#BOOKS: MOTIVE CRIME & MYSTERY FESTIVAL 2026 HIGHLIGHTS

The MOTIVE Crime & Mystery Festival wrapped its fifth edition on June 7 after three days of lively and immersive programming featuring more than 50 crime and mystery writers from Canada and around the world. Festival highlights included the Canada Bleeds panel exploring the evolution of Canadian crime fiction and a series of sold-out masterclasses with some of the genre’s most celebrated authors. With international guests, French crime-writing showcases, forensic science workshops, and unforgettable mystery experiences drawing enthusiastic audiences, MOTIVE 2026 marked the festival’s largest and most successful edition to date.

Moments You May Have Missed

TIFA Presents Preview

In addition to its annual Fall Festival, TIFA keeps literary conversations thriving year-round through a dynamic lineup of author events featuring internationally acclaimed writers from Canada and around the world. Through TIFA Presents, audiences can connect with bestselling authors and influential voices across literature, culture, and current affairs throughout the year.

In Conversation with…Maggie O’Farrell, June 28, 2026

In Partnership with TIFF and Penguin Random House Canada

Location: TIFF Lightbox

Maggie O’Farrell, the bestselling author of Hamnet, joins us in person for the exclusive Canadian launch of her latest work of fiction, Land: A Novel, one of 2026’s most anticipated books. O’Farrell will discuss Land, as well as her creative process and her collaboration with Chloé Zhao on adapting Hamnet for the big screen, in an in-depth conversation with bestselling author and journalist Claire Cameron.

TIFA Presents: An Evening with Rebecca F. Kuang, September 22, 2026

Location: Winter Garden Theatre

Join R.F. Kuang at the iconic Winter Garden Theatre as she discusses her latest contemporary fiction novel, Taipei Story.

Tickets and more information available at https://festivalofauthors.ca/whats-on/

TIFA’s flagship Fall Festival returns October 28–November 1, 2026, bringing together celebrated authors, emerging voices, and thought leaders for five days of conversations, readings, and special events. Media are encouraged to mark their calendars now and stay tuned for programming announcements in the coming months.

About TIFA:

The Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) has been inspiring readers and celebrating books and storytelling for over 50 years. Since 1974, TIFA has produced Canada’s longest-running book festival, the Toronto International Festival of Authors (formerly known as IFOA). TIFA has grown to offer year-round programming, including the TIFA Presents series of high-profile author talks, the MOTIVE Crime & Mystery Festival, Ever After, TIFA’s Romance Festival, and the International Visitor’s Programme. Since 1974, TIFA has welcomed thousands of authors from more than 100 countries, including many Nobel Laureates and countless award winners. TIFA is a not-for-profit organization, one of the world’s founding book festivals, and a proud member of the Canadian Association of Literary Festivals (CALF) and the Global Alliance of Literary Festivals (GAoLF).

TIFA gratefully acknowledges our Season Supporter, the Weston Foundations; our Global Authors Club, for providing philanthropic support; the Government of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Ontario, Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, the Centre for Creativity at Victoria University, and TIFA’s generous donors and supporters who recognize that great literature is worth investing in.

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