Word on the Street will host an alternate event at the Kitchener Public Library this September, following news the city was ending its 15-year relationship with the annual book festival.

A selection of authors scheduled to attend the Toronto edition of WOTS – Kamal Al-Solaylee‚ Ian Hamilton‚ Teva Harrison‚ Guy Gavriel Kay‚ and Amy Stuart – will appear at the Kitchener library’s central branch on Sept. 10 for an afternoon of readings‚ panel discussions‚ book signings‚ and meet-and-greets.

This preview event is funded and hosted solely by WOTS Toronto with the hope that Kitchener WOTS attendees of previous years will make the trip west to attend the Toronto edition this year. “We’d like to maintain that connection with the regular Kitchener attendees‚” says WOTS publicist Melissa Shirley.

No longer affiliated with the festival‚ the City of Kitchener and the Kitchener Public Library will be hosting their own literary programming this fall, under the ImagineIt series banner.

This year‚ the Word on the Street festival will continue to take place in Halifax (Sept. 17)‚ Saskatoon (Sept. 18)‚ Lethbridge (Sept. 24)‚ and Toronto (Sept. 25).