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Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) Artistic Director and q book columnist Jael Richardson chats with authors SK Ali, Cecil Foster and Waubgeshig Rice about the real life people, circumstances and events that shaped their most recent works in this not-to-be-missed panel that explores the power of fact and fiction. 

S.K. Ali is the author of the novel Saints and Misfits, a finalist for the American Library Association’s 2018 William C. Morris award. Her debut novel won critical acclaim for its ground-breaking portrayal of an unapologetic Muslim-American teen’s life. S.K. holds a degree in Creative Writing from York University and has written about Muslim life for various outlets, including the Toronto Star and NBC News. Her second novel, Love From A to Z, a story about finding love in the time of Islamophobia, will be published in May of 2019 by Simon & Schuster. She has also co-authored a picture book coming out in 2019 about first day hijabs, published by Little, Brown and Company. S. K. Ali lives in Toronto with her family and a very vocal cat named Yeti.

Cecil Foster is a leading author, academic, journalist and public intel- lectual. His work speaks about the challenges that Black people have encountered historically in Canada in their efforts to achieve respect and recognition for their contribution to what is now a multicultural Canada. He highlights their fight for social justice and human dignity. 

Waubgeshig Rice is an author and a journalist originally from Wasauksing First Nation on Georgian Bay. His most recent novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow, was published by ECW Press in late 2018. He’s also the author of the novel Legacy and the short story collection Midnight Sweatlodge. He currently works as the host of Up North, CBC Radio One’s afternoon show for northern Ontario. He lives in Sudbury with his wife and son.

Jael Richardson is the author of The Stone Thrower: A Daughter’s Lesson, a Father’s Life, a memoir based on her relationship with her father, CFL quarterback Chuck Ealey. The Stone Thrower was adapted into a children’s book in 2016 and was shortlisted for a Canadian picture book award. Richardson is a book columnist and guest host on CBC’s q. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph and lives in Brampton, Ontario where she founded and serves as the Artistic Director for the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD). Her debut novel, Gutter Child, is coming Fall 2020 with HarperCollins Canada.

The Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) celebrates diversity in literature by promoting diverse authors and stories in Brampton, Ontario – one of Canada’s most culturally diverse cities. The next Festival takes place May 2-5 2019. Visit Fold Festival for details.

Copies of the authors' books will be available for purchase from Words Worth Books and a book signing will follow the theatre event.

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