What went down at the 2025 Biblio Bash party
With appearances by Elamin Abdelmahmoud, Heather O’Neill and Mayor Olivia Chow
Last Thursday, the Toronto Public Library Foundation held its glitzy Biblio Bash gala at the Toronto Reference Library in Yorkville. The annual black-tie event raised more than $1 million for programs supporting teen social and mental health. Journalist, author and host Elamin Abdelmahmoud welcomed 425 guests and 37 of the country’s notable authors—including John Irving, Carley Fortune and Emma Knight—as they sipped cocktails, received bespoke poems and celebrated the importance of libraries for the city’s young people. Here’s a look at what went down.
Biblio Bash co-chairs Claire MacNamara and Farah Nasser
Jessica Allen, Scaachi Koul and host Elamin Abdelmahmoud
Sarah Aranha and Kenneth Montague
Candice Sinclair
Charidy Johnston, Antonio Michael Downing and Sue Kuruvilla
Moez Kassam, Adrian Rocca, Oliva Chow and Marissa Kassam
Jee-Yun Lee
Leanne Toshiko Simpson, Zalika Reid-Benta and Heather O’Neill
Nolan Bryant and Zeina Esmail
Sylvia Mantella
Rachel Phan and Liann Zhang
Tommy Smythe and Vickery Bowles
Wendy Cecil and Rhonda McEwen
Tracy Tong and Michelle Dubé
Sangita Patel and Farah Nasser
