BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vancouver Writers Fest - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Vancouver Writers Fest REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Vancouver BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20200308T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20201101T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20210314T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20211107T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20220313T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20221106T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20230312T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20231105T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20240310T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20241103T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20250309T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20251102T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20260308T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20261101T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20270314T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20271107T090000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260312T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260312T204500 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20260210T173029Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T211755Z UID:10000337-1773343800-1773348300@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Books & Ideas: Michael Ondaatje in Conversation with Madeleine Thien DESCRIPTION:Update: This event is sold out. If additional tickets become available\, we’ll send an announcement via our weekly newsletter. Subscribe here. \nAmong the many international honours from Michael Ondaatje’s long and storied career: he is the only winner in history of the Golden Man Booker\, awarded to the best work of fiction from the first five decades of the prize\, for The English Patient. His other renowned books include Anil’s Ghost\, In the Skin of a Lion\, The Cinnamon Peeler\, and Warlight. Now\, he joins the Vancouver Writers Fest with a magnificent new collection that gathers some of his finest poems from the past fifty years.  \nIn The Distance of a Shout\, Michael Ondaatje navigates his own past\, beginning with memories of his childhood in Sri Lanka and his eccentric family\, to his life in rural southern Ontario with its beloved rivers\, celebrations of treasured friends\, the close ties of children. Here is a singular poetic memoir that invokes the arc of an astonishing journey\, and offers us a glimpse into the interwoven life and art of one of our most cherished poets and novelists. \nOndaatje will speak with a fellow icon of Canadian letters: Madeleine Thien\, the author of Do Not Say We Have Nothing. Get a head start on enjoying National Poetry Month\, at this intimate evening of readings and conversation. Books will be for sale at the event from Book Warehouse\, a division of Black Bond Books.  \n\nWe do our best to make our events low-barrier\, accessible experiences for our community. A limited number of accessibly priced tickets are available for purchase. To discuss other ways we can make these events more accessible to you\, please reach out to us at boxoffice@writersfest.bc.ca or 604-681-6330.\nAbout Books & Ideas\nLaunched in January 2025\, Books & Ideas is an event series from the Vancouver Writers Fest\, bringing literary talent and thought-provoking conversations to Granville Island—home of the Writers Fest’s celebrated annual literary festival—from January to June. With an intimate theatre venue and a pop-up bar for socializing\, attendees are invited to connect more deeply with other members of the local literary community\, and meet the esteemed authors who grace the stage\, in a modern space for exchanging ideas.  URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/michael-ondaatje LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Books & Ideas ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersfest.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026_Michael-Ondaatje_soldout.jpg GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20240627T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20240627T210000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20240524T170836Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240524T173500Z UID:10000291-1719516600-1719522000@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Ali Velshi in Conversation with Ian Hanomansing DESCRIPTION:As the Chief Correspondent for MSNBC\, a weekly economics contributor to NPR\, and host of his own news show\, “Velshi”\, Ali Velshi has covered multiple U.S. Midterm and Presidential elections and significant stories around the globe. In Small Acts of Courage\, he fuses the personal and the political\, tapping into 125 years of family history to advocate for social justice as a living\, breathing experience—a way of life more than an ideology.  \nMore than a century ago\, Velshi’s great-grandfather sent his seven-year-old son to live at Tolstoy Farm\, Gandhi’s ashram in South Africa. This difficult decision would change the trajectory of his family history forever. From childhood\, Velshi’s grandfather was imbued with an ethos of public service and social justice—ideals that his children carried forward as they escaped apartheid\, emigrating to Kenya and ultimately Canada and the United States.  \nSmall acts of courage matter. Sometimes\, they change the world. Velshi’s story will inspire a commitment to fight for change\, as he sits down for an eye-opening conversation with Ian Hanomansing\, host of CBC’s The National. \nBooks will be for sale at the event courtesy of Book Warehouse\, a division of Black Bond Books. \n  URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/ali-velshi LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Special Event,Theatre ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersfest.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024_Ali-Velshi_social-banner-1.jpg GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20230808T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20230808T210000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20230621T003019Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230727T225548Z UID:10000265-1691523000-1691528400@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Colson Whitehead in Conversation with Ian Williams DESCRIPTION:SOLD OUT\nTickets to this event include a copy of Crook Manifesto\, and Colson Whitehead will be signing books after the talk! \nTwo-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead returns to the Vancouver Writers Fest this summer with the eagerly awaited continuation of his Harlem saga. Hot on the heels of Harlem Shuffle\, which delighted our audiences in 2021\, Whitehead’s new novel Crook Manifesto is another brilliantly entertaining romp through 1970s New York\, in all its seedy glory. \nIt’s 1971. Amidst a backdrop of sky-high crime and a shooting war between the NYPD and the Black Liberation Army\, furniture store owner and ex-fence Ray Carney tries to keep his head down and his business thriving. It’s strictly the straight-and-narrow for him—until he needs to hit up his old police contact Munson\, fixer extraordinaire\, for a favour. But Munson has his own favours to ask of Carney\, and staying out of the game is about to become deadly. Crook Manifesto is a darkly funny tale of a city under siege\, but also a sneakily searching portrait of the meaning of family. \nWhitehead joins Ian Williams\, author of Reproduction and Disorientation: Being Black in the World\, for a conversation inviting readers into Crook Manifesto‘s kaleidoscopic portrait of Harlem—which is sure to stand as one of the all-time great evocations of a place and a time. \n\nTickets are $45 and include a hardcover copy of Crook Manifesto (a value of $36).\nUpstart & Crow will be at the event selling additional copies and Colson Whitehead’s backlist.\n\n\n  URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/whitehead-2023 LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Special Event,Theatre ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersfest.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Colson-soldout.jpg GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211024T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211024T140000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T201456Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210916T215437Z UID:10000140-1635084000-1635084000@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Blending Genres With Hiromi Goto\, Harold R. Johnson\, and Renée Sarojini Saklikar DESCRIPTION:It’s achievement enough to publish a literary work\, but one that combines genres—and excels in all of them—is a talent that few possess. Hiromi Goto has produced acclaimed poetry and novels—and now Shadow Life\, a graphic novel that’s steeped in literary fiction with poetic magical realism. Harold R. Johnson is an acclaimed fiction and non-fiction writer. In The Björkan Sagas\, he merges myth\, fantasy\, and history into an epic of exploration and adventure. Renée Sarojini Saklikar is an award-winning author\, lawyer\, and poet whose latest work was 10 years in the making. Bramah and the Beggar Boy is intellectually\, geographically\, and temporally wide-ranging: ambitious in scope. As the publisher explains\, “The portal is deep. The portal is open. Take a deep breath. Jump.” \n\n\n\n\nModerated by Rachel Rose. \n\n\n\n\n\nAward Ceremony\nFollowing this event\, the Vancouver Writers Fest is proud to host the VMI Warland Between Genres Award. Vancouver Manuscript Intensive directors Rachel Rose and Elee Kraljii Gardiner are pleased to introduce the inaugural VMI Warland Between Genres Award\, judged by Wayde Compton. Named in honour of Betsy Warland\, this award celebrates works that disrupt convention about what a book should be\, how it should read\, what it should sound like\, and what subject matter is acceptable. This award honours Warland’s trajectory and ethos by celebrating the importance of the hybrid and unclassifiable. URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/blending-genres-with-hiromi-goto-harold-r-johnson-and-renee-sarojini-saklikar LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211023T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211023T200000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T194319Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211022T234013Z UID:10000223-1635019200-1635019200@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Binge: Douglas Coupland in Conversation with Lisa Christiansen DESCRIPTION:THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT\nUpdate: This event will no longer feature ASL interpretation. \n“If you love Doug’s fiction\, this collection is like rain on the desert\,” says the publisher of Douglas Coupland’s first work of fiction since 2013\, Binge. And certainly\, for the millions of readers for whom Coupland’s existentialism\, profundity\, and hilarity was generation-defining\, this is a welcome collection to devour. A collection of 60 stories featuring myriad characters—from the maudlin to the absurd—they ask us to question how we should be living. The bestselling author speaks with CBC producer Lisa Christiansen about his latest. \n\nCommunity partner: Opus Art Supplies URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/binge-douglas-coupland-in-conversation-with-lisa-christiansen LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211023T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211023T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T192710Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210916T214509Z UID:10000218-1635008400-1635008400@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Fight Night: Miriam Toews in Conversation with Marsha Lederman DESCRIPTION:THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT\nOne of Canada’s best loved authors has done it again: Fight Night is a funny\, smart\, headlong rush of a novel told in the voice of Swiv\, a nine-year-old living with her pregnant mother and lively grandmother. Together\, these three generations share the world\, and the pains and love of womanhood. Miriam Toews\, author of Women Talking\, A Complicated Kindness\, and All My Puny Sorrows\, shares insight into her latest work with Globe and Mail Western Arts Correspondent\, Marsha Lederman\, exploring why she writes about women often at the edge of society\, the complex bonds of family\, and how she creates that heart-seeking balance of ferocious truth and humour. \n\nMiriam Toews (appearing virtually)\nMarsha Lederman (appearing in-person) URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/fight-night-miriam-toews-in-conversation-with-marsha-lederman LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre Hybrid GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211023T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211023T140000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T192018Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210916T214244Z UID:10000215-1634997600-1634997600@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Poets in Conversation With Bertrand Bickersteth\, Adam Sol\, and Isabella Wang DESCRIPTION:Join the discussion about craft\, language\, and nuance with four of Canada’s most exciting poetic voices\, each exploring identity\, language\, and intimacy through transcendent ways with verse. Bertrand Bickersteth’s The Response of Weeds is a CBC Poetry Book of the Year and explores what it means to be Black and Albertan through a variety of prisms: historical\, biographical\, and geographical. Trillium Book Award-winning poet Adam Sol’s latest collection tries to find moments of blessing in the midst of public and personal pain. Pebble Swing is the debut from one of Canada’s promising emerging poets\, Isabella Wang\, who—as an immigrant whose grasp of Mandarin is fading—explores language\, fragmentation\, and absence. \n\n\n\n\nModerated by Sheryda Warrener. \n\n\n\n\n\nGenerously sponsored by Sam Znaimer in memory of Nancy Richler. URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/poets-in-conversation-with-bertrand-bickersteth-adam-sol-and-isabella-wang LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211023T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211023T110000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T185133Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210916T214131Z UID:10000132-1634986800-1634986800@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Unreconciled: Jesse Wente in Conversation with Tanya Talaga DESCRIPTION:From a celebrated Indigenous writer comes a stirring call to arms to build a new\, respectful relationship between the nation of Canada and Indigenous peoples. Of Jesse Wente’s new book\, Unreconciled\, Tanya Talaga explains\, “By telling his own story\, Jesse provides Canada with an essential roadmap of how to move forward through the myth of reconciliation towards the possibility of a just country. There is much work to be done but reading Jesse’s words\, soaking them in and letting them settle in your mind\, will set us all on the right path.” Who better to interview Wente than Talaga\, herself one of the most celebrated and influential Indigenous writers\, whose work—such as Seven Fallen Feathers and All My Relations—has transformed our thinking about justice in Canada? Don’t miss this important conversation about how to transcend our current thinking\, and systems\, for a fair and equitable future. \n\nJesse Wente (appearing virtually)\nTanya Talaga (appearing in-person) \nPresented in partnership with Penguin Random House Canada. URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/unreconciled-jesse-wente-in-conversation-with-tanya-talaga LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre Hybrid GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211022T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211022T180000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T052851Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210916T213807Z UID:10000125-1634925600-1634925600@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Ring: André Alexis in Conversation with Mark Medley DESCRIPTION:No matter the depth of feeling for our beloved\, there is always a moment (or a few) when we’d like to change something about them. Right? Scotiabank Giller Prize and Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize winner\, André Alexis\, probes love\, romance\, and the past in his latest novel\, Ring\, in which a woman in love is gifted a ring that will allow her to change three things about her partner. Following on the heels of Pastoral\, Fifteen Dogs\, The Hidden Keys\, and Days by Moonlight\, it completes Alexis’ Quincunx: five genre-bending\, stunning novels. We welcome this extraordinary literary mind to discuss his five works\, and the philosophy imbued in his latest\, with Globe and Mail editor\, Mark Medley. URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/ring-andre-alexis-in-conversation-with-mark-medley LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211022T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211022T133000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T051648Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210924T174434Z UID:10000212-1634909400-1634909400@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Defying Stereotypes in Memoir With Ben Philippe and Ian Williams DESCRIPTION:Both authors of provocative\, lively\, spirited\, and stereotype-defying memoirs\, Ben Philippe and Ian Williams are sure to launch into a riveting conversation. Philippe is a New York-based writer and screenwriter with two young adult novels to his credit. His new adult nonfiction book is the memoir in essays\, Sure I’ll Be Your Black Friend: Notes From the Other Side of the Fist Bump. Philippe’s new book begins with the line\, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a good white person of liberal leanings must be in want of a Black friend…” Williams is an award-winning poet\, a Giller-prize winning novelist (Reproduction)\, and associate professor at the University of Toronto. His new set of essays Disorientation: On Being Black in the World begins with the line\, “My resolution this year is to learn how to swim\,” and captures the impact of social encounters that focus suddenly\, unexpectedly\, harshly\, or hilariously on matters of racial identity. \nModerated by Danny Ramadan. Curated by Guest Curator Lawrence Hill.  \n\nBen Philippe (appearing virtually)\nIan Williams (appearing in-person)\nDanny Ramadan (appearing in-person) URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/defying-stereotypes-in-memoir-with-ben-philippe-and-ian-williams LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre Hybrid GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211022T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211022T103000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T050053Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211021T035947Z UID:10000207-1634898600-1634898600@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:The Power of Comics with Aminder Dhaliwal\, Hiromi Goto\, and Gord Hill DESCRIPTION:Update: Please note that Gord Hill\, originally scheduled to appear in-person\, will be appearing virtually. \nComics and graphic novels continue to expand in popularity and influence. The genre is now worth an estimated $1.28 billion in publishing. More than this\, we have a new recognition for the remarkable impact this literary form has on understanding social injustices and offering unique political commentary. We’re joined by three comic artists\, each of whom explore important topics through their art. Aminder Dhaliwal\, author of Cyclopedia Exotica\, which appeared on 25 “best of” lists; poet and novelist Hiromi Goto who launches a tender\, literary graphic novel\, Shadow List; and Gord Hill\, author of a series of seminal illustrated histories of Indigenous struggles in the Americas\, including The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book. Why do they choose to use this form to make statements about the state of the world? Find out in a riveting event for all ages. \n\n\n\n\nModerated by Ken Boesem. \n\n\n\n\n\nAminder Dhaliwal (appearing virtually)\nHiromi Goto (appearing in-person)\nGord Hill (appearing virtually)\nKen Boesem (appearing in-person) \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCommunity Partner: Vancouver Comic Arts Festival URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/the-power-of-comics-with-aminder-dhaliwal-hiromi-goto-and-gord-hill LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre Hybrid GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211021T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211021T200000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T044005Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211020T190658Z UID:10000203-1634846400-1634846400@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:The Spectacular Complexity of Womanhood With Mona Awad\, Zoe Whittall\, and Rachel Yoder DESCRIPTION:Join three exceptional writers as they probe\, blast\, and confront the bizarre\, challenging\, beautiful\, transcendent\, dangerous\, and downright contradictory complexities of womanhood. This promises to be an evening of wry observation\, of catharsis\, of hilarity. Mona Awad transfixed audiences when she visited the Festival to promote her novel\, Bunny. She returns with All’s Well: a piercingly funny story of a theatre director at breaking point. Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist Zoe Whittall (The Best Kind of People) joins us with her latest work\, The Spectacular\, traversing three generations of women\, each of whom are grappling with the consequences of motherhood\, abandonment\, and the knife edge of opportunity and disappointment that is rife in female experience. Rachel Yoder looks at motherhood slightly differently; Nightbitch follows a stay-at-home mom who comes to believe she’s turning into a dog. These books\, and these sensational female authors\, are a tonic. Come imbibe with us. \n\n\n\n\nModerated by Leslie Hurtig. \n\nMona Awad (appearing in-person)\nZoe Whittall (appearing virtually)\nRachel Yoder (appearing virtually)\nLeslie Hurtig (appearing in-person) \nUpdate: Zoe Whittall\, originally scheduled to appear in-person\, will now be appearing virtually. URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/the-spectacular-complexity-of-womanhood-with-mona-awad-zoe-whittall-and-rachel-yoder LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre Hybrid GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211020T203000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211020T203000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T040819Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211012T071600Z UID:10000195-1634761800-1634761800@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Cloud Cuckoo Land: Anthony Doerr in Conversation with Marsha Lederman DESCRIPTION:THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT\nPulitzer Prize-winning author Anthony Doerr’s books traverse continents and centuries but—most importantly—immerse us in some of the most complex\, difficult\, and beautiful dynamics humans have faced throughout history. His instant New York Times bestseller set in occupied France\, All The Light We Cannot See\, is a beloved favourite of readers worldwide. His latest\, Cloud Cuckoo Land\, follows multiple protagonists—from children fleeing a besieged city in 1453 to 14-year-old Konstance living in the mid-22nd century on an ark-like spaceship\, and others in between. What unites characters across centuries is a determination to survive and a hunger for stories. Doerr shares more about his passion for crafting tales that speak to what it means to be human with Globe and Mail journalist\, and Writers Fest veteran\, Marsha Lederman. \n\nAnthony Doerr (appearing virtually)\nMarsha Lederman (appearing in-person) URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/cloud-cuckoo-land-anthony-doerr-in-conversation-with-marsha-lederman LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre Hybrid GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211020T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211020T180000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T034946Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210916T211051Z UID:10000191-1634752800-1634752800@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Freeman’s With Lauren Groff and Joshua Bennett DESCRIPTION:Change. That ever-present\, essential\, inevitable part of life that we expect… and sometimes even embrace. The rapid\, universal change of the past 18 months—from a pandemic to political unrest—was felt in our work\, personal relationships; in every facet of our lives. Freeman’s\, an event that dovetails with the bi-annual journal of the same name\, discusses these changes of recent months\, and how we live with and adapt to change in our lives. Editor John Freeman is joined by Joshua Bennett (Owed) and Lauren Groff (Matrix) to explore two original pieces each author created for the journal\, and to muse on writing as a response and coping mechanism to change. Freeman’s is a highlight on the Writers Fest calendar for our regulars; always thought-provoking\, exquisitely literary\, and deeply human. \n\n\n\n\nModerated by John Freeman. \n\nJoshua Bennett (appearing virtually)\nLauren Groff (appearing in-person)\nJohn Freeman (appearing in-person) URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/freemans-with-lauren-groff-and-joshua-bennett LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre Hybrid GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211019T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211019T193000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210907T032922Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211017T225844Z UID:10000186-1634671800-1634671800@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Spine-Chillingly Good: With Stephen Graham Jones and Silvia Moreno-Garcia DESCRIPTION:Sometimes writing makes you take a breath in anticipation. Sometimes it catches you off guard with new ideas that transcend what you’ve read before. And sometimes both. These authors have both defied and redefined the noir and thriller genres. Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians was a New York Times bestseller and called “one of 2020’s buzziest horror novels” by Buzzfeed. He returns with My Heart is a Chainsaw in which a young female protagonist needs to save her town. Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s debut\, Mexican Gothic\, was a media favourite internationally\, thanks to its chilling gothic horror tropes and Jane Eyre/1950s Mexico mashup. Her latest\, Velvet Was the Night\, is a “delicious\, twisted treat.” Discover two of the most interesting writers who can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up\, as they talk craft\, the art of the scare\, and what draws them to the dark. \n\n\n\n\nModerated by Rob Wiersema. \n\nStephen Graham Jones (appearing virtually)\nSilvia Moreno-Garcia (appearing in-person)\nRob Wiersema (appearing in-person) URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/spine-chillingly-good-with-stephen-graham-jones-and-silvia-moreno-garcia LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre Hybrid GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211018T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20211018T193000 DTSTAMP:20260405T103125 CREATED:20210902T231933Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211014T165313Z UID:10000177-1634585400-1634585400@writersfest.bc.ca SUMMARY:Matrix: Lauren Groff in Conversation with John Freeman DESCRIPTION:THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT\nOf all the attributes Lauren Groff possesses\, range is surely one of them. Her “all-conquering” 2015 novel\, Fates and Furies\, was a literary masterpiece about a modern day marriage\, creativity\, and perception. Florida brought storms\, snakes\, and sinkholes to lurk at the edges of everyday life in strange\, affecting stories. And now\, her latest anticipated work\, Matrix\, explores the raptures and hardships of life in a 12th century convent\, as told by seventeen-year-old Marie de France. Groff’s accolades wouldn’t fit onto this page: a two-time finalist for the National Book Award; finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Prize; Winner of the American Booksellers’ Association Award; a bestseller many times over; and a writer beloved by readers and critics alike. Hear from this fascinating mind—and one of our finest writers today—as she speaks to author\, poet\, and editor\, John Freeman. URL:https://writersfest.bc.ca/event/matrix-lauren-groff-in-conversation-with-john-freeman LOCATION:Waterfront Theatre\, 1412 Cartwright St.\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, BC V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Theatre GEO:49.2701014;-123.1355423 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Waterfront Theatre 1412 Cartwright St. Vancouver British Columbia BC V6H 3R7 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1412 Cartwright St.:geo:-123.1355423,49.2701014 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR