‘BlackLit Durham’ spotlights ‘Afrodescendent’ writers across Canada

A major new event dedicated to Black Canadian writers is preparing to take centre stage this summer, with organizers set to reveal the names of participating authors and artists during a special online announcement on Juneteenth.

The Canadian Black Literary Festival (CBLF) will unveil its inaugural lineup on Friday, June 19, 2026, during a free virtual event scheduled from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT. Registration is required for those wishing to attend the online presentation.

The announcement will be hosted by Greg Frankson, Festival Director of CBLF and Executive Director of the Canadian Black Literature Institute, formerly known as AfriCANthology Canada. The institute is also responsible for producing BlackLit Durham and the new national festival.

Frankson said the festival represents the next stage in an initiative that began four years ago with the launch of BlackLit Durham in partnership with Ajax Public Library.

“Four years ago, in partnership with Ajax Public Library, our movement began when BlackLit Durham was born in Pickering Village. Now, we have created a festival to amplify Black literary voices and transform regional momentum into an international game changer,” he said.

He added that the June 19 announcement will introduce leading figures from Canada’s Black literary community who will help launch the festival’s first edition.

The Canadian Black Literary Festival will take place on August 29, 2026, at the McLean Community Centre and the St. Francis Centre for Community, Arts and Culture in Ajax, Ontario. Activities will begin at 10:30 a.m. and include literary workshops, author showcases and the BlackLit Emancipation Book Fair before concluding with an evening main event.

Organizers describe CBLF as the only Black-led, Black-serving, literature-only, multi-genre annual festival dedicated to amplifying Afrodescendent literary voices in Canada. The event is scheduled annually on the weekend preceding Labour Day and coincides with observances linked to Emancipation Day on August 1, the International Day for People of African Descent on August 31, and Emancipation Month in Ontario.

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