Toronto Urban Book Expo Virtual Presentation Now Online

TORONTO, ONT. (July 2020) - This year's Toronto Urban Book Expo will be presented as a series of virtual greetings, writings, and compositions from a selection of Canadian, American, Caribbean, and African-based writers. For the 6th occurrence of the Writer's Retreat & Conference, the writers took a moment to speak to their peers and share news about their upcoming projects.

Since 2014, the Toronto Urban Book Expo as been committed to providing a platform for published and independent authors to gain: professional development, skills/knowledge increase, international networking/support, audience growth/new readers, and also great entertainment and sightseeing in the city of Toronto coupled with positive vibes.

Nearly 100 writers have participated in the event since it's inception, with 40% of participants travelling to Toronto from across the U.S. Sponsored by the Toronto Arts Council, it has been an opportunity to share the words of Toronto's Black writing community and other independent authors and literary peers with a local and international audience.

This year's Book Expo will include the following virtual presentations:

​ANGELOT NDONGMO (Toronto, Canada) - "Nurturing Our Black Children Through Literature"

ANGELA WALCOTT (Toronto, Canada) - "Reflections"

D.A. BOURNE (Toronto, Canada) - Growing Up Black in Canada: "Silence is not a Stance"

DJ MAJESTY (Toronto, Ontario) - "All Toronto Hip Hop Tribute Mix"

ISABEL HUNT (Toronto, Canada) - "What does it mean to be Black and have a mental illness?"

JAMEEL DAVIS (Cleveland, USA) - "Greetings from the Toronto Urban Book Expo Board of Directors"

JEFFREY LEE CHEATHAM II (Seattle, USA) -  "Greetings from Seattle"

KAMILAH HAYWOOD (Toronto, Canada) - "The Crumbling of a System"

OSAGYEFO MCGREGOR (Toronto, Canada) - "The Power of the Press: Aligned for Success"

MUTENDEI NABUTETE (Nairobi, Kenya) - "The Role of the Writers of Africa & African Descent"

STACEY MARIE ROBINSON (Toronto, Canada) - "Notability: Bringing Black Books to Durham Region"

WILMONT ST. CYR (Spooner's Hill, Barbados) - "Greetings from Barbados​"


Pending the release of travel restrictions and city event/gathering limits, the Book Expo will return for 2021 with an on-site writer's retreat and conference.

Kya Publishing Launches Caribbean-Canadian Communications Archive

TORONTO, ONT. (July 2020) - Toronto publishing and communications company Kya Publishing has just launched their personal archive of Caribbean cultural communications and publications. In support of their "@CarnivalSpotlight" and "@JamaicanCanadianLove" blog outlets, the archives contain comprehensive listings of photo galleries, videos, and articles produced and composed in support of Caribbean-Canadian culture and artists.

The "@CarnivalSpotlight" blog was inspired by the Kya Publishing novel of the same name, and primarily focuses on Caribbean Carnival costumes, videos, and images in support of the culture in Toronto and abroad. Since 2016, the Instagram page has highlighted Toronto Carnival media, events and mas bands, in addition to images of artists, events, and carnivals around the globe. The @CarnivalSpotlight Archive features a list of carnival activities (including rare 1976 Caribana footage, recorded by the late father of founder Stacey Marie Robinson) and communications celebrating the culture.

The @JamaicanCanadianLove outlet, inspired by the Kya publishing novel "Video Light," has also been used to enhance the visibility of Caribbean-Canadian news, music, and culture. The related @JamaicanCanadianLove Archive contains articles, videos, and other communications recorded and composed over the years.

"Kya Publishing is, and has always been, committed to the documentation and celebration of culture. Specifically Caribbean culture, Canadian culture, Toronto culture, and literary culture," said Robinson. "While our love primarily manifests in books and publishing the written word, we would be remiss to not acknowledge the other ways we have been documenting culture since Kya Publishing was established in 2007."

Accessible through the Kya Publishing website, the Archives have chronicled major events in Toronto and the Caribbean over the past decade, and will continue to grow in support of the artists and organizations that work to sustain and support cultural activities.

"Documenting culture: it is a passion, a personal hobby, and most importantly...it is a necessity," said Robinson. "Kya Publishing will continue to document and archive these stories and individuals. These expressions of culture, in their purest form, and sharing these experiences will continue to be the force that drives this business."