, 2012): “I wanted to create a space where authors from marginalized experiences could talk about their identity and where they could talk about craft”. The memoir based on her relationship with her father, CFL quarterback Chuck Ealey was adapted into a picture book illustrated by Matt James in 2016. She has since published the novel Gutter Child (HarperCollins Canada 2021), Because You Are (HarperCollins Canada 2022) and most recently, The Hockey Jersey, written in collaboration with Toronto-based hockey player Eva Perron and illustrated by Chelsea Charles (2023).
Since the inaugural festival in 2016, the FOLD has become a staple of the Canadian literary scene. In 2020, the festival moved entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This “was a big change for us,” Richardson says, “But it’s also been the most exciting development of the festival” because the virtual format has truly created a space for all voices. It has allowed people from small towns in Alberta and northern Canada – as well as a diverse global audience – to participate in the festival and to connect, regardless of their geography or circumstances.
At this year’s FOLD, Richardson is looking forward to enhancing the virtual experience, with new events like trivia and after parties with the authors. In-person events will also take place in Brampton, Ontario, at the Rose Theatre. She is also excited about the new microworkshop format, which allows festival-goers to have informal exchanges in the form of “a casual sit down with an author”, where they can ask questions about topics such as getting published or writing a memoir. “These more informal exchanges are really meaningful,” she notes.
And for those seeking spring reading suggestions, Richardson recommends books by all of the authors appearing at the FOLD, with special mention to A History of Burning by Janika Oza and Dangerous Monsters by Liselle Sambury: “These are some of our more recent titles, so I love to mention them because they just might not be on your radar yet.”
As an author, Richardson draws inspiration for her own books from multiple sources: “The ideas for my books come from what I’m reading and listening to and watching on TV,” she says. “I have one idea or question that I obsess about, and that becomes a book. Right about the time I sign off on that one, another one pops up.” And unless she is working in different age categories (which she does do), Richardson rarely works on two books at once. “I’m just obsessed about one thing or one group of people, and I work with them until I’m done!”
As a reader, Richardson read a lot of romance novels – specifically Christian Civil War romance novels – when she was growing up. “I loved those books,” she smiles ruefully, “but I can see now how they really did a lot of damage in terms of how I viewed and understood my identity as a Black woman.” As she got older, she discovered authors like Lawrence Hill, Djanet Sears, and Dionne Brand, who helped her take a new, more grounded and encompassing look at herself and her history.
For aspiring writers, Richardson has two simple pieces of advice. First, let go of individual perfect sentences for a while, and focus on writing a draft of the whole work: “Let it be messy and ugly!” she says, “And then fix one thing at a time.” Second, don’t stop at learning the creative process: invest effort to understand the business of writing, as well.
As the FOLD enters its eighth year, it continues to celebrate diverse authors and storytellers from Canada and around the world. This year’s festival features a wide range of panels, discussions, workshops, and interactive events. The festival is presented in a multi-modal format, with dedicated virtual events taking place from April 30 – May 3, followed by in-person events taking place in Brampton from May 4 – 7, 2023, with many of these to be live-streamed and recorded for virtual passholders.
With its commitment to creating a space for marginalized voices and celebrating the craft of writing, the FOLD and its founder continue to make an indelible mark on the Canadian literary scene – not just by promoting the voices and experiences of marginalized authors, but by inspiring the next generation of storytellers.
This year’s FOLD runs April 30 – May 7, 2023. Register on thefoldcanada.org.
© Arpita Ghosal, SesayArts Magazine, 2023
