The Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA)’s third annual MOTIVE, Canada’s premier crime and mystery festival takes over Harbourfront Centre this upcoming weekend.
If you, like me, are a fan of crime and mystery, you can put on your detective hats to explore over 40 events all weekend long and meet some of the best crime and mystery writers from Canada and around the world.
Given MOTIVE happens over a whole weekend, I have taken liberty of choosing some events that are looking super interesting and fun for you.
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On Saturday, June 8 MOTIVE will feature two special screenings with conversations about adapting books to film and television:
- Murdoch Mysteries
Creator and writer Maureen Jennings will reminisce on the journey from idea, to page, to CBC television’s hit show followed by a screening of an episode Jennings wrote herself.
- Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None:
This is a tribute to the grand master of the genre. Author Jeffrey Round and Editor Otto Penzler will discuss the immense impact of Agatha Christine in the literary and film worlds, before settling in for a screening of the 1945 classic film.
TRUE CRIME
New this year, MOTIVE spotlights the popular True Crime genre through thoughtful conversations and interactive workshops. Highlights include:
- FREE Forensic science workshops in partnership with University of Toronto:
- Forensic Science: The Real CSI – As Not Seen on TV!
- The Secret of Blood: From Spatter to Science
- Right Down to the Bone: The Identity of Jane Doe
- Critical Conversations:
- Through a Mirror Darkly: Why we Love True Crime Kristi Lee and Kevin Donovan
- Looking for a Familiar Face: The Justice System and Canada’s Diverse Communities
- From Prescription to Peril: A Forensic Toxicologist’s Insight into the Opioid Crisis
Additional Featured Events
The Past Never Says Goodbye
Walter Mosley (Devil in a Blue Dress, Farewell Amethystine)
Take a deep dive into the mystery genre with an international superstar. Renowned for creating the iconic Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, Mosley will launch Farewell, Amethystine, the 16th title in the Easy Rawlins series at the MOTIVE festival.
Protagonists Push Back
Conor Kerr (Prairie Edge) and Kellye Garrett (Missing White Woman)
The authors will have a thought-provoking conversation about their books and the challenges their protagonists face as they navigate systems that marginalize and exclude them.
The Business of Being Bad
Katrín Júlíusdóttir (Dead Sweet) and Yun Ko-eun (The Disaster Tourist)
Sometimes it’s not one bad guy you need to worry about… it’s a whole institution. The authors will discuss the antagonists in their books: greed and corruption.
Other notable authors in attendance include Ashley Audrain (The Push, The Whispers), Nita Prose (The Maid, The Mystery Guest), Linwood Barclay (I Will Ruin You), Antti Tuomainen (The Rabbit Factor being adapted to film starring Steve Carell) and many others.
MOTIVE brings together crime storytellers of all forms from writers to investigators, scientists to podcasters, from around the world.
You can purchase a Festival Pass to explore as much of the Festival as they wish (Adult: $54.99, Student / Youth $34.99) or a Day Pass (Adult: $18.99, Student / Youth $15.99). This year, you will have the option to purchase Walter Mosley’s new book Farewell, Amethystine at a discounted rate with the Festival Pass or Friday Day Pass.
For details on MOTIVE event listings and schedule, please visit the festival’s website.
