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Vancouver International Writers Festival
Categories: Local Flavour Arts & Entertainment Local Flavour, Arts & Entertainment [Edit]
1398 Cartwright StVancouver, BC V6H 3R8
Neighbourhood: Granville Island/False Creek
(604) 681-6330
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
3 reviews for Vancouver International Writers Festival
3 reviews in English
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Review from Karen R.
10/23/2011
I have volunteered at the festival for the past 4 years. The staff is wonderful and they are extremely appreciative of the work we do as volunteers. One of the perks of the job is that your badge gets you into any event that has space - free. So you get the have the perspective of someone who kind of knows the behind-the-scenes of the event as well as a spectator.
The venues are great because they aren't massive (Studio 1398, Improv Centre, Waterfront Theatre, Revue Stage and Performance Works) - it can be very intimate and fosters a great atmosphere for meaningful discussion. I really like how they group the authors by theme - there's usually at least one or two new pieces I find to read. It's a great mix of Canadian and international writers. Prize winners and debut authors can all be at the same panel. Some of the most interesting sessions are panel form and are publishers, librarians, historians, critics - people who aren't writers per se but are connected to the community. Some sessions are for kids and some are even in French. I also love that you get the opportunity to meet with the writers as they are always available after each event to sign books.
I always find this festival inspiring and for $20 you get 90 minutes of fantastic art and great intellectual discussion. -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
10/27/2008
The Writers Festival is an annual festival of books and writers that attracts a pretty diverse crowd. Depending on the event and the featured writer(s), you might be looking out on a crowd of schoolkids, middle-aged bookclubbers, or hipsters.
I attended one event this year that was held at a bar and ran into the wee hours. It featured writers who really performed, either mixing words with music (Kinnie Starr), doing spoken word poetry (emcee Shane Koyzcan), or simply stand up there and tell a story (Ivan E. Coyote). The next morning I was up early for the popular Sunday Brunch event, mostly because I was helping at the door, which features champagne served with french bread and writers reading from their latest books. Very civilized - even in the post-event crush at the bookstore.
The Festival is very short, and it's over for this year, but they do hold some special events throughout the year. Check it out and indulge your lit-geek side. -
Review from Cameron M.
Toronto, ON
11/21/2008
Vancouver has a lot of 'festivals' of differing quality and style. The Writers festival happens each fall and, in my personal opinion, is one of the better ones put on. If you're into writing, authors and books you're usually bound to find at least one talk that's interesting going down.
I'm most impressed by the big names they get. In my time here I've seen lots of big name European and American writers give great talks and often the festival does a solid job of putting them on interesting topics as well. I saw a great debate between Irvine Welsh and Douglas Coupland the first year I came and still remember some of the things they said to this day and use them in my own writing.
The Writer's festival is definitely too talky or stuffy to suggest to anyone and everyone but if you're into authors and what they have to say, it's hard to beat.
