The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon is a literary and cultural programming space on the second floor of the Toronto Reference Library.
Looking for a Salon event that isn’t listed here? Check the On Civil Society program series.
Upcoming Events
Free tickets are required for all events. Learn more about event tickets
Toronto Book Awards: Awards Ceremony – Wed, Oct 10 | 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Join us for the announcement of the winner of the 2018 Toronto Book Awards.
Established by Toronto City Council in 1974, the Toronto Book Awards honour authors of books of literary or artistic merit that are evocative of Toronto. The annual awards offer $15,000 in prize money: finalists receive $1,000 and the winning author is awarded $10,000.
The shortlist includes:
Dionne Brand, The Unpublished City
David Chariandy, Brother
Carrianne Leung, That Time I Loved You
Lee Maracle, My Conversations with Canadians
Kerri Sakamoto, Floating City
Ostby Sisters: Adventures in Memory – Thu, Oct 11 | 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
What makes us remember? Why do we forget? And what, exactly, is a memory? Two Norwegian sisters, one a neuropsychologist and the other an acclaimed writer, discuss their book Adventures in Memory: the Science and Secrets of Remembering and Forgetting which interweaves history, research, and personal stories, taking readers on a captivating exploration of the evolving understanding of the science of memory.
Ben Macintyre: The Spy and the Traitor – Mon, Oct 15 | 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Ben Macintyre is a writer-at-large for The Times of London and the bestselling author of A Spy Among Friends, Double Cross, Operation Mincemeat, Agent Zigzag, and Rogue Heroes, among others.
STAR TALKS: Kate Morton: The Clockmaker’s Daughter – Tue, Oct 16 | 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Kate Morton is the author of five bestselling novels, including The Lake House. Hear her discuss her latest mystery, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, the story of a love affair and a mysterious murder that cast their shadow across generations. Kate Morton will be in conversation with the Toronto Star’s Book Editor Deb Dundas.
Anthony Rose: The Last Schmaltz – Wed, Oct 17 | 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Anthony Rose is known as Toronto’s King of Comfort Food, the Don of Dupont, and the Sultan of Smoked Meat. A conversation about the food and restaurant scene in Toronto isn’t complete without mention of Anthony Rose. Hear him discuss his first cookbook, The Last Schmaltz, in which he has teamed up with internationally-renowned food and travel writer Chris Johns to share his most famous recipes and stories.
Hosted by Bonnie Stern.
Indigenous Writers’ Gathering – Tue, Oct 23 | 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Three Canada Reads Finalists talk about Indigenous stories in the national competition- the successes and the difficulties they face. Join award winning authors Katherena Vermette (The Break), Tracey Lindberg (Birdie) and Cherie Dimaline (The Marrow Thieves) in a moderated panel about their experiences.
THE OTHER SHELF. Tariq Ali on His Hero, Eduardo Galeano – Fri, Oct 26 | 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Long a fan of famed Uruguayan writer, Eduardo Galeano, Ali explains the importance of a writer like Galeano on the landscape today and the relevance of his work to Canada. Tariq Ali will be in conversation with Ingrid Bejerman.
Tayari Jones: An American Marriage – Tue, Oct 30 | 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Tayari Jones is the author of the novels Leaving Atlanta, The Untelling, Silver Sparrow, and An American Marriage. Her writing has appeared in Tin House, The Believer, The New York Times, and Callaloo. She is a recipient of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, United States Artist Fellowship, NEA Fellowship and Radcliffe Institute Bunting Fellowship. Tayari Jones discusses her bestselling novel, An American Marriage.
Event tickets
Free tickets are released three weeks before each event and are available to book starting at 9 a.m.
As most events are free, it is our policy to overbook. In case of a full program, your reservation may not guarantee admission. Unclaimed reservations will be released to standby customers ten minutes before the start of the program. We recommend that you arrive early.
There is a limit of two tickets per valid email address.