BY SIMONE J. SMITH
The Rose Theatre in downtown Brampton pulsed with purpose and poetry on May 3rd, as the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) celebrated its 10th anniversary with flair, soul, and a jazz-infused spirit that could only be described as unforgettable.
The VIP Reception welcomed guests with an air of reverence and joy: authors, publishers, readers, and cultural advocates gathered to honour a decade of diverse storytelling. Tables buzzed with conversations, glasses clinked in toast, and the room filled with the kind of energy that only comes from shared purpose: amplifying the voices too often left out of Canada’s literary canon.
“What makes a reading come alive? Sometimes, it’s not just the words, but the rhythm behind them.”
As the lights dimmed and the stage took focus at 7:45 PM, something magical unfolded.
The Great Readception: A Literary Cabaret
What makes a reading come alive? Sometimes, it’s not just the words, but the rhythm behind them. As the Literary Cabaret began, the room fell into a different kind of silence: the kind laced with anticipation, where breath is held, and hearts beat in time with the music. The decision to accompany each reading with live jazz transformed the event into a sensory experience. It was a performance, an emotional duet between word and sound.
Each story, layered and intentional, was matched perfectly with the music. Jazz didn’t compete with literature; it enhanced it, like a good harmony in gospel, or the right drop in a reggae bassline. It was intimate. It was dynamic. It was unapologetically soulful.
The authors who moved us
As storytellers took the stage, the audience experienced a spectrum of voices rooted in resilience, identity, and truth.
Dr. Amal Elsana Alh’jooj moved the room with selections from her memoir. Her voice—grounded, deliberate, powerful—shared stories from her journey as an Indigenous Bedouin Palestinian feminist and community organizer. The jazz that played beneath her words felt like desert wind meeting steel—gentle yet unshakable. You could hear her legacy unfolding in real time.
Then there was Morgan Campbell, a towering figure in Canadian sports journalism, reading from work that weaved cultural commentary with the precision of a seasoned storyteller. His delivery was crisp, and the live accompaniment gave his words a sense of momentum, echoing the tension and triumphs in his narratives. His presence on stage was cool, yet urgent, like the calm voice that narrates a storm.
Ruby Barrett brought vulnerability, humour, and a soft heat to the room. Reading from one of her steamy romances, her storytelling was laced with emotional intelligence, wit, and the kind of depth that makes you both laugh and nod slowly in recognition. Her prose danced with the music, inviting the audience into moments of self-discovery, and reminding us that intimacy, in all its forms, is worthy of literary exploration.
These authors, each distinct, demonstrated the multiplicity of “diversity,” a world to explore.
More Than Just a Festival
Book sales and signings before and after the event gave readers the chance to connect directly with these literary stars. The 10th anniversary theme (A Decade of Change) was felt in every hug, every round of applause, every note of jazz reverberating off theatre walls. It was a celebration of what’s possible when underrepresented voices are given the stage and the mic.
Founded by Jael Richardson, the FOLD has become Canada’s leading literary space for stories that challenge, affirm, and expand what we think we know about each other. With the upcoming Into the FOLD podcast and another powerful year of programming ahead, it’s clear: the work isn’t done.
As I left The Rose Theatre, the music still lingered. So did the stories, and maybe that’s the most powerful thing about FOLD; it stays with you.
The Toronto Caribbean Newspaper is proud to stand with FOLD, celebrating ten years of literary excellence rooted in: rhythm, truth, and unapologetic inclusion.
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