Ajax will host the inaugural BlackLit Durham festival on Saturday, Aug. 29, bringing together acclaimed authors, poets, performers, publishers and readers for a full day celebrating Black Canadian literature and spoken arts.
The one-day event will take place at two Ajax venues: McLean Community Centre at 95 Magill Drive and St. Francis Centre for Community, Arts and Culture at 78 Church St. S. Organized by AfriCANthology Canada, the festival builds on the BlackLit Durham literary series that has been presenting Black Canadian voices in the community since 2022.
Programming begins at 10:30 a.m. at McLean Community Centre with an opening ceremony and showcase hosted by voice artist Kevin Carrington. The event will feature the Spoken Soul Collective, including Randell Adjei, Paulina O’Kieffe and Dwayne Morgan. Admission to the opening showcase is $15.
From noon to 5 p.m., visitors can attend the free BlackLit Emancipation Book Fair. The fair is designed to connect readers with Black Canadian authors, publishers, booksellers and new titles while creating opportunities for the public to meet creators and support their work. Elle de Lyon will serve as emcee, with music provided by DJ Love Jones.
The afternoon will also include three interactive literary workshops. Ramon Carty is scheduled to lead the first session from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m., followed by Kesha Christie from 2 to 3:15 p.m. and Lalaa Comrie from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Pre-registration is required, and each workshop costs $25.
The festival will move to St. Francis Centre for its main showcase from 7 to 10 p.m. Author, speaker and musician Antonio Michael Downing will host the evening program. Featured guests include Matthew-Ray Jones, known as Testament, who was appointed Ontario’s Poet Laureate in 2024; writer and historian Afua Cooper; and acclaimed writer, director and performer d’bi.young anitafrika.
The BlackLit Durham festival grew from efforts to create more space for Black Canadian writers and stories. Its roots trace back to “AfriCANthology: Perspectives of Black Canadian Poets,” a 2022 collection edited by festival director Greg Frankson. A promotional event featuring writers from the anthology helped generate interest in further literary programming, leading to the creation of BlackLit Durham as a recurring series.
Organizers say the festival is intended to highlight the range of experiences represented in Black Canadian writing. While Black authors in Canada can sometimes be grouped broadly with African American, Caribbean or African literary traditions, the event emphasizes the distinct histories, identities and perspectives found within Black Canadian literature.
The festival is also designed for a broad audience, welcoming people of different ages and backgrounds to experience poetry, books, storytelling and performance. The program also gives emerging creators opportunities to connect with audiences and established voices in the Canadian literary community.
Organizers hope the annual August event will continue growing, with plans for future editions to expand beyond a single day.
With workshops, live performances, a book fair and appearances by established literary figures, the Aug. 29 program gives Durham Region readers an opportunity to discover writers, engage with creative work and celebrate Black Canadian voices close to home.
