The vision of this latest Whistler Writers Festival (WWF) is simple, yet impactful: "Everyone has a story to tell."
At first glance, it seems like a no-brainer. Most authors, unless they focus exclusively on technical or scientific writing, are storytellers. Having said that, WWF executive director Rebecca Wood Barrett explains why the festival has chosen such an overarching theme for 2024.
"It's about inviting everyone to be a part of our storytelling community, whether they're a writer or a reader," she says. "Part of it is about decolonizing our practices and the written word. The idea of the literary arts can feel like a barrier to some, and the publishing industry can also feel like a barrier. We wanted to intentionally talk about telling stories, and that can be part of an oral tradition as well."
To that end, one of the main events on Wood Barrett's mind is the Oct. 17 oral storytelling night, "The Sound of Story," featuring Lil’wat author Holly Bikadi and Squamish Nation storyteller Tsawaysia Spukwus Dominique Nahanee, alongside spoken-word artist and slam poetry champion Nisha Patel and award-winning poet Bradley Peters. It will be an interesting twist on what might be viewed as traditional WWF fare.
"A lot of our events elevate from what you would think of as a traditional reading in that we have authors who are not just reading from their works, but creating a bit of a moment," says Wood Barrett.
There's plenty else to look forward to as well: from CBC science man Bob McDonald and 2024 Giller Prize nominees Caroline Adderson and Conor Kerr to author, photographer, explorer, and National Geographic Society alum Wade Davis, to the ever-popular Literary Cabaret, blending storytelling with live music. For those interested in a more local angle, keep an eye out for the likes of Alli Vail, Laura Sharp and Stephen Vogler.
'A level of sophistication'
The presence of critically acclaimed talent will always put butts in seats, and the upcoming WWF doesn't lack in that regard.
Some of you may know McDonald from his time hosting Quirks and Quarks, a CBC Radio show dating back to 1975. The man has 13 honorary doctorates to his name, is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and works as a science correspondent for CBC TV’s The National. There's also an asteroid named after him. McDonald is reading at the Literary Cabaret on Oct. 18 and will take part in Sunday BookTalk and Breakfast on Oct. 20.
Adderson has five novels and three short-story volumes on her resume, including A Way to be Happy, which she'll present at the festival. Her material has received numerous nominations, including for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, two Commonwealth Writers’ Prizes, the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Rogers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist. Adderson is reading at "Compassion and Happiness: A Conversation with Writers of Fiction" on Oct. 19, will take part in Sunday BookTalk and Breakfast on Oct. 20.
For his part, Kerr was named one of CBC’s Writers to Watch two years ago. The Métis-Ukrainian author-poet may be best known for his debut novel Avenue of Champions, which won the 2022 ReLIT award, got shortlisted for the Amazon Canada First Novel Award and was longlisted for the 2022 Giller Prize.
"There's a level of sophistication that comes with a lifetime of writing," Barrett remarks. "Both Caroline and Conor have written in many genres, and Caroline's A Way to be Happy is quite extraordinary. The characters have this particular underdog, left-to-the-side-of-society quality, and each story has a surprising turn. They're really quite hopeful, but you don't see it coming because they start off quite dark.
"And then Conor is at the top of his game with [his latest novel] Prairie Edge. It's getting rave reviews and it's described as a literary thriller, so we're very excited to have him so people can see different sides of his work. We've got him participating as a poet too with [one of his collections], Old Gods."
Kerr is reading at "The One Thing: Poetry Reading and Discussion" on Oct. 19 and will also take part in Sunday BookTalk and Breakfast the following day.
Meanwhile, non-fiction lovers will want to mark Oct. 19 on their calendars, when Davis returns to the festival to lead a discussion called "Beneath the Surface," named after his latest book of essays. The University of British Columbia anthropology professor and Harvard alum has penned 23 books, which have been translated into 22 languages. Into the Silence, his account of various British expeditions to Mount Everest, won the top accolade for English non-fiction in 2012: the Baillie Gifford Prize.
Explains Wood Barrett: "The phenomenal skill that Wade has is to draw together many of the things we already know are going on in the world in a way that is illuminating, insightful and exciting. Anybody that's connected to the news can listen to Wade and begin to understand the contemporary issues we're dealing with. It's kind of like an antidote to some of the conspiracy theories out there."
A great entry point
While each of the aforementioned individuals and many more strut their stuff, the WWF remains committed to fostering the next generation of writers. Several workshops are planned, unpacking topics like narrative development, the publishing process and a youth-oriented approach to creating meaningful conflict within stories.
"All of the workshops are a great entry point for a new writer to be inspired and learn a little bit, but they're also a great place for someone who is further along in their writing path to take a masterclass or even pitch a publisher or agent with their project," says Wood Barrett. "A lot of people will come to the Festival and get their toes wet … but over the years our hope is that they will pitch to a publisher, get a contract, and learn more about the industry to put their work forward in a strong way."
Vail is a good example of someone who's been levelling up her portfolio. The former journalist has contributed to Whistler's writing community in a myriad of ways, and her career recently hit a new zenith with the release of her debut novel, Brooklyn Thomas Isn't Here. Wood Barrett finds it personally thrilling to watch Vail succeed, and hopes many others will do so too.
Unfortunately, money can be a hurdle.
"This has been a particularly tough year with government funding, so we encourage people who value the literary arts to get a ticket to the festival," Wood Barrett appeals. "I think that with every story told, the world becomes a better place."
For the complete festival schedule, and tickets, visit whistlerwritersfest.com.
