Popular Black authors to appear in Toronto

By Neil Armstrong

During the fall, there will be two popular international Black authors appearing at different events in Toronto.

Zadie Smith, one of Britain’s most celebrated contemporary writers, will be in conversation with CBC’s Matt Galloway at Massey Hall on October 18. Ten days later, the Toronto Public Library will present Booker Prize-winning Jamaican author Marlon James who will be in conversation with journalist Kamal Al-Solaylee at the Toronto Reference Library’s Appel Salon on October 28.

At “An Evening with Zadie Smith,” presented by Massey Hall, the author of bestselling novels “White Teeth” and “On Beauty” will discuss not only her earlier novels but also her latest book of essays, “Dead and Alive,” published by Penguin Random House in 2025.

“This eagerly awaited new collection brings Smith’s dexterity as an essayist to bear on a range of subjects that have captured her attention in recent years. Organized in five thematic sections — eyeballing, considering, reconsidering, mourning, and confessing — she unspools intimate dialogues with various sources of inspiration. She takes an exhilaratingly close look at artists Toyin Ojih Odutola and Kara Walker. She invites us along to the movies in her review of Tár, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and to her desk while researching the novel The Fraud,” notes a synopsis.

James’s new novel, “The Disappearers,” which goes on sale September 1, has been longlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize. In 2015, he won the Booker Prize for his novel, “A Brief History of Seven Killings.”

“The Disappearers” is described as “a propulsive novel about the murder of a gay man in 1980s Jamaica and its tragic consequences.”

“Written with the language-rich, urgent style that has made James one of the most acclaimed novelists working today, this is a story of men forced to make impossible compromises to survive a society that demands their erasure.

“At once a detective story and a searing sociocultural history, The Disappearers plunges into the tragic, ongoing consequences of violent homophobia, rendering its characters’ inner lives with the vivid imagery, sharp dialogue, and unrelenting energy that have defined James’s celebrated body of work,” notes a synopsis.

Describing James as one of the most acclaimed novelists of his generation, Toronto Public Library notes that the conversation with Kamal Al-Solaylee will be “an evening exploring rage, resilience, and the price of queer solidarity in a world built to deny it.”

While the Massey Hall event is ticketed, the Toronto Public Library happening is free but requires registration to reserve a ticket.

Currently, Eventbrite is indicating that the tickets for the Marlon James event are sold out. “Pre-booked tickets for this event are sold out, but we will be running a rush line beginning on the day of the event. Any seats that become available will be opened up to the rush line on a first-come, first-served basis beginning 15 minutes before the show starts. Please continue to check back as more tickets may also become available,” notes the website.

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