A Weekend of Stories and Connections at The Word On The Street Toronto 2026

This past weekend, September 26–27, I had the pleasure of participating in The Word On The Street Toronto 2026, one of Canada’s most celebrated festivals of books, authors, and readers.

For two days, my booth in Indie Alley became much more than a place to display books. It became a place for conversations, new connections, shared experiences, and stories.

I came to WOTS with my two English-language books, I CHOSE FORWARD: Turning Hardship into Strength and Shadows Across The Line: Voices of the Displaced. Although these books are very different, both are deeply connected to subjects that matter to me: resilience, human experience, displacement, identity, and the choices we make when life puts unexpected challenges in our path.

Meeting the Readers

The most rewarding part of the weekend was meeting readers face-to-face.

Throughout both days, people stopped at the booth to look through the books, ask questions, and talk about the stories behind them. Some conversations lasted only a few minutes; others developed into thoughtful discussions about immigration, hardship, resilience, family, and belonging.

There is something very different about watching someone pick up a book you have written, turn its pages, ask about it, and then decide to take that story home with them.

Signing copies for new readers was particularly meaningful to me. A book may begin with the writer, but once it reaches a reader, it begins another journey.

Connecting With Fellow Authors

WOTS was also an opportunity to meet fellow authors and discover their work.

Writing can often be a solitary process. Events like The Word On The Street remind us that behind every book is a person who has spent countless hours turning an idea, an experience, or an imagination into something that can be shared with others.

Meeting other writers, exchanging books, discussing our experiences, and encouraging one another was another memorable part of the weekend.

More Than a Book Festival

Looking back at the photographs from these two days, what stands out to me most isn't simply the booth, the banners, or the books on the table.

It's the people.

Readers of different ages and backgrounds stopped to talk. Families visited. Fellow writers introduced themselves. Some people shared parts of their own lives after hearing what my books were about.

Those moments are difficult to capture in a photograph, but they are what I will remember most.

For me, that is what a book festival should be about: bringing people together through stories.

Thank You, Toronto

I want to sincerely thank everyone who visited my booth during the weekend, whether you purchased a book, stopped for a conversation, took a photograph, shared your own story, or simply came by to say hello.

Thank you as well to The Word On The Street Toronto for creating a space where writers and readers can meet and celebrate the continuing importance of books and storytelling.

I left the festival grateful for the conversations, inspired by the people I met, and encouraged to continue writing and sharing stories.

The weekend may be over, but the conversations—and the stories—continue.

Senol Tasdelen