The Toronto Review — a new literature publication created by U of T scholars — is launching as a critical voice for Toronto’s diverse literary community.
Launching April 27, the online publication will publish engaging essays, fiction and reviews of books, films and other art forms every week.
“We’re curating a platform that showcases Canadian literature internationally while amplifying a writing community already abundant with local talent,” says Adrianna Michell, a PhD candidate with the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Department of English and one of the Review’s co-founders and editors.
“We’re responding to the fact that Toronto doesn't have a comparable literary publication like the New York Review of Books, the Paris Review, or the London Review of Books, despite the many readers and writers who call our city home and their voracious appetite for culture.”
The Toronto Review will also feature literary criticism — something Michell feels is sorely needed in Toronto’s literary scene.
“We see criticism as a vital mode of building connections and stimulating the literary ecosystem at U of T, in Canada, and abroad,” she says. “We’re the third largest city in North America. It's so linguistically and culturally diverse, yet there's no publication reflecting that critical voice.”
“We know many wonderful critics who are publishing in the top magazines in the world, but they're not publishing in anything local or Canadian, it's all British and American,” says Tia Glista, another co-founder and editor who is also an English PhD candidate.
“And that's a shame considering the amount of local talent and incredible creative output of a city like Toronto, where we have so many amazing local small and multinational presses, authors, filmmakers, and artists of all kinds. So to bring that into conversation with a global literary culture is something we're really invested in.”
Working with Michell and Glista are Abby Lacelle, also an English PhD candidate, Winnie Wang, a graduate of U of T’s Cinema Studies Institute’s master’s program, Toronto-based writer, Emma Olivia Cohen, and designer, Sonja Katanic.
The idea for this publication was born out of a conversation among the founders a year ago. They were discussing their own writing careers and how there’s an abundance of writing talent in Toronto and Canada, but few places to showcase, discuss and review their work.
“We’re all trying to make things happen as writers and we were commiserating about how difficult it is sometimes to get things published within the Canadian ecosystem,” says Michell.
“So maybe naively — but enthusiastically and energetically — we just got excited about doing something ourselves and we thought, ‘Why don't we just do it?’” says Glista.
“Now it feels surreal in so many ways,” she adds. “It's really touching to me that we'll be launching almost exactly a year to the date from that first conversation. We’ve all grown and developed as individuals and as a collective.”
Over that year, the group dove into their self-directed crash course on how to run a literary publication, applying their skills and talents in writing, editing, budgeting and marketing to successfully launch this non-profit venture.
Their focus and hard work are reflected in the submissions the group has already secured from prominent Canadian writers such as Joshua Whitehead, Haley Mlotek, Claudia Dey, and Furqan Mohamed. “It’s really exciting and humbling,” says Glista. “A number of the writers I'm editing are people who are more advanced in their careers than I am, and whom I really look up to.”
The Toronto Review will also include a strong U of T presence with PhD candidate and novelist Zak Jones, Sarah Dowling, an associate professor of comparative literature and other U of T graduates contributing to the publication.
“We’re really excited to bring these established voices into conversation with emerging writers,” says Michell. “We hope these exchanges help early‑career writers grow into the next generation of recognizable names.”
“It’s incredibly rewarding that very established writers get what we’re doing and have put their trust in a new publication,” says Glista. “It means our message, our mission, and our brand is translating.”
What will success look like for the Toronto Review?
“Short term success would be if we launch and people are really excited and think the work is good,” says Michell. “If people read it and feel that it represents the city we live in, or that it offers a unique, critical voice and fills a gap that they’ve noticed and wanted filled, that would be success for me. Long term, it becomes something that endures, I don't want this to just be a flash in a pan — I want it to have a lasting, meaningful impact.”
For Glista it’s a consistent and loyal readership.
“I look forward to seeing a readership that is engaging closely with the work — whether that's through social media comments, or word-of-mouth excitement about the pieces we're writing — and I hope this engagement will help shed more light on what's happening here in Toronto.”
The Review’s founders can’t wait for their publication to go live later this month. And on that day, Glista admits she will be glued to her screen.
“I think maybe obsession might be the right word,” she says. “I can see myself sitting down in front of the website and clicking on everything. I love the process of seeing something that was purely in your mind become materially manifest — that moment is absolutely priceless.”