The Vancouver International Writers Festival (VIWF) opens in one week, celebrating the written word for the 31st year. The VIWF mission is to bring readers and writers together to reimagine our lives and our world, through story and vibrant dialogue. After three decades the Writers Festival is proving the written word is still relevant and holding its own in this digital world of 280 character Tweets and instant communication.
The Vancouver Writers Fest encourages readers of all ages to explore the power of storytelling, and books, through our dozens of events with local and international writers. While the Writers Festival holds events all year around, the marquis program runs from October 15th to 21st, 2018. Centred all over Granville Island, the Festival has events for all walks of life and all ages, and all budgets. Non-Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Children, Youth literature and more all take the leap from the page to the stage. More than 100 authors take part in dozens of events each day of the week, including Free Saturday October 20th, making sure everyone in the community can engage the writers.
This year look for events with writers from near and far including; Buffy Sainte-Marie, Shane Koyczan, Jodi Picoult, Elizabeth Hay, Ondjaki, Aminatta Forna and more
Past writers in attendance have included; Martin Amis, Margaret Atwood, Timothy Findley, John Irving, Robbie Robertson, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Rohinton Mistry, Alice Munro, Ian Rankin, J.K. Rowling, Salman Rushdie, Frank McCourt.
Every year readers are introduces to new writers and genres to bring home or to their book clubs, families and friends. What new discoveries will you find? Tickets are available online at writersfest.bc.ca
Beyond the festival special events continue through the fall, including Ian Rankin in conversation with Jerry Wasserman on October 27th, and Yotam Ottolenghi in conversation with Meeru Dhalwala, October 31st.