Vancouver Writers Fest returns for its 36th year

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The Vancouver Writers Fest (VWF) returns from Oct. 16 to 22, hosting over 85 events and featuring over a 100 authors. The festival aims to connect people to literature while exploring ideas and dialogue that ignites a passion for words and the world around us. 

The festival will offer various readings, discussions, and workshops for all ages, spanning over several genres like fantasy, mystery, and autobiographies.

Leslie Hurtig, artistic director for VWF, says the festival holds deep value for everyone. 

“In this age of social media and heightened anxiety about the world around us, many look to community and storytellers to gain a sense of understanding and grounding,” Hurtig wrote in an email statement to The Runner. 

“Literary events provide space for authors to share their work and for audience members to think deeply about issues being [discussed]. They also provide moments of escape, and inspire the imaginations of their audiences,” she wrote.  

Tickets for the festival are $25 for events held at the theatre with different discounts for members, seniors, and youth under the age of 30 years. The youth festival events cost $10 per person

There will also be eclectic events for newcomers to try out, like one of the signature events “The Literary Cabaret.”

“This event pairs an eclectic band with 6 authors from around the world. As each author reads from their book, the band interprets their excerpt and plays accompanying music,” Hurtig wrote. 

There will be familiar presenting voices at VWF like author and illustrator Jon Klassen, creator of This Is Not My Hat, Tui T. Sutherland from the Wings of Fire series, and Celeste Ng, writer of Little Fires Everywhere. 

VWF acts as a platform for conversation between authors and readers, also offering events like a creative writing workshop so readers can try being creators themselves. VWF also gives published authors a physical and metaphorical stage to promote their latest books and network. 

Kevin Chong, a returning author, will be speaking about his latest work The Double Life of Benson Yu published in April. Chong says it’s an honour and thrill to be a part of the festival. 

“It’s very exciting. My first festival as an attendee was in 1991 and, a decade later, I attended as an author. It was a real highlight in my career. I’m still stoked to meet other authors and to see them read,” Chong wrote in an email statement to The Runner.  

Chong’s book explores the coming-of-age story of a Chinese boy during 1980s Chinatown, using a layered narrative that reveals darker secrets. 

Another author at the festival is Katherena Vermette of the Red River Métis, returning for her fourth year to present. Vermette’s latest works include a graphic novel omnibus A Girl Called Echo, and her newest novel, The Circle, which revolves around the different perspectives of a Métis family and their community, each dealing with trauma from a central fallout. 

Vermette hopes the audience enjoys the events and readings as much as the writers, especially since it’s a place to geek out and talk about their favorite stories. 

“[For] however many years I’ve gone, it has just been remarkable. I feel really supported as a writer,” she says. “People can expect a really awesome time.” 

“Writers attract writers, and we like to talk about writing. The discussions at writers’ festivals are totally for the book geeks in the audience.” 

While attending VWF is beneficial for her career, Vermette says it’s also a key place for fostering a literary community.

 “A lot of this work is really solitaire. So the writers festivals as a writer… it’s the way I connect with my colleagues who are writing across genres, across cultures, and across the country,” she says. 

“We don’t always get to hang out and spend time with one another so it’s really enriching in that way … Making those connections, making those friendships, and those allies that we have as we go along in this business.”

Hurtig also says there’s significance behind building connections through writing. 

“That’s the vision of the Vancouver Writers Fest, and I think it speaks well to the human need to be connected with one another, to understand our neighbour’s position, and to find joy where it exists. Books are art, and they have that power,” Hurtig wrote. 

To learn more about VWF’s upcoming events and featured authors, visit https://writersfest.bc.ca/.