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Beneath Toronto’s storefronts lie the graves of our independent bookstores. Join our walking wake as we take a tour through 100 years of Canada’s literary retail history. From the recently demised David Mirvish Books to Yorkville mainstays The Book Cellar and Britnell’s, this walk along Bloor reveals a virtual graveyard of loved and lost bookstores. Short elegiac readings will occur along the route by those who knew them best and you are invited to lament your favorite shuttered stores with spontaneous shrines and love notes. Out of respect for the dead, we request you wear black, come prepared with umbrellas for rain and a good, sensible pair of shoes.

The Scream invites you to take your own walking tour: visit thescream.ca for an online map to bookstores dead and gone but not yet forgotten. We also encourage you to share your comments and memories online as we build a living memorial for the vital role of Toronto’s independent booksellers.