The Whistler Writers Festival (WWF) is returning with a second instalment of its popular open mic night.
"Find Your Place" features Vancouver author Alli Vail, who will be reading from her novel Brooklyn Thomas Isn’t Here alongside various other writers at the Whistler Public Library.
In her debut work, Vail explores how women contort and minimize themselves to fit into the roles family and society offer them, and the serious price they pay for doing so.
This event builds on the success of the festival’s first open mic night in April. It will investigate the theme of being present, and what happens when the chaos of life causes people and characters to become ungrounded.
“I was astounded by the talent of our local writers, and many of our audience members came up to me and said how impressed and surprised they were by the quality of the readings,” says WWF artistic director Rebecca Wood Barrett in a press release. “We're also very grateful the Whistler Public Library has been such a wonderful partner in helping us create these welcoming, inclusive events.
“The open mic opportunity is here for any person in our community who is dabbling in stories of any genre, has a work-in-progress, or a published book. It's a chance to get in front of people and share your ideas and point of view about the world.”
"Find Your Place" will run on June 22 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Local storytellers who want to participate can email [email protected] before June 7.
In other news, the WWF's One Day Writing Retreat is also slated for June 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Point Artist-Run Centre (PARC). This session offers writers a day of uninterrupted writing with a view of the mountains and glacial lake, a meet and greet for attendees and a workshop called "Using Dialogue to Elevate Emotional Arcs" led by Vail.
Register for the retreat here.
