A Different Booklist has brought to the Annex poets, authors and art with alternative points of view for 26 years and counting – Toronto Star

The first time I visited A Different Booklist in early 2004, I heard poetry being performed from the cosy backyard branching off from the main floor of the bookstore. Spoken word-friendly finger-snap applause beckoned me. This is my kind of bookstore, I thought, since I was running a poetry series at the time, and I soon sat down at an open mic hosted by author and event producer Dwayne Morgan.

When A Different Booklist first opened in 1995, on the west side of Bathurst Street just south of Honest Ed’s, its original owner, Wesley Crichlow, may not have envisioned how it would grow from its modest roots into a hub for the Black community.

A Different Booklist has been quarterbacked by the husband-and-wife team of Miguel San Vicente and Itah Sadu since 1998, when Crichlow secured a full-time teaching position, and they continue to stock and promote books reflecting the Black and Caribbean communities, and the African diaspora. They also encourage poets, authors and political scientists to host events at their space, which are often free to the public.

The store relocated to the east side of Bathurst in 2017, after development replaced Honest Ed’s and Mirvish Village. A stroll among the tightly packed bookcases reveals a truly panoramic view of Black history and culture: one section features the work of James Baldwin, Maya Angelou and Roxane Gay; another boasts fiction titles from Toronto authors such as David Chariandy and Catherine Hernandez. The children’s literature section offers such books as “I Love My Hair!” by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley and E.B. Lewis, and “Mixed Me!” by actor Taye Diggs and Shane W. Evans.

“(Young Black readers) are excited when they can see themselves reflected in books, which is not often the case,” San Vicente says. “And we really appreciate how so many schools have bought our books for their students, which has helped us survive all these years.”

For adult readers, San Vicente says the more popular books at his store include Frantz Fanon’s “Black Skin, White Masks,” a 1952 deconstruction of racism, which he says speaks to what Bob Marley called “mental slavery in ‘Redemption Song,’ and how a colonial mentality has affected many Black people.” Another hot seller is Toronto author Afua Cooper’s “The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal. There may be books about Canadian slavery written by white people,” San Vicente says, “but it’s important that a Black author shares these important stories.”

A Different Booklist saw a surge of shoppers during and soon after the protests stemming from the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. “It was great to see so many people coming out, including many non-Black readers, and buying books on fighting discrimination and racism and inequality,” says San Vicente. “And it really helped when the Black Lives Matter movement encouraged people to support Black-owned businesses like ours.”

The bookstore is also home to A Different Booklist Cultural Centre: The People’s Residence. Launched in 2016, the non-profit organization has held author talks, book launches, children’s programs and art exhibitions.

During lockdown, the store kept the public engaged with virtual readings and interviews, such as a Zoom conversation with George Elliot Clarke, Toronto’s former poet laureate.

In fall 2022, the store is set to move again, this time across the street. Its mission, however, will remain the same. “We want people to learn from the past and to challenge themselves to put their knowledge into action,” San Vincente says. “And our books and programming help with those goals.”

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