One of the country’s largest and undoubtedly one its finest literary events, the 35th International Festival of Authors runs Oct. 23 to Nov. 2 at Harbourfront Centre. Here are a few highlights culled from the veritable slew of page-turning workshops, readings and parties over the next 11 days. For a full IFOA schedule click here.

Oct. 23. PEN Canada Benefit: The Judicious Use of Solitude. This event is headlined by filmmaker turned novelist David Cronenberg, whose debut novel Consumed has just been released. He's joined by another Toronto author, Mark Kingwell.

Oct. 24. In Conversation with James Ellroy. Crime fiction is having something of a moment these days, so this event is sure to draw attention. Ellroy is, of course, one of the big names in the genre and appearing along with him is our own homegrown crime fiction star Linwood Barclay.

Oct. 25. IFOA readings featuring new Giller Prize nominee David Bezmozgis who will be reading from his new novel The Betrayers. Also reading will be Elyse Friedman, C.C. Humphreys and Shelly Oria.

Oct. 29. Round Table: A Pox on Your Head: Writers Nick Cutter, Charles Foran, C.C. Humphreys, Andrew Pyper and Louise Welsh, on contagion and mass infection and how they use society's obsession with such things in their suspenseful fiction.

Oct. 31. Readings: Lee Henderson, Eliza Robertson, Miriam Toews and Kathleen Winter. Here's a night of reading by some incredible Canadian writers including Giller Prize and Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize nominee Miriam Toews (also appearing Oct. 29) , from her work All My Puny Sorrows and Kathleen Winter, who has been nominated for the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction. So, kind of a big deal.