The Word On The Street
The Word On The Street is a Canadian non-profit founded in 1990 that operates Canada's largest free book and magazine festival in Toronto each September, championing Canadian and Indigenous writers through year-round programming, a publisher marketplace, and multi-tiered corporate and government sponsorship.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Word On The Street does
The Word On The Street is a Canadian non-profit literary organization founded in 1990 that operates Canada's largest free book and magazine festival, held annually in September at David Pecaut Square in Toronto. The organization produces a multi-stage festival program featuring the City of Toronto Fireside Stage, Ontario Creates Vibrant Voices Stage, CBC Kids Stage, and the WOTS Wordshop workshop venue, alongside an exhibitor marketplace that connects publishers and booksellers directly with attendees. Beyond the flagship annual event, the organization runs year-round programming including virtual book talks, Twitter-based author chats (#WOTSauthorchat), and blog content to promote Canadian and Indigenous writers.
The organization's revenue is derived from four streams: individual donations processed through CanadaHelps, multi-tiered corporate sponsorship packages, exhibitor fees from publishers and booksellers, and advertising/marketing partnerships. Festival attendance is free for all visitors, meaning revenue is fully supply-side — sponsors, donors, and exhibitors fund the experience rather than ticket purchasers. The organization operates with a lean team of approximately 8 staff including a Director of Programming, Director of Communications, Director of Community Engagement, and a Sponsorship Consultant, indicating a small operational core that scales up significantly for the annual event.
The Word On The Street is not a technology company; its core operations center on event management, programming curation, and community building rather than software development. The organization maintains a website, YouTube channel, Facebook, and Instagram presence, but its competitive position is built on brand longevity (35+ years), deep institutional partnerships with municipal, provincial, and federal government arts funders, and an established network of Canadian publishers and literary organizations.
The Word On The Street firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Word On The Street
- Legal name
- The Word On The Street Toronto
- Website
- https://toronto.thewordonthestreet.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Word On The Street is a Canadian non-profit founded in 1990 that operates Canada's largest free book and magazine festival in Toronto each September, championing Canadian and Indigenous writers through year-round programming, a publisher marketplace, and multi-tiered corporate and government sponsorship.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Word On The Street industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Literary Festival Services
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)
Keywords
Where The Word On The Street is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Word On The Street business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: The festival accepts donations from individual supporters through its website, with CanadaHelps as the donation platform. Donations support the organization's mission to champion reading, writing, and Canadian and Indigenous writing year-round.
- Corporate Sponsorship: The festival generates revenue through multi-tiered corporate sponsorship packages including lead sponsors, government sponsors, media sponsors, presenting sponsors, supporting sponsors, and various category sponsors (transportation, logistics, merchandise, audiobooks).
- Exhibitor Fees: Publishers, booksellers, and magazine publishers pay fees to exhibit at the annual festival marketplace. The 2026 exhibitor marketplace registration is currently open.
- Advertising: The festival offers advertising and marketing partnership opportunities to media sponsors and partners, including prominent placement on the website and festival materials.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free admission to annual festival |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Word On The Street product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Word On The Street hosts Canada's largest free book and magazine festival annually in Toronto, featuring hundreds of author readings, panel discussions, family and children's programming, and an exhibitor marketplace. The organization operates year-round to champion Canadian and Indigenous writers through virtual and in-person book talks, author chats, and community literary events.
Product overview
The Word On The Street is a Canadian literary festival organization offering a unified portfolio centered on its annual free book and magazine festival. The core product is the Annual Festival (36th edition in 2025) featuring multi-stage programming across the Fireside Stage, Vibrant Voices Stage, CBC Kids Stage, and WOTS Wordshop workshop venue. Year-round programming includes virtual book talks and author engagement events. The festival hosts an Exhibitor Marketplace connecting publishers and booksellers with attendees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Annual Festival Canada's largest free book and magazine festival held each September, featuring hundreds of author readings for visitors of all ages, panel discussions, and a vibrant marketplace with publishers and booksellers.
- Festival Programming Stages Curated multi-stage programming at the annual festival including author readings, workshops, and educational content across multiple venues and audiences.
- CBC Kids Stage Family-focused programming featuring children's author readings, character meet-and-greets, sing-along shows, and storytime sessions aimed at young readers and families.
- WOTS Wordshop Interactive workshop venue offering programming on writing, publishing, and creative skills, including the People's Poem Workshop, magazine creation, speed mentoring with editors, and AI awareness sessions.
- Exhibitor Marketplace Annual marketplace at the festival where publishers, booksellers, and literary organizations pay fees to exhibit and sell books and magazines directly to festival attendees.
- Year-Round Programming Ongoing literary events and author programming beyond the annual festival, including virtual book talks, author chats, and partnerships with literary organizations.
Companies that use The Word On The Street
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Word On The Street technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Word On The Street partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered lead, presenting, friends, bookseller, partner and supporting.
- Toronto Public LibraryleadLead sponsor and programming partner presenting author events including TPL Presents series at the festival.
- Magazines CanadapresentingPresenting sponsor supporting magazine-focused programming and workshops at the festival.
- Diaspora DialoguespresentingPresenting partner hosting literary scavenger hunt programming at the festival.
- Writers Trust of CanadapresentingPresenting sponsor supporting author programming and literary awards visibility.
- Editors CanadafriendsFriends of the Festival partner providing speed mentoring sessions for aspiring editors.
- Luminato Festival TorontofriendsFriends of the Festival partner collaborating on arts programming.
- Queen BooksbooksellerOfficial bookseller and accessibility sponsor at the festival marketplace.
- Toronto Metropolitan UniversitypresentingPresenting sponsor through SciXchange program and supporting sponsor through The Chang School of Continuing Education.
- Soapbox SciencepartnerPartner organization bringing science education programming to the festival through interactive presentations.
- Firefly Creative WritingfriendsFriends of the Festival partner providing writing workshops including the 'What's Underneath' workshop.
- Another Story BookshopbooksellerOfficial bookseller (Ella Minnow) at festival marketplace for author signings.
- TellwellsupportingSupporting sponsor and presenting partner for the '10 Steps to Turn Life Lessons Into an Impactful Book' workshop.
- Annick PresspresentingPresenting sponsor supporting children's literature programming.
- Scholastic CanadapresentingPresenting sponsor supporting children's and educational publishing programming.
- Simon & Schuster CanadafriendsFriends of the Festival partner and accessibility sponsor.
- IKEA Downtown TorontopresentingPresenting sponsor supporting festival operations and programming.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Word On The Street competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Miami Book Fair: Major annual book fair and literary festival featuring author readings, panels, and a large bookseller marketplace. Comparable as a large-scale, multi-day free literary festival with prominent publisher ecosystem.
- Hay Festival: Internationally renowned literary festival in the UK featuring author readings, panels, and literary programming. Directly comparable as a multi-day, free literary festival with publisher marketplace and major brand positioning.
- Edinburgh International Book Festival: One of the world's largest literary festivals featuring author readings and publisher village. Comparable in scale, format, and free-to-attend literary marketplace model.
- Edmonton LitFest: Edmonton-based literary festival nonprofit featuring author readings and book events. Comparable as a Canadian city-level nonprofit literary festival of similar scale and free-admission model.
- Ottawa International Writers Festival: Canadian literary festival in Ottawa hosting author readings and book events. Comparable as a free multi-day Canadian literary festival with publisher/author programming and government funding support.
- Brooklyn Book Festival: Free annual literary festival in New York featuring author readings and a publisher/bookseller marketplace. Directly comparable as a free multi-day literary festival with strong publisher exhibitor presence.
- Vancouver Writers Fest: A Canadian literary festival featuring author readings, panels, and book sales on the West Coast. Directly comparable as a free-to-attend multi-day literary festival with publisher marketplace and similar programming structure.
- Blue Metropolis Foundation: Montreal-based international literary festival organization featuring author programming and literary events. Directly comparable as a Canadian nonprofit literary festival with similar mission and multi-day format.
- Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA): Toronto-based literary festival featuring author readings, book sales, and literary programming. Competes for overlapping audiences, authors, and corporate sponsors in the same Toronto market.
Regional players
- Luminato Festival Toronto: Toronto-based multidisciplinary arts festival featuring performance, music, and visual arts. Comparable as a Toronto nonprofit cultural festival with government and corporate funding — though distinct in that it is a current WOTS partner rather than a direct competitor in literature.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Word On The Street social profiles
Digital presenceThe Word On The Street financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Word On The Street leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Word On The Street funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Word On The Street M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Word On The Street
What does The Word On The Street do?
The Word On The Street hosts Canada's largest free book and magazine festival annually in Toronto, featuring hundreds of author readings, panel discussions, family and children's programming, and an exhibitor marketplace. The organization operates year-round to champion Canadian and Indigenous writers through virtual and in-person book talks, author chats, and community literary events.
Is The Word On The Street a public or private company?
The Word On The Street is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Word On The Street founded?
The Word On The Street was founded in 1990. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Word On The Street based?
The Word On The Street is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does The Word On The Street make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorship, exhibitor Fees and advertising.
Who are The Word On The Street's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Miami Book Fair, Hay Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edmonton LitFest, Ottawa International Writers Festival, Brooklyn Book Festival, Vancouver Writers Fest, Blue Metropolis Foundation and Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA). Luminato Festival Toronto is listed as a regional player.
Does The Word On The Street have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Word On The Street.
What industry is The Word On The Street in?
The Word On The Street's product category is Literary Festival Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAEAG, Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks), with a secondary code of BPAGAHAG, Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations. Its SIC code is 7990.