Literary world gathers at Blue Metropolis
Authors and lovers of literature from the world over are gathering in Montréal for the star-studded 28th edition of the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival from April 23 to 26.
What is Blue Metropolis?
Blue Met is one of the largest multilingual literary festivals in North America. The 2026 edition presents more than 150 authors and artists from Québec, Canada and around the world in 110 events, in nine languages. Blue Met presents thought-provoking interviews, award ceremonies, public readings, cocktail evenings, performances, round-table discussions, book signings, live music, workshops and a wealth of online events. This year’s theme is “Words for Understanding One Another” (Des mots pour se comprendre).
Brandon Taylor
Literary series and events
The festival programs new and favourite series, including Novels, Short Stories, Poetry, Graphic Novels/Comic Books; Ecology; History and Society; Mental Health and Well-Being; Performance and Film; and the star-studded Eleanor Wachtel at Blue Metropolis is back with live Q&As with authors Jamaica Kincaid and Brandon Taylor.
As in past years, the 2026 edition kicks off with Blue Met Talks, an opening ceremony cocktail on April 24 featuring many notable festival guests. The annual TD-Blue Metropolis Children’s Festival also returns.
Lyuba Yakimchuk
All-Star edition
The 2026 festival features more than 20 international participants, including Lyuba Yakimchuk (Ukraine), Daniel Tammet (UK/France), Antoinette Rychner (Switzerland), Olivier Ciechelski (France), Ariana Harwicz (Argentina/France), Martine Reid (France), Marcelo Rubens Paiva (Brazil), Daniel Hahn (UK), Luigi Farrauto (Italy), Gwenaëlle Lenoir (France), Jamaica Kincaid (Antigua/USA) and Brandon Taylor (USA).
Québec and Canadian authors include Claire Cameron, Mikhail Iossel, poet and photographer Gabriel Safdie, Heather O'Neill and Montréal author Andreas Kessaris who casts an amused look on his youth and his neighborhood in The Grand Tour of Park Ex.
Author Christopher DiRaddo and Montréal drag star Misty Waterfalls host the Chosen Ties: Queer Stories of Family, Found and Forged panel on April 23 with writers Johanne Pelletier, Hollay Ghadery, John Cotrocois, Jamie Brickhouse, Nisha Coleman and Leila Marshy.
The festival will also host a lively April 25 discussion on the question of Belonging: Who Really Belongs in Québec, with Kim Thúy, Toula Drimonis, Guy Rex Rodgers and Francine Pelletier to consider what it means to be Quebecois and born elsewhere.
Wyl Menmuir
Literary prizes
Many prestigious Blue Metropolis Literary Prizes will be awarded to Canadian and international authors.
Cuban author Leonardo Padura, best known for his Mario Conde detective novels, will receive the Premio Metropolis Azul, while Iranian-born Azar Nafisi (Reading Lolita in Tehran) joins the festival from Washington to receive the Blue Metropolis Words to Change Prize.
British journalist and novelist Wyl Menmuir will receive the Blue Metropolis Planet Literature Prize.
Shani Mootoo
Canadian author Shani Mootoo receives the Blue Metropolis Violet Award given to a leading figure in Canadian queer literature for lifetime achievement.
Internationally-renowned Québec comic book artist Guy Delisle (Pyongyang, Burma Chronicles, Jerusalem, Shenzhen) will receive the new Blue Metropolis Future and Society Award given to creators whose work contributes to building a better future.
The Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival runs April 23 to 26 at the Hôtel 10. All events at Hotel 10.
For tickets and full programming, visit bluemetropolis.org/2026festival.
Richard Burnett
Richard “Bugs” Burnett is a Canadian freelance writer, editor, journalist, blogger and columnist for alt-weeklies, mainstream and LGBTQ+ publications. Bugs also knows Montréal like a drag queen knows a cosmetics counter.