Silk Road Institute Brings Its Stories Festival Back to Toronto

On September 20–21, 2025, the Silk Road Literary Festival returns to the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts for a weekend that promises to be equal parts celebration, conversation, and performance.

The two-day event brings together leading Muslim and BIPOC voices from across North America, featuring author talks, live music, and stand-up comedy.

Headliners include Tara Moneka + Band, known for their soulful blend of Iraqi folk and global sounds, and comedian Hassan Phills, whose sharp wit tackles identity and belonging in the digital age.

“The festival is about more than books—it’s about the stories that make us who we are,” says the Institute, pointing to this year’s theme: The Stories That Make Us.

A Growing Platform for Muslim Voices

The festival is the latest expression of the Silk Road Institute’s vision.

Founded in Montreal, the Institute was created to amplify Muslim perspectives and build spaces where diverse narratives can flourish.

Its work spans multiple platforms:

• Silk Road Theatre: North America’s first professional Muslim theatre company, based in Montreal, producing plays that grapple with questions of faith, identity, and justice.
• Silk Road Academy: Offering workshops and courses where emerging artists can hone their craft under the guidance of established creators.
• Creative Arts Grants: Providing Muslim Canadian artists with the resources to bring bold, often overlooked projects to life.
• The Story So Far podcast: Hosted by journalist Tendisai Cromwell, spotlighting the creative journeys of Muslim artists across literature, film, fashion, and more.

Building Bridges Through Art

At its heart, the Silk Road Institute is about connection.

Whether through theatre, podcasts, or grants, its programs are designed to spark conversations that transcend cultural boundaries.

The Literary Festival is perhaps its most public expression of this mission—inviting audiences into a shared space where art becomes a bridge between communities.

“Stories are the threads that hold us together,” the Institute notes. “By telling them, we celebrate memory, challenge stereotypes, and imagine new futures.”

Why It Matters

In a cultural landscape where Muslim and BIPOC voices are often sidelined, the Silk Road Institute has carved out a space of its own—one that is unapologetically bold, diverse, and creative.

For many artists, it’s a rare platform to be heard.

For audiences, it’s an invitation to experience stories that are both deeply personal and universally resonant.

This fall in Toronto, those stories will once again come alive on stage.

And if last year’s debut was any indication, the Silk Road Literary Festival will be more than an event—it will be a gathering, a celebration, and a reminder that the stories we tell shape the world we live in.