The inaugural Canadian Black Literary Festival (CBLF) is coming to Ajax for a full day celebrating Black Canadian literature, storytelling, poetry and performance.

Presented under the 2026 theme “Voices of Freedom,” the festival brings together Black Canadian writers, poets, storytellers, publishers, booksellers and readers for workshops, performances, conversations and the BlackLit Emancipation Book Fair.

For Black Canadian writers, literary creators and storytellers, this is also an opportunity to connect with the people building and supporting Black literary culture in Canada.

What’s happening

Opening Ceremonies & Showcase | 10:30 AM–12 PM
Hosted by Kevin Carrington and featuring the Spoken Soul Collective, including Paulina O’Kieffe, Dwayne Morgan and Randell Adjei. Admission: $15.

BlackLit Emancipation Book Fair | 12–5 PM — FREE
Discover Black Canadian authors, bookstores, publishers and literary organizations, meet creators and purchase books directly from the people creating and publishing them. Hosted by Elle de Lyon with music from DJ Love Jones.

Interactive Literary Workshops | 12:30–4:45 PM
Three 75-minute workshops with Ramon Carty, Kesha Christie and Lalaa Comrie covering poetry, storytelling, finding your voice and using books as tools for creativity and personal growth. Workshops are $25 each and require advance registration.

Main Event Showcase | 7–10 PM
Hosted by Antonio Michael Downing and featuring Dr. Afua Cooper, Testament and dr.d’bi.young anitafrika. Early-bird tickets are $25; regular admission is $35.

Location

The festival takes place across two Ajax venues:

McLean Community Centre
98 Magill Drive
Ajax, Ontario

Opening ceremonies, workshops and the BlackLit Emancipation Book Fair take place here.

St. Francis Centre for Community, Arts & Culture
78 Church Street South
Ajax, Ontario

The 7 PM Main Event Showcase takes place here.

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If you’re a writer, poet, author, storyteller, publisher, bookseller, literary content creator or someone interested in Black Canadian storytelling, this is one to have on your calendar.

The festival grew out of BlackLit Durham, which has been showcasing Black Canadian literary voices in Ajax since 2022. CBLF expands that work into a dedicated annual festival centred on African-Canadian literature across genres.

Writers, booksellers, publishers and literary organizations can also apply to become vendors at the BlackLit Emancipation Book Fair.

Tickets & registration: CultureTix
Book Fair vendor application: Apply to become a vendor
Full festival information: Canadian Black Literary Festival