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Festival of the Written Arts Draws Canadian Writers and Readers from Around the World to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia

by | Jul 28, 2012 | BC Travel, Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts

Sunshine Coast Festival for the Written ArtsThis 30th annual Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts will be held August 16-19, 2012 at the Rockwood Centre in Sechelt, BC.

This year’s event includes:

  • The world premier of a documentary film about literary travel in Northern Labrador
  • A world class lineup of Canadian mystery authors, non-fiction writers, novelists, poets and more.
  • Daily contests
  • Big Tent book sales and self-published authors

Tickets are selling fast for this event, so now is the time to secure both your place at the event and to reserve your Sunshine Coast lodging at our member bed & breakfasts and inns.

Canadian Writers Are the Focus of the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts

The lineup of writers at the 30th annual festival are a “Who’s Who” of Canadian authors.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15
8:00 pm  

Torngat MountainsNorthwords

A documentary film, Northwords focuses on the experiences of Canadian writers Joseph Boyden, Sarah Leavitt, Rabindranath Maharaj, Noah Richer and Alissa York as they undertake a literary journey to Torngat Mountains National Park in a far removed area of North Labrador.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16
8:00 pm  

Wayson ChoyWayson Choy

The author of the Trillium Award-winning novels The Jade Peony, and All That Matters, Wayson Choy has dedicated 30 years to teaching communication and literature.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17
9:00 am  

Love You to Death by Gail BowenGail Bowen

Acclaimed Canadian mystery writer Gail Bowen is the Arthur Ellis Award-winning author of the Joanne Kilbourn series and Charlie D novels for Rapid Reads, which are written for readers with learning disabilities.

   10:30 am  

Charlotte GillCharlotte Gill

Charlotte Gill won the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction for Eating Dirt, which is her memoir of 17 years of tree planting in the Canadian wilderness, and the BC Book Prize for her novel Ladykillers.
1:00 pm  

Michael CrummeyMichael Crummey

Newfoundland native Michael Crummey is the author of national bestseller River Thieves, about the history and culture of the Beothuk Aboriginal people of Newfoundland, along with its follow-up The Wreckage, and more.

   2:30 pm  

Douglas GibsonDouglas Gibson

Well known and respected in Canadian publishing circles, Douglas Gibson has been the editor and publisher of a number of the top writers of Canada. His Stories About Storytellers collects 21 mini-biographies.
4:00 pm  

The Quintessential Writers Group: Betty Keller, Rosella Leslie, Maureen Foss & Gwendolyn Southin

The founders of the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written arts are themselves published authors of 27 novels.
7:00 pm  

lorna crozierLorna Crozier with Shelagh Rogers

Multiple award winning poet, essayist and auto-memoirist Lorna Crozier will sit down with Shelagh Rogers, host of The Next Chapter on CBC Radio for a conversation on Crozier’s career.

   8:30 pm  

Linden MacIntyreLinden MacIntyre

Linden MacIntyre is the Gemini and International Emmy award winning co-host of CBC’s The Fifth Estate. His bestselling novels include The Bishop’s Man and the “Cape Breton trilogy”.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 18
9:00 am  

Ami McKayAmi McKay

Amy McKay is the bestselling author of the novels The Birth House, about an early 20th century midwife, and The Virgin Cure, about the late 19th century’s horrifying “syphilis cleansing” practice.

   10:30 am  

Eric Paetkau & Howard White with Patrick Munro

Former CBC Radio host Patrick Munro will moderate a discussion between Dr. Eric Paetkau, whose The Doc’s Side memoir documents BC frontier medicine, and Howard White, who specializes in BC coastal history and legends.
1:00 pm  

Patrick LakePatrick Lane

Poet Patrick Lane has been recognized for his work with the Canadian Authors Association Award, Governor General’s Award for Poetry and many others. His works are internationally published.

   2:30 pm  

Indian Horse by Richard WagameseRichard Wagamese

Richard Wagamese is a premier Native Canadian writer from the Wabaseemoong First Nation who, since 1969, has written professionally in the newspaper, radio, and television industries and has gone on to major success as an author.
4:00 pm  

Anne MichaelsAnne Michaels

Poet and “infrequent novelist” Anne Michaels has earned great acclaim for her unique balance of language, character and plot.

   7:00 pm  

Peter RobinsonPeter Robinson

Yorkshire-born novelist Peter Robinson has lived in Canada since 1974, but his works, such as the “Detective Chief Inspector Allan Banks” series, have remain focused on his hometown.
8:30 pm  

Noah Richler — Bruce Hutchison Memorial Lecture

Noah Richler is a former BBC documentary producer and the author of This is My Country, What’s Yours: A Literary Atlas of Canada, a dissection of what it means to be Canadian through his eyes and the perspective of nearly 100 Canadian writers, that’s earned a BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 19
9:00 am  

Camilla Gibb

Camilla Gibb is an accomplished social anthropologist and the author of four novels.

   10:30 am  

JJ Lee

JJ Lee is a fashion writer and commentator who gained literary raves for his non-fiction auto-memoir book The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son and a Suit.
1:00 pm  

Childhood Under Siege by Joel BakanJoel Bakan

UBC Law professor Joel Bakan is the the author of Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power and Childhood Under Siege: How Big Business Targets Children.

   2:30 pm  

New Voices: Robyn Michele Levy and Kim Clark with Sheryl MacKay

Sheryl MacKay, host of CBC radio’s North by Northwest, will moderate a discussion with Kim Clark and Robyn Michele Levy; writers who have shared stories of their struggles with medical issues.
4:00 pm  

Jane Urquhart

Canadian novelist and poet Jane Urquhart specializes in historical fiction and is a recognized master of the “Southern Ontario Gothic” style.

   7:30 pm  

Rebecca JenkinsRebecca Jenkins

BC recording artist Rebecca Jenkins closes the festival with a musical performance featuring a jazz trio made up of husband Joel Bakan on guitar, Bruce Meikle on bass, and Myim Bakan Kline on drums.

For more information about the event and to order tickets go to the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts website.

Choose Sunshine Coast Lodging as Individual as a Literary Work

Breakfast at a BC Sunshine Coast B&B inn

The home-made breakfast of a BC Sunshine Coast B&B inn will get your day’s literary adventures at the writers festival off to a great start.

Our member Sunshine Coast bed & breakfast inns are dedicated to providing unique lodging to accompany your experience of the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts and all the many summertime activities and attractions the Sunshine Coast region of British Columbia has to offer.

Enjoy a broad range of breakfast selections, comfortable B&B guest rooms offer unique and cozy accommodations, and the singular service and area knowledge of the innkeepers at locations all across British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast region.

What’s Your Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts Expectation or Experience?

This is the 30th year of this Sunshine Coast writers festival.  In that time, it has grown to become one of the most recognized Canadian writers festivals in all of Canada.

Please share your plans for this 2012 event and memories of past Sunshine Coast writers festivals.