The tradition & historical record
4 min read · 2 sourcesThe Whistler Writers Festival is an annual literary arts festival held every October in Whistler, British Columbia. Put on by the Whistler Writing Society, the festival brings together the very best Canadian and international authors for a weekend packed with readings, workshops, speaker panels, spoken word events, music and more. 1
Background
The first festival took place in 2002. It was a grassroots style event held in the living room of founder and current Artistic Director Stella Harvey with one author and 20 participants. Over the years, the Whistler Writers Festival has steadily grown to become one of the biggest literary arts festivals in British Columbia. It now attracts over 60 authors, publishers and guest presenters, and almost 2,000 attendees every year, with many events completely sold out. Known for its intimate setting, the Whistler Writers Festival features Q&A sessions during and after readings, round-table masterclass workshops for emerging and experienced writers, face-to-face pitching sessions with publishers and agents and other opportunities to meet and talk with authors. The festival also has a range of unique events such as the Literary Cabaret that matches author readings with live music, Cooks with Books that features chefs with cookbooks paired with food, spoken word events, theatre works and more. Notable guest authors include Peter Carey, Eden Robinson, Billy-Ray Belcourt, Lisa Moore, Lorna Crozier, Doug Saunders, Frances Itani, Lee Maracle, Jane Urquhart, Emma Donoghue, Madeleine Thien, Lawrence Hill, Grant Lawrence, Joseph Boyden, Michael Winter, Alistair MacLeod, Zsuzsi Gartner, Ivan E. Coyote, Charles Demers, Paulette Bourgeois, Patrick deWitt, Wayne Johnston, Susan Juby, Vincent Lam, Annabel Lyon, Fred Stenson, Miriam Toews and more. 1
2019 Festival
The 2019 Whistler Writers Festival will be held from October 17 to 20 at multiple locations throughout Whistler Village, including the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. Featured authors are Cherie Dimaline, Andrew Pyper, Lorna Crozier, Michael Crummey, Deborah Ellis, Eve Joseph, Richard Van Camp, Jim Brown, Omar El Akkad, Emma Donoghue, Maude Barlow, Shilpi Somaya Gowda, Harold R. Johnson and more. The event theme is "Discourse", chosen for the festival's commitment to discussion and healthy, provocative and thoughtful debate with as broad and inclusive an audience as possible.