This Saturday, May 2 is Authors for Indies Day. At indie bookstores across Canada, authors will be volunteering as guest booksellers, and that’s just the beginning of the bookish fun in store. To help get you ready, we’ve got suggested itineraries and highlights for six major cities, written by local booklovers just for you.
Where to go in Toronto, by BookNetter Lauren Stewart
Living in Toronto, I am fortunate to know and love a number of indie bookstores near my home. On May 2, several Toronto stores are opening their doors to local authors for Canadian Authors for Indies Day:
I’m going to pack up my TTC Metropass, an extra-large water bottle, salty snacks, and visit as many indie shops as possible (and maybe a comic book store or two for Free Comic Book Day)!
Here are the stores I’m checking out this Saturday, May 2:
- Type Books (883 Queen Street West) — I used to work at Type, and I have a soft spot for their Queen West location, which looks out onto the gorgeous Trinity Bellwoods Park (and has many pastry options withinwalkingdistance). Type is going all out for Authors for Indies Day, treating it much like Indie Record Store Day (April 18), offering limited editions and releases for the first shoppers in the door. I’ll be there by the time the doors open at 10 a.m. This is when the realization that I cannot be in five stores at one will hit me, as I could easily spend the entire day at just one of the amazing events happening in the city. Alas, gotta move on!
- Another Story (315 Roncesvalles Avenue) — I’m going to hightail it over to Another Story for the start of their author lineup at 11 a.m., when Olivia Chow and Kenneth Oppel will be stopping by. Having an opportunity to chat up a post-election, uncensored Olivia Chow and find out what she’s reading and recommends? As long as it’s not erotica-lite, I’m all in! Find Another Story’s full schedule here.
- Book City (2354 Bloor Street West) — TTC, don’t fail me now! A jaunt to the west end will require a transfer or two, but the lineup at Book City’s Bloor West Village location will be worth it. (Each of their four locations will have its own distinct, and amazing, lineup.) Their precise schedule isn’t yet online, but I’d be thrilled to catch many of the authors on their list: Amy Lavender Harris, Anthony De Sa, Stevie Howell, Nettie Cronish, Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer, CS Richardson, Shawn Micallef, Patricia Storms, Stacey May Fowles, and David Rotenberg are all calling my name.
- Eat Your Words (778 Annette Street) — A hop, a skip, and a jump from Book City is Eat Your Words, a cookbook-heavy shop I’ve yet to visit in Toronto, and I can’t wait to see what it has to offer. My cookbook collection is already at risk of overwhelming my tiny kitchen, but this shop will surely fill some gaps (that only I can see). Can’t wait!
- Mabel’s Fables (662 Mount Pleasant Road) — IMHO, Mabel’s is one of the most gorgeous bookshops in the city (their stairwell-set adult collection brings me to my knees; it’s such a clever use of limited space), and some of my favourite children’s book personalities will be spending time in their shop on May 2. It also happily coincides with my running schedule for the day. I hope to make it over to Mabel’s in time to catch Kevin Sylvester at 2 p.m., followed by Robert Paul Weston, and Cybèle Young, who will bring some of her incredible 3D artwork to the shop. Mabel’s complete Authors for Indies info can be found here.
- University of Toronto Bookstore (214 College Street) — On my way home, I’m going to stop by the University of Toronto Bookstore’s flagship location on the St. George Campus, with its vaulted ceilings and extensive product offering. Not just a shop for textbooks and campus colours, they’re hosting a number of authors on May 2. Check out their lineup here.
Not in Toronto? Check out our other itineraries for Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Halifax, or Winnipeg. Or see a full list of participating stores on the Authors for Indies website.
