INK TO ALGORITHM: Teen Literature Media Day Celebrates Stories, Black Canadian Creators, and Youth Voices

TORONTO, ONT. - TU Book Expo presents Ink to Algorithm, a youth-focused celebration of Black Canadian authors, storytelling, and digital creativity taking place on Friday, September 18, 2026, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Toronto Public Library's Fairview Branch** (35 Fairview Mall Drive, Toronto).

Designed as a dynamic literary and media experience, Ink to Algorithm brings together Black Canadian YA authors, teens, book media, content creators, influencers, educators, and community members to celebrate the stories shaping today’s young readers. The event highlights newly released teen and young adult titles while honouring the ongoing legacy of Black Canadian literature for youth.

The afternoon will feature author readings, live interviews, informal conversations, book discoveries, and opportunities for attendees to connect directly with writers. With content creation spaces, photography and video opportunities, and social media engagement throughout the event, Ink to Algorithm creates a welcoming environment where literature, culture, and digital storytelling intersect.

Featured authors include Kevin HeronJones, Eddie Kawooya, Angelot Ndongmo, Kamilah Haywood, and Stacey Robinson, with additional Black Canadian YA authors to be announced. The event will be hosted by Cleveland author Jameel Davis, with digital contributions from local and international TU Book Expo members.

More than an author event, Ink to Algorithm explores how stories can move from the page into today’s digital conversations. By bringing together writers and the online communities that amplify books (including BookTok creators, Bookstagrammers, influencers, content creators, and traditional media) the event celebrates reading as a visible, social, and meaningful part of contemporary culture.

Media, book bloggers, content creators, influencers, and literary communities are invited to attend, participate, and help amplify the voices and stories at the heart of Black Canadian teen literature.

Join the TU Book Expo collective as they continue their commitment to increasing the visibility, accessibility, and relevance of Black Canadian literature through programming that connects authors with new audiences.

Registration details are available now at https://tubookexpo.com/ink-to-algorithm.

Special thanks to the Toronto Arts Council for their support through the Literary Projects program.

**This event is not hosted by or sponsored by the Toronto Public Library.

How Black Artists Are Preserving Culture Through Print

Kya Publishing believes in the power of storytelling in print, and also creating spaces where voices, histories, and ideas can be documented, shared, and carried forward. Our commitment to publishing is deeply connected to our love of diasporic music cultures, from hip-hop and reggae to soca, dancehall, and the many African and Caribbean traditions that have shaped generations around the world.

We understand that music is more than sound: it's memory, language, movement, and history. Lyrics tell us where we come from, what we've experienced, and how communities have transformed those experiences into art. Storytelling remains a powerful act of preservation. When stories are documented, they can be remembered and they can inspire generations to come.

This tradition of preservation has always existed within Black music cultures. Many artists have understood that their creative contributions extend beyond the recording itself, using publishing as another way to document ideas, experiences, and histories.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation partnered with Random House in 2020 to launch Roc Lit 101, a book imprint focused on culture, entertainment, music, sports, and influential voices. The imprint reflects a broader understanding that artists are not only performers, but also historians, entrepreneurs, and storytellers who document the world around them.

In 2007, 50 Cent launched G-Unit Books, bringing elements of hip-hop storytelling to the page through narratives centered around ambition, survival, street culture, and personal experience. The project reflected the same storytelling traditions that have long shaped hip-hop, transforming lived experiences into stories that could reach new audiences.

For KRS-One, hip-hop has always represented knowledge, history, and cultural expression. Through his writing and educational work with the Temple of Hip Hop, he has emphasized the importance of documenting hip-hop’s origins, principles, and contributions as a movement worthy of preservation.

RZA’s literary projects extend the philosophy that has always been central to Wu-Tang Clan’s identity: creativity, discipline, spirituality, and personal growth. His work demonstrates how publishing can provide another space to explore the ideas and influences that shape music.

Chuck D has long understood the power of words. Through Public Enemy, books, comics, and other creative projects, he has continued to show that music and literature can work together as tools for education, awareness, and cultural documentation.

In 2018, UK artist Stormzy launched Merky Books in partnership with Penguin Random House UK, creating a platform to elevate emerging writers and amplify voices that have historically been underrepresented in publishing. His approach highlights another important role artists can play: sharing their own stories while creating opportunities for others to share theirs.

Artists such as Lil Wayne, through Young Money Entertainment, and Travis Scott, through Cactus Jack, have also demonstrated the importance of building creative ecosystems that extend beyond music and create opportunities for new voices.

Together, these examples represent a larger movement: artists recognizing that culture is not only created, but preserved. Music captures moments through sound, while publishing creates another space to explore the ideas, experiences, and histories behind those moments.

The connection between music and print is not about replacing one form with another. It is about honoring the full story. The lyrics, compositions, rhythms, and creative choices behind music all carry meaning. They tell us where we come from, how communities have evolved, and how culture continues to be created.

Through publishing, these stories can be documented, shared, and carried forward for generations to come.

Read more about how Kya Publishing is contributing to the documentation of culture here: https://kyapublishing.com/publishing

Introducing Our Black Canadian Publishing Resource Hub

We're excited to announce a new addition to our website, a growing hub dedicated to highlighting Black Canadian publishing in one convenient place.

Designed as a central destination for readers, writers, publishers, researchers, and industry professionals, this new resource will showcase the people, organizations, research, and stories that continue to shape Black publishing in Canada.

Now Available: Selected Articles & Industry Perspectives

One of the first features in development is a curated collection of articles, research, interviews, reports, and published writing focused on the Black publishing experience in Canada.

By bringing these resources together, we hope to make the histories, conversations, and contributions of Black editors, publishers, writers, booksellers, scholars, and literary organizers more accessible. This growing collection will continue to expand with new research, industry discussions, and historical resources.

We're Building a Directory

Kya Publishing Inc. is also creating a directory that celebrates and connects Black Canadians working across the publishing industry, including:

• Agents
• Authors
• Booksellers
• Critics and scholars
• Editors
• Illustrators and designers
• Marketers and publicists
• Organizations
• Publishers

And others contributing to Black Canadian literature and publishing

Our goal is to increase visibility, strengthen connections, and showcase the breadth of talent and expertise across the sector.

A Growing Community Resource

This hub will continue to evolve as new resources, profiles, and perspectives are added. By bringing this information together in one place, we're creating a resource that supports discovery, learning, collaboration, and a deeper understanding of Black Canadian publishing.

We're just getting started, and we look forward to growing this collection alongside the community.

Visit our website KyaPublishing.com to take a look at this exciting new addition: https://kyapublishing.com/black-canadian-publishing.