2023 Vancouver Writers Fest
October 16 – 22
2023 Festival

Welcome to the 36th Annual Vancouver Writers Fest!
There were murmurs from some during the darkest days of the pandemic that festivals would have a difficult time returning as the cornerstones of civic culture they once were. We’re thrilled to say that the Vancouver Writers Fest has weathered that storm and come out the other side with a buoyant and celebratory Festival that will host over 125 authors in 85 events!
This year we are delighted to welcome CBC Commotion host and bestselling author, Elamin Abdelmahmoud, as our Guest Curator; he joins us with five brilliantly curated events. We’re also honoured to welcome our returning Spoken Word Curator, Jillian Christmas; and our new Musical Director, Benjamin Millman, who will lead our signature Literary Cabaret event alongside his band, Benjamin Millman and the Oxymorons!
Gather with us at the Festival to revel in the words of Naomi Klein, Cherie Dimaline, Michael Crummey, Kai Thomas, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Patrick deWitt, John Vaillant, Rebecca Solnit, Celeste Ng, Aisha Harris, Lauren Groff, and many more.
Click the button above to discover our 2023 Program online. You can also pick up physical copies of our Program Guide in JJ Bean locations; our official bookseller Book Warehouse; and libraries, bookstores, and community centres across Metro Vancouver. Or, click here to download a PDF.
You can download simple text Word Document versions of the Program Guide on our Accessibility page.
2023 Festival
Dates
Join us from October 16–22!
Tickets on sale to VWF Members: September 11
Tickets on sale to schools: September 13
Tickets on sale to the general public: September 18