Lorna Crozier (After That) and Susan Musgrave (Exculpatory Lilies) are two of the most celebrated poets in Canada. More than this, there is a warmth to anyone sharing their name or talking about their work; a recognition of the impact of both writers in the literary world and poetry community for more than four decades. In conversation with former Artistic Director of the Festival, Hal Wake, they speak to their latest collections—both deeply moving and bravely revealing explorations of love, deep connections to family, and the process of grieving when they are lost. This promises to be a conversation as gentle as it is intellectually rigorous with people who truly understand how poetry can help to move us through the hardest periods of life. Moderated by Hal Wake.

Event Participants:

Lorna Crozier

LORNA CROZIER is the author of more than twenty-five books and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada as one of Canada's pre-eminent poets.

Susan Musgrave

SUSAN MUSGRAVE’s most recent book of poetry, Exculpatory Lilies, was shortlisted for the 2023 Griffin Poetry Prize. She is the author of nineteen books of poetry, numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, and several books for children. She has been the recipient of multiple awards, including the Matt Cohen Award, the BC Book Awards, and Taste Canada Awards. In 2023, she was recognized with the George Woodcock Award for Outstanding Literary Achievement in British Columbia. She lives in Haida Gwaii where she is the proprietor of Copper Beech House.

Hal Wake

HAL WAKE has been engaged with books for over 30 years. He has conducted on-stage interviews with Alice Munro, Joseph Boyden, and Anne Michaels amongst many others, and hosted hundreds of literary events at Festivals across the world. He was the Artistic Director of the Vancouver Writers Fest for more than a decade.