Since the 1950s, the population of the Greater Toronto Area has grown from around one million to well over five. With this expansion, the city and its inhabitants have experienced significant changes. The shaping and transformation of the city’s identity has led to a healthy breeding ground for literature about the city itself. Explore some of the favorite haunts of the city’s famous writers – a must visit for every bookworm in the city.
“I have a deep and meaningful relationship with Toronto, not always positive. It’s a rich, complicated and troubled place. But it is the city of my heart and my imagination.”
— Maggie Helwig
Author of the brilliant novel Consolation, Michael Redhill was quoted as saying that the By the Way Caféwas somewhere that he felt he could write, read or even just settle his soul. Located on Bloor Street with a mixed Mediterranean and Middle Eastern identity, it is clear why it was such an inspiring spot for Redhill to write his novel on legacy and the struggle to survive. These themes perfectly mirror Toronto’s questioning of its identity.
By the Way Café, 400 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON, Canada, +1 416 967 4295