What went down at the 2025 Biblio Bash party

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