The 2020 edition of the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) will be a virtual event.

The 41st edition of the annual festival will feature several free events, and will be accessible to an audience around the globe.

TIFA will take place from Oct. 22 to Nov. 1, 2020. The festival will feature more than 200 authors, musicians, artists and performers.

Programming will include livestreamed readings, workshops and performances.

Other digital initiatives will include an interactive map of Canadian small presses and audio walking tours of Toronto featuring local and Indigenous authors.

The festival also commissioned works from 10 authors for a series called Skin Hunger, which will reflect on human connection during COVID-19.

There will be programming dedicated to kids and families on the weekend, known as TIFA Kids!

"I'm excited to share the joy of storytelling with a larger audience this year through our free virtual format to celebrate the best writing from Toronto, Canada and around the world," TIFA Director Roland Gulliver said in a press statement.

"In such a challenging year, it is vital that we continue to come together, learn from each other and represent and celebrate the voices from across all our communities."

TIFA is Canada's longest running literary festival and an annual celebration of books, authors and readers which typically brings thousands of attendees to venues across Toronto.

The full festival lineup will be announced when registration opens on Sept. 22, 2020.