Award-winning writers are converging in Nanaimo for a four-day literary festival.
The Nanaimo Spring Writes Festival, presented by the Federation of B.C. Writers, runs Thursday to Sunday (April 27-30). The festival theme is The Stories That Find Us.
Two-time Giller Prize nominee and Vancouver Island University creative writing and journalism professor Kathy Page said the festival is a “fantastic opportunity” for the community. She said it allows writers the chance to connect, whether they are just starting out in their career or are professional writers, and it gives people an opportunity to learn.
“It’s a good thing it is coming to Nanaimo and should be very gratifying for those involved,” said Page.
Her workshop Writing from Life: a Master Class is already fully booked, but there are numerous other workshops and events people can attend.
Some festival highlights include a poetry workshop with Ursula Vaira, founder and publisher of Leaf Press, on April 27 from 1-3 p.m. at the Nanaimo Harbourfront Library; a master class with Canada Reads finalist Angie Abdou on April 28 from 12:30-3 p.m. at Literacy Nanaimo; a gala evening event, The Stories That Find Us, with Giller Prize nominee Steven Price on April 28 from 7-10 p.m. at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre and Jennifer Manuel, whose novel The Heaviness of Things that Float which was shortlisted for the 2017 B.C. Book Awards’ Ethel Wilson Prize for Fiction, leads Developing a Strong Narrative workshop April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Literacy Nanaimo.
Other events include a publishing fair, a poet and storyteller performance with Julie Paul, Rachel Dunstan Muller, Margaret Murphy and Yvonne Blomer and more.
For a full schedule of events and registration information, please visit www.bcwriters.ca.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com