823. Affordable events May 23-29 in Multicultural Toronto – 2018.

Opportunities to meet a Bangladeshi, Black, Saudi Arabian/Yemenite, Syrian, German and/or a Trinidadian author. A Ramadan iftar and Newcomers Day in Nathan Phillips Square. These are all free events unless you want to buy books or give a donation.  Lots of opportunities to experience the world in our culturally-diverse city the end of May. 

Bangladesh. Author Presentation. The Storm by Arif Anwar. May 23. 7-8pm. Lillian H. Smith branch, Toronto Public Library, 239 College Street. Activist Arif Anwar presents his debut novel inspired by the 1970 Bhola Cyclone, in which over half a million people perished. The novel is part love story, part Bangladeshi history. Q&A and author book signing. More information about the book with sample pages: http://www.harpercollins.ca/9781443454216/the-storm

Black Literature: Book Launch: When Black Women Speak, the Universe Listens by Dr. Arvat McClaine. May 26. 2-4pm. A Different Booklist, 779 Bathurst Street (at Bloor). info@adifferentbooklist.com.

Germany. Saudi Arabia. Yemen. Authors from Conflict Areas on Second Chances and Publishing in New Home Countries. May 25. 6:30pm. Free. Goethe-Institut Toronto, 100 University Ave, North Tower, 2nd Floor. https://www.goethe.de/ins/ca/en/sta/tor/ver.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&event_id=21168050

Image from Goethe website © Yara Said

 

Multicultural. Toronto Newcomer Day. May 29. 11:30am-3:30pm. Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen Street West. You don’t have to be a newcomer to find out what this city offers. Bring your recently-arrived immigrant friends. “Activities and entertainment. Diverse cultures.” https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/moving-to-toronto/toronto-newcomer-day/

Image from Toronto Newcomer Website

 

Muslim. Ramadan Festival “Sharing Ramadan With Toronto”. May 23 and 24. 6-10pm. Free. Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen Street West. Host Northern Lights Relief Foundation is a non-profit organization that brings together teams of volunteers to collaborate on humanitarian relief and refugee settlement. NLRF provides an array of support, offering to assist financially, emotionally, and physically with the needs of families and helping newcomers to settle down. “We are asking you join us to share a Ramadan meal with the needy. This event is free to participate and open to the public. People from all walks of life will join us to share generosity in our City. Sharing our meal is also an opportunity for us to come together with people from different belief, culture, and identity.” https://northernlightsrelief.ca/sharing-ramadan-with-toronto/.

Trinidad and Tobago. Book Launch. My Trouble with Books by Roger McTair, writer and pioneer filmmaker. May 25. 6pm. Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen Street West. Thirteen short stories set in Trinidad and Tobago and Toronto. Readings by Dionne Brand, Rita Cox and Ian Kamau (son of Roger McTair). Book available also from amazon. http://theatrecentre.org/?p=12053

Note: I’ve been trying to limit my blogs to once a week, but so many interesting events come up at the last minute, I don’t want to leave them out. Please bear with me. I hope organizers of  events will give me a couple weeks notice for future events, and please send posters or images. My email is still: ruthlormalloy@gmail.com. Ruth.

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