Toronto is one of the most diverse and multicultural cities in the world. This course examines literature by writers with strong connections to Toronto who explore issues such as diaspora, identity, nationality, place, origin, belonging, and the multicultural experience. Our readings span a range of genres – including fiction, poetry, memoir, and song lyrics – to explore the city as both a physical setting and a site of cultural imagination. Writers in focus include Elamin Abdelmahmoud, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Dionne Brand, Adrian de Leon, Pamela Mordecai, Téa Mutonji, Zalika Reid-Benta, and Souvankham Thammavongsa. Through close study of contemporary Indigenous and Toronto-based writers, students will consider will evaluate how these authors negotiate identity and belonging while engaging thoughtfully with diverse perspectives and voices in contemporary Canadian literature.