VIWF Program Guide 2007 by Vancouver Writers Fest

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TA B LE OF CONTE NTS

WELCOME TO THE VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WRITERS & READERS FESTIVAL ON GRANVILLE ISLAND I regret that I wasn’t able to attend the very first Vancouver Writers Festival. My excuse is that I lived in Toronto. But judging from the 1988 program guide, it was a very fine Festival indeed. Smaller than this year’s 20th, as might be expected, and showcasing 35 writers in half as many events. Initially, there was no “International” in the name of the Festival; that was added in year three, no “Readers” either, that came in year five. But the intention to bring great writers and readers together to have enlightening and engaging conversations was as clear and evident then as it is today. I programmed this year’s Festival before I looked back at the line-up for year one, so I was surprised to discover two unplanned, serendipitous connections to the inaugural event. In the first Festival there was a theatrical reading of Timothy Findley’s Stones, and at the end of this message you will find a description of the theatrical reading we have prepared for this year. What’s more, there is one author who attended the first Festival who is returning this October. I’m not going to reveal the author’s name, but let me just say that the answer lies in these pages, and if you’re up to the challenge, send us your best guess online at contest@writersfest.bc.ca or drop off your answer at the Festival Bookstore during the Festival for a chance to win a signed copy of the writer’s latest book. And now, without further delay, let me offer you a preview of some of the ways in which we plan to celebrate our 20th anniversary. We are particularly excited about a writer exchange program with the Dublin Writers Festival. This past June, Alistair MacLeod and Timothy Taylor travelled to Dublin a few days before the Festival to write about their engagement with, and exploration of the city. Now we are delighted to have two wonderful Irish writers coming to our Festival to write about and share with us their perspectives of Vancouver. Nuala O’Faolain’s memoir Are You Somebody? spent many weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. Claire Keegan’s story collection, Antarctica was a Los Angeles Times Book of the Year and her stories have won the William Trevor Prize and the Olive Cook Award. This is also a year to honour prizewinners. Kiran Desai won the 2006 Booker Prize, Vincent Lam the Scotiabank Giller Prize, Peter Behrens the Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction, Lloyd Jones took home this year’s Commonwealth Writers Prize and Nancy Huston the Prix Femina. Brian Doyle, one of the writers appearing in our schools program, won the prestigious NSK Neustadt Prize for lifetime achievement for his young adult fiction.

CONTENTS Artistic Director’s Welcome Festival Map & Venues Ticket Information List of Authors The Festival Experience – LA JOIE DE LIRE – FESTIVAL BOOKSTORE – INVEST IN A BESTSELLER

Spreading the Word Greetings & Salutations Our Supporters The Festival at a Glance The Alma Lee Legacy Fund Festival Staff Poetry & Short Story Contest Special Events

5 6 7 8 9-10 10 10 10 11 12-14 16-17 30-31 52-53 54 55 58

EVENTS SCHEDULE School Events are indicated by

Tuesday, October 16 Wednesday, October 17 Thursday, October 18 Friday, October 19 Saturday, October 20 Sunday, October 21 Author Biographies

18 19-21 22-24 26-28 29. 32-33 34-35 36-50

Eleanor Wachtel, the eloquent host of CBC Radio’s Writers and Company, will give this year’s Bill Duthie Memorial Lecture. Her new book is a collection of interviews and correspondence with Carol Shields that spans their friendship of nearly two decades. In a voice that is both intimate and direct, Shields talked to Wachtel about writing, language and consciousness, and her interest in “redeeming the lives of lost or vanished women”.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

And if that isn’t enough, we’re featuring two special events that you won’t want to miss. Alistair MacLeod, one of Canada’s most beloved writers, will perform readings accompanied by the internationally renowned Chor Leoni Men’s Choir. And finally, as we approach the 50th anniversary of the collapse of the Second Narrows Bridge in 1958, we are proud to present a dramatic reading of Gary Geddes’s collection of poems, Falsework, about the catastrophic collapse and the 18 men who lost their lives.

To locate a venue, check the map on page 6.

There is much more, of course, so read through the program for the events that excite you, and I look forward to seeing you on Granville Island in this, our 20th year.

Hal Wake Artistic Director

Each bio lists the events (by number) in which the author is appearing.

If you have any questions, give us a call at 604 681 6330, or check our website at www.writersfest.bc.ca for updated Festival information.

V E NUE S A ND PA RKI NG

MAP LEGEND 1 Granville Island Public Market 2 Revue Theatre 1585 Johnston Street

Aquabus

False Creek Ferries

3 Granville Island Stage

Johnston Street

4 Waterfront Theatre

ge Stre

nle

1412 Cartwright Street

an e

Main Floor, Festival House 1398 Cartwright Street

ee anville Str

itim

as tT ow er

at lif Bo

6 Writers Festival Box Office

Street / Gr

1441 Cartwright Street

r Alley

Railspu

Anderson

5 Taproom, Granville Island Brewery

8, 9

Old Brid

1585 Johnston Street

ht Stree Cartwrig

6, 7

t above

7 PTC Studio 3rd Floor, Festival House 1398 Cartwright Street

#50 Bus Stop at entrance to island

8 Performance Works

Lamey's Mill Road 2nd Avenue

1218 Cartwright Street

9 Festival Bookstore Rear, 1218 Cartwright Street

10 Granville Island Hotel 1253 Johnston Street

11 Ocean Constructions Supplies Ltd. 1415 Johnston Street

PARKING INFORMATION Free parking in most spots is limited to three hours from 7 am to 7 pm. Read the signs carefully: some spots are for one hour or less. Free parking is limited to three hours per day throughout the Island. Don’t park your car in one spot for three hours and then move it to another spot. You risk being ticketed. Parking is free and unlimited in most spots (including the pay parking garages and lots) from 7 pm to 7 am.

OFF-SITE VENUE Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage 2750 Granville Street

The parking lot just east of the entrance to Granville Island at the corner of Lamey’s Mill Road and The Castings offers all-day parking for $5. There is also plenty of parking on the north side of False Creek. Consider leaving your car there and coming across on the ferries. The most important thing to remember is to give yourself time—at least an extra 15 minutes to find a spot—if you plan to park on Granville Island.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

FERRIES

Call or check the web for schedule information.

Ferries travel from various locations along the north and south shores of False Creek to Granville Island at frequent intervals. Call for schedule information.

Translink Schedule Information 604-953-3333 between 6:30 am and 11:30 pm daily or www.translink.bc.ca

False Creek Ferries 604-684-7781 www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca Aquabus 604-689-5858 www.theaquabus.com

TI C K E T I NFORMATI ON

HOW TO BUY TICKETS

DOOR SALES (DAY OF EVENT ONLY)

ADVANCE TICKET SALES

The box office at the event will open 45 minutes before the start of the event. Please call 604-681-6330 for ticket availability information or check on-line at www.writersfest.bc.ca. Cash, Mastercard, Visa accepted.

Tickets go on sale Monday, September 17, 2007. Tickets are available at the Writers Festival Box Office (in person sales only; see details below), at all Ticketmaster outlets, charge-by-phone 604-280-3311 or on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca. For information about purchasing tickets, please call the Festival office at 604-681-6330. All prices include GST. A few words about surcharges. Please refer to individual event listings in this program guide for facility surcharges. Ticketmaster surcharges will apply to all tickets purchased through Ticketmaster in person, by phone or on-line. The Writers Festival Box Office charges a $1 surcharge per ticket. The Writers Festival Box Office offers in-person sales only. The Writers Festival Box Office is located on the first floor of Festival House, 1398 Cartwright Street, Granville Island. Hours are 10:00 am– 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and 12:00 pm–4:00 pm, Saturdays. Cash, Mastercard, Visa accepted. Advance ticket sales end at 6:00 pm on the day before the event.

GENERAL INFORMATION • We offer a $2 discount for seniors and students who present valid ID, for those on a fixed income and for the unemployed. • Out of courtesy to other patrons, no babies or small children at adult Festival events please. • Please check your tickets carefully. There will be no exchanges or refunds. • Latecomers may not be seated. • The Festival Program is subject to change without notice. There are no refunds unless an event is cancelled. • No cameras, video recorders or tape recorders. • Please turn off phones and beepers. All Festival venues are wheelchair accessible. Please call 604-681-6330, local 107, in advance to reserve seating. ASL interpretation can be provided upon request. Please contact the General Manager by phone 604-681-6330, local 103, or by email ahumphreys@writersfest.bc.ca by Monday, October 1, 2007, to request ASL interpretation.

SCHOOL GROUP TICKETS School group tickets to Spreading the Word school events are $6 each. Ticket prices include GST. There are no surcharges on school group tickets. Teachers and adults accompanying school groups must purchase tickets. School group tickets go on sale on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 10 am. There are three ways to order school group tickets: • On-line at http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/schools/ticket_orders.php (or go to www.writersfest.bc.ca and follow the links to Schools/School Events/Order School Group Tickets) • In person at Writers Festival Box Office • By fax to 604-681-8400 (please call 604-681-6330, local 107, in advance to request a ticket order form to fax)

F E STI VAL PA RTI CI PANTS

Barbara Adler

Kiran Desai

Nancy Huston

Ameen Merchant

Peter Robinson

Gail Anderson-Dargatz

Brian Doyle

David Jones

Sylvain Meunier

Linda Rogers

Jakob Arjouni

Liam Durcan

Lloyd Jones

Barbara Nickel

Margriet Ruurs

Todd Babiak

Jenn Farrell

Janice Kulyk Keefer

Billeh Nickerson

Richard Siken

Linda Bailey

Will Ferguson

Claire Keegan

Hal Niedzviecki

Neil Smith

Jacqueline Baker

Sal Ferreras

A.L. Kennedy

Michel Noël

Nick Thran

Peter Behrens

Jasper Fforde

Catherine Kidd

Mary Novik

Carrie Tiffany

George Bowering

Carla Funk

Naomi Klein

Edward O. Phillips

Priscila Uppal

Marilyn Bowering

Gary Geddes

Vincent Lam

Nuala O’ Faolain

Célestine Hitiura Vaite

Tim Bowling

Elizabeth George

Jen Sookfong Lee

Helen Oyeyemi

Seán Virgo

John Burns

James George

Dennis Lee

Kit Pearson

Eleanor Wachtel

Barry Callaghan

William Gibson

Morgan Lewis (Morganics)

Louise Penny

Agnes Walsh

Justin Cartwright

Barbara Gowdy

Carrie Mac

Alessandro Piperno

Tom Wayman

David Chariandy

Faïza Guène

Alistair MacLeod

Anna Porter

Andrew Wedderburn

Jean Chrétien

Niels Hav

Yann Martel

Steven Price

Rudy Wiebe

Severn Cullis-Suzuki

Elizabeth Hay

Brendan McLeod

Edeet Ravel

Michael Winter

Évelyne Daigle

Barbara Hodgson

George McWhirter

Patricia Robertson

Richard B. Wright

David Davidar

Ian Holding

Maureen Medved

Ray Robertson

Benjamin Zephaniah

ALL Bestsellers in-store* ALL books in-store, including sale items

*Discount applies to select English bestsellers as determined by Indigo Books & Music Inc. +Except during selected promotional periods.

F E STI VAL E X P E RI E NCE

EXPLORE A WORLD OF IDEAS ON GRANVILLE ISLAND… The 20th Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival on Granville Island offers a world of ideas to explore. We invite you to immerse yourself in the excitement that enlivens Granville Island for the six days of the Festival. This is your opportunity to attend readings, discussions, debates and poetry bashes, and to meet an eclectic array of authors from around the world. You can rely on several things—that Festival events will get you thinking, introduce you to new authors and, if your aspirations are to write, you are sure to be inspired. Before and after the Festival there are three special events that you won’t want to miss. On October 4 Canadian journalist, author and activist Naomi Klein casts a critical eye on global profiteering and talks about her new book, The Shock Doctrine, at the Frederick Wood Theatre. On November 15, former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien will appear at the Granville Island Stage to talk about his years at 24 Sussex Drive and his new memoir, A Passion for Politics. And on December 4 join us for an evening with author Yann Martel and the illustrated edition of his acclaimed Life of Pi. Tickets for all of these events are available at the Writers Festival box office (see page 7) or through Ticketmaster. Festival events (with the exception of the Duthie Lecture) take place on Granville Island. The island, in the heart of Vancouver, is an ideal, easily navigable location for the Writers Festival—we recommend the water taxis as the ultimate way to get here! Granville Island is managed on behalf of the Government of Canada by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The Vancouver International Writers Festival is a proud cultural partner of CMHC Granville Island and is honoured to be a resident of this vibrant community, which was recently named North America’s best neighbourhood. On the island you will find shops, galleries, artist studios, cafés, restaurants, the wonderful public market and much more. Make all of Granville Island part of your Festival experience. Enjoy.

Inn Kind The Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival gratefully acknowledges Dockside Restaurant and the Granville Island Hotel for their generous contributions to this year’s Festival.

A special thanks To East India Carpets, Northwest Bungalow and David Hunter Garden Centers for making our Festival stages beautiful.

THE FE STI VAL E X P E RI E NCE

LA JOIE DE LIRE

FESTIVAL BOOKSTORE

La Joie de Lire est à la fois le titre et l’objectif des programmes en français du Vancouver International Writers Festival. Les activités de La Joie de Lire sont principalement destinées aux écoliers et l’une d’entre elles est réservée aux lecteurs adultes.

You will find the Festival Bookstore conveniently located at the rear of Performance Works, 1218 Cartwright Street, near the Granville Island Hotel at the east end of the Island. Books are also sold at the venues following each event, with the writers available for signing. The bookstore carries both current and backlist titles of each Festival writer. It’s the ideal place to browse between events.

Cette année, deux auteures participant à La Joie de Lire, Évelyne Daigle (du Québec) et Faïza Guène (de France), feront également partie des activités en anglais. Sylvain Meunier et Michel Noël, tous deux originaires du Québec, complètent la liste des invités de cette année. Nous offrons pour la première fois une activité basée sur des faits réels, grâce aux travaux de biologie d’Évelyne Daigle et à ses livres sur les pingouins, les baleines et les phoques. Il nous fait grandement plaisir de vous présenter une soirée rencontre avec Faïza Guène dans le cadre de l’activité présentée aux lecteurs adultes. Le premier livre de Faïza Guène, Kiffe kiffe demain, publié alors qu’elle n’avait pas 20 ans, est un succès international traduit en 22 langues. Son deuxième livre, Du rêve pour les oufs a été publié l’an dernier.

The bookstore is operated by the Festival’s official bookseller, Vancouver Kidsbooks. Vancouver Kidsbooks is a successful independent bookseller known throughout the province for its comprehensive selection of titles for young audiences and for its knowledgeable and helpful staff. The Vancouver International Writers Festival salutes Kidsbooks for its tremendous support of the Festival as both the official bookseller and as sponsor of the Friday daytime events. The Festival Bookstore is open from 11 am to 10 pm Wednesday, 10 am to 10 pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 10 am to 5 pm Sunday.

INVEST IN A BESTSELLER Your support helps bring the world of words to readers of all ages and makes it possible for us to offer ticket discounts to students and seniors. As a non-profit charitable organization, the Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival depends on your support. Your contribution allows you to: • Purchase earlybird Festival tickets • Receive a 10% discount at Blackberry Books, Duthie Books Fourth Avenue, People’s Co-op Bookstore and 32 Books • Receive Ink, the Festival newsletter. Depending on your level of support, other benefits may include recognition in the Festival program guide and newsletter, as well as at Festival venues. Contributions of $35 or more receive a tax receipt. All supporters are also eligible to vote at our annual general meeting. For full details, see our website, www.writersfest.bc.ca, or call 604 681 6330.

Congratulations to the Canada Council on their 50th anniversary.

S P R E A D I NG TH E WORD It’s about reading and writing, books and writers. It’s eclectic, exciting, entertaining and thought-provoking. Spreading the Word, the Vancouver International Writers Festival’s schools program, offers K-12 students and teachers the rare opportunity to engage with internationally renowned writers at the Festival and in the classroom. AT THE FESTIVAL there are 31 great events for grades K-12, in French and

English. Find study guides for each event at www.writersfest.bc.ca/ schools. Generously supported by The Alan and Margaret Eyre Foundation and the Kinder Morgan Foundation. FRIDAY DAYTIME EVENTS are designed for teachers and senior students as well as for the general public. Sponsored by Kidsbooks. READING WITH WRITERS – Festival authors will visit local inner city

classrooms during the Festival to inspire young readers and writers. Sponsored by HSBC Bank Canada and Raise-a-Reader. ROOKIE WRITER is a writing contest for secondary school students.

Prizes include a day in the CBC studio, tickets to a Festival school event and a collection of books courtesy of Raincoast Books. Rookie Writer is produced in partnership with CBC British Columbia. SPREADING THE WORD 4 – Two Festival events will be filmed before a live

school audience. The Spreading the Word 4 DVD will be distributed free of charge to schools and libraries throughout BC. Sponsored by TELUS and produced in partnership with CBC Television. SUBSIDY FOR SCHOOL GROUPS – The Vancouver International Writers &

Readers Festival acknowledges the Cynthia Woodward Development Fund, the result of many years of dedicated fundraising by Cynthia Woodward. Her vision and generosity enable us to subsidize tickets for school groups. A limited number of subsidies based on financial need are available. To inquire about a subsidy, please contact the General Manager at 604 681 6330 local 103, or at ahumphreys@writersfest.bc.ca. WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE connects a Festival author with a secondary school and BC community. This year Carrie Mac will be in residence in Terrace. The Writer-in–Residence program is generously supported by the Michael R. Shaw Outreach Program and is sponsored by BC Transmission Corporation. ABOUT THE MICHAEL R. SHAW FUND

Michael R. Shaw was a young man who loved the outdoors and whose life was cut short when he and some of his classmates were taken by an avalanche in BC in 2003. The Michael R. Shaw Fund was established through the generosity of the Woodward family and the Festival is honoured to lend Michael’s name to this program. SPREADING THE WORD is generously supported by our corporate, government and individual sponsors, funders and donors.

On behalf of the Board of Directors it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 20th anniversary year of the Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival! Twenty years ago, Alma Lee began this Festival with a handful of authors, a few volunteers and a few hundred dollars. I am pleased to report that we are now known as one of the preeminent literary Festivals in the world, gathering dozens of authors and thousands of eager readers for a week of literary readings, celebrations and conversations. I encourage you to pore over the pages of this program and to savour the many event choices that our outstanding Artistic Director, Hal Wake, has provided for us. The events of the 20th annual Festival are as eclectic and engaging as ever. Whether you are five or 95, if you have a passion for the written word and an urge for enlightenment, you will find the elixir within these pages. The Vancouver International Writers Festival is made successful through the efforts of so many people. This year we have welcomed a new General Manager, Aletha Humphreys, whose organizational flare has been an asset as she leads a tremendous group of staff and volunteers. It is thanks to all our staff and volunteers that this remarkable literary festival has become a pillar of Vancouver’s cultural scene. As you browse through this program, please take note of the many generous sponsors and donors who honour the importance of reading and writing with their financial and in-kind support. And, if you are interested in helping us ensure 20 more years of literary pleasures please ask us about the Alma Lee Legacy Fund, an endowment fund created to help us to program and run this year’s Festival and 20 years on. Read on!

GRE E TI NGS

On behalf of my colleagues on City Council, and all of the citizens of Vancouver, I want to extend best wishes to the Vancouver International Writers Festival on the celebration of their 20th Anniversary. The gift of the written word is a treasure to be passed on from generation to generation, I love to be immersed in a fine book and the Vancouver Writers Festival provides a venue to be able to show our appreciation to those who provide us with hours of enjoyment. Literacy paves the road to life-long learning for everyone. Best wishes for another successful Festival and my sincere appreciation to everyone who has made the Festival the great success that it is. Yours truly,

Sam Sullivan Mayor of Vancouver

As Minister for Tourism, Sport and the Arts, it is my honour to welcome you to this year’s Vancouver International Writers Festival, and to congratulate the Festival on its 20th Anniversary. The Vancouver International Writers Festival is an important cultural event that has enriched this city since its humble beginnings in 1988. It has attracted many of the world’s best writers to come and share in one of North America’s premiere literary events. The Festival is a chance for internationally renowned authors to share their words with a wide range of enthusiastic readers and colleagues. It is an eagerly awaited autumn event that warms even the dampest of souls with its gracious reception and intimate settings. Once again, an incredibly diverse collection of presentations has been prepared for you. Over the next six days you will be able to fill your minds and touch your hearts with some of the richest writing in the world. You will leave satiated, with the memory lingering just long enough to get you through until next year! Congratulations, and thank you to everyone who has worked so long and hard to make this year’s Festival a success! Sincerely,

Leslie Hurtig Chair, Board of Directors, VIWF Stan Hagen Minister of Tourism, Sports and the Arts

GRE E TI NGS

Nancy Huston et Faïza Guène seront les invitées du 20ème Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival avec l’aide du Consulat Général de France à Vancouver. Née à Calgary (Alberta), Nancy Huston est arrivée à Paris en 1973, où elle a fait sa thèse avec Roland Barthes. Elle écrit en français et a obtenu en 2006 pour son roman Lignes de faille (Fault Lines), le prix Femina. Faïza Guène est une française d’origine algérienne ; elle vit à Pantin, en banlieue parisienne. Elle a abandonné ses études à l’université St Denis pour se consacrer à l’écriture. Kiffe kiffe demain, son premier roman, a été traduit en vingt deux langues. Le New York Times l’a présentée comme « la Françoise Sagan des banlieues ». La francophonie est-elle en train de céder la place à une littérature mondiale en français, comme l’a envisagé Nancy Huston dans un « Manifeste pour une littérature-monde » paru cet automne et signé par plus de quarante écrivains français ? Ceux-ci constatent en tout cas, pour s’en réjouir, que la littérature française s’intéresse à nouveau au monde. Qui mieux que ces deux femmes pour représenter cette littérature contemporaine née en France et qui s’interroge sur les frontières, les origines et les fêlures du monde ? Le Consulat Général de France à Vancouver se réjouit d’être une nouvelle fois partenaire du Writers & Readers Festival et félicite son directeur, M. Hal Wake, pour la façon dont il anime cet important événement culturel. Nous sommes fiers de participer à la promotion d’une littérature résolument ouverte sur le monde et l’inconnu, sans frilosité ni nostalgie.

Nancy Huston and Faïza Guène, with the support of the Consulate General of France in Vancouver, are the guests of the 20th Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival. Born in Calgary, Alberta, Nancy Huston came to Paris in 1973 where she did her PhD with Roland Barthes. She writes in French and was awarded in 2006 the Prix Femina for her novel Lignes de faille (Fault Lines). Faïza Guène is French of Algerian descent. She lives in Pantin in the suburbs of Paris. She abandoned her studies at the University of Saint Denis to focus on her writing. Kiffe kiffe demain, her first novel, has been translated into 22 languages. The New York Times has nicknamed her “the Françoise Sagan of the suburbs”. Is Francophonie giving way to a more worldwide literature in French as described by Nancy Huston in a manifesto promoting “littératuremonde”, which was published last fall? It was signed by more than 40 French writers who are welcoming the fact that French literature is finally focusing on the world. Who better than these two women to represent a French-born contemporary literature that questions our borders, our origins and the cracks of our world? The Consulate General of France in Vancouver is happy to renew its partnership with the Writers & Readers Festival and congratulates its director, M. Hal Wake, for his dedication toward the success of this important cultural event. We are also proud to promote with the festival, a literature that is open to the known and the unknown in the world.

Luc Serot Almeras Consul General of France in Vancouver

GRE E TI NGS

The Canada Council for the Arts is pleased to celebrate its long association with the Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival. I extend my congratulatory wishes for this great event, the Festival’s 20th edition. The Festival attracts an ever-increasing audience that is eager to sample its varied, high-quality programming and be transported to worlds of ideas, emotions and evocative imagery. With their creativity, writers of fiction and non-fiction, playwrights and poets bring to life works that stimulate the imagination of all Canadians. The Canada Council recognizes the important role the Festival plays in the promotion of contemporary literature and cultural diversity that is at the heart of this event. On behalf of the Canada Council, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2007, I wish this year’s participants, organizers and volunteers an insightful and joyous festival. Le Conseil des Arts du Canada est heureux de célébrer son partenariat avec le Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival. Je tiens à vous transmettre mes sincères félicitations à l’occasion du 20e anniversaire du festival. Le Festival s’attire un public de plus en plus nombreux qui peut véritablement bénéficier de l’éclat d’une programmation solide qui le fera voyager à travers des mondes d’idées, d’émotions et d’images évocatrices. Grâce à leur génie créatif, les romanciers, nouvellistes, essayistes, dramaturges et poètes donnent vie à des œuvres qui stimulent l’imaginaire des Canadiens. Le Conseil des Arts reconnaît le rôle important que joue le festival au niveau de la promotion de la littérature contemporaine et de la diversité culturelle qui sont au cœur de cet événement.

This festival has established itself as one of Canada’s premier literary events. By introducing young readers to the wonder of books, it has become the largest children’s literary event in Canada. In addition, the inclusion of French readings, makes it even more unique in Western Canada. Throughout the years, renowned authors such as J.K. Rowling, Timothy Findley, Alice Munro, and Salman Rushdie have delighted audiences with their participation. Ce festival a su s’imposer comme l’un des plus importants festivals du livre au Canada. En initiant les jeunes lecteurs aux merveilles que renferment les livres, il est également devenu la plus grande rencontre littéraire pour les jeunes au pays. De plus, il propose des ouvrages en français, ce qui en fait un festival encore plus unique dans l’Ouest du Canada. Au fil des ans, il a accueilli des auteurs de renom tels que J.K. Rowling, Timothy Findley, Alice Munro et Salman Rushdie, au plus grand plaisir des festivaliers. As Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women and on behalf of the Government of Canada, I am pleased to support the Vancouver International Writers Festival, and I commend everyone who was involved in making it a success. À titre de ministre du Patrimoine canadien et de la Condition féminine, et au nom du gouvernement du Canada, je suis fière d’appuyer le Vancouver International Writers Festival. Je félicite tous ceux et celles qui en assurent la réussite. Enjoy the festival and read on! / Bon festival et bonne lecture!

Au nom du Conseil des Arts, qui célèbre son 50e anniversaire en 2007, je souhaite aux participants, aux organisateurs et aux bénévoles un joyeux festival des plus inspirants. Happy anniversary, / Bon anniversaire,

Robert Sirman Director / Le directeur, Canada Council for the Arts

Beverley J. Oda Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women

W F – TH E LE GE ND

The Vancouver International Writers Festival commissioned Vancouver Poet Laureate George McWhirter to write a poem to celebrate its 20th anniversary. This is an excerpt from wf—to read the poem in its entirety, visit www.writersfest.bc.ca.

wf – The Legend Raven lands as though to speak, On the Isle of Gulls, about this riddle, The world spinning in its beak, This spool of words, this gem-lit pebble. For twenty years, a festival of phrases thinks To do like, lands books, these bi-fold birds, On the Isle of Gulls, where vision turns to ink In the liquid obsidian of the words. On the Island of Gulls, two sew that spell for twenty years That builds a nest of scribbles for the eggs of conversation— Fey Alma of the Lee, now Hal of the Wake—but why steer Pen and patrons of the quill into this migration of creation: wf, on the Isle of Gulls, where reader and rune Meet, mate and soon outmatch the caucus gossip Of the crows—if not for that kiss and jewels strewn On the signiﬁcance, the membrane of those lips?

THA N KS TO OUR SUP P ORTE RS

TITLE SUPPORT

CORPORATE SUPPORT

FESTIVAL SPONSORS CLASSIC SPONSOR

BESTSELLER SPONSORS

SPECIAL EDITION SPONSOR

IN-KIND SPONSORS

BESTSELLER

CAI Capital Management Co. Canreal Management Corporation Davis LLP Duthie Books Phillips, Hager & North Raincoast Books Scotia Private Client Group

MEDIA

SPECIAL EDITION

Bolder Investment Partners, Ltd. Douglas & McIntyre D.S. Management Methanex Anonymous (1) LIMITED EDITION

British Consulate General Shannon Mendes Photography

SPREADING THE WORD SPONSORS CLASSIC

BESTSELLER

FIRST EDITION

32 Books Co. Urban Impact Recycling Ltd. House of Parlance Thomas Allen & Son Ltd.

SPECIAL EDITION

NEW EDITION

Accent Art Distributors Ltd. Siddall & Associates TELUS Dollars for Dollars Charitable Giving Program

FOUNDATIONS

Alan & Margaret Eyre Foundation CanWest Global Foundation

Chris Spencer Foundation The Hamber Foundation

Kinder Morgan Foundation The Rix Family Foundation

THA N KS TO OUR SUP P ORTE RS

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT CLASSIC

Colin & Helen Harris BESTSELLER

Kip Woodward SPECIAL EDITION

Lorne Beiles David Bowra Brenda & Michael O’Keefe Ebie & Ian Pitfield LIMITED EDITION

Val & Dick Bradshaw Janice & Doug Dalzell Sandra Garossino & Ravi Sidhoo Lorraine Marshall Sheahan & Gerald McGavin Ralph Sayle Rod Scheuerman Bonnie & Don Sheldon Jab Sidhoo John Steeves Ian & Janie Strang Yasmeen & Andrew Strang Jan Whitford & Michael Stevenson FIRST EDITION

Maureen Attwell Carol Gordon Violet Hughes Leslie Hurtig & Doran Chandler Deborah & Drew McVittie Arne Olsen Mary Robertson Kathryn Shoemaker Diane M. Stuart Maurice White Patricia Wilensky Shelly Windover NEW EDITION

Mary & Dick Andersen Joan Anderson John & Jean Anderson William & Barbara Armstrong

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT David Asmodeus Mark Bacon Dorothy Baert Cheryl Berge & Brian Fearncombe Strachan & Elizabeth Birnie Don & Priscilla Brown Frank & Ann Buffam Ann Carroll Joy Coghill Thorne Hilde Colenbrander Dale Collin Essar David Conlin Mary Cooney Lynn Copeland Cynthia Crampton Marci Crossan Clare Crosthwait Patricia Crowe Carol Dale Don Davidson Cherry Davies Diana Debenham Nancy & Bill Dickson Mary Doherty Corinne Durston Claudia Edwards Kevin Eldridge Reema Faris Darlene Fischer Greg Fitch Verena Foxx Judy Gale Judith Gedye Crissy George Brian & Bonny Gerson John Goossen Yvette-Monique Gray Karen Howe Mel Hurtig Erica Johnson Sally & Michael Lambert Alma Lee James Leslie Aileen Lord Gloria Loree John & Marian MacFarlane Peter & Lucy MacKay Colleen MacMillan & Rob Sanders Deviani Maher Jim & Joan Mayhew

Marlene McDonald Judy McFarlane Pat McIntosh Elizabeth McKercher Ann-Marie Metten Jane Moloughney Aileen Penner Sativa Quinn Alison Rice Judy & David Rodger Melanie Rupp Anita Salchert Pippa Shepherd Alistair & Sylvia Sinclair Cynthia Spraggs Joyce Statton Paul Stein Karen Stewart Sherry Stewart Reena Taank Rhea Tregebov Hal Wake Dell C. Whelan Lorne T. Wickerson & Rona Tatersill William & Carol Woodson Rachel Wyatt June Young Penny & Marty Zlotnik Anonymous (2) AEROPLAN MILES WITHOUT BORDERS DONORS

Josephine Baxendale Gail Brown Brad Cran Rory Cran Douglas D. Gordon Margaret Hume Leslie Hurtig Paul LeBlanc Viviane McClelland Sandra Millard Minna Schendlinger Bernice Willoughby BOOKCLUBS

McMahon and Mission Bookclub RAOR Bookclub

We gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance received from the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Arts Presentation Canada, Book Publishing Industry Development Program and the Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program).

Canadian Heritage Endowment Incentives Program

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $20.1 million in writing and publishing throughout Canada. Nous remercions de son soutien le Conseil des Arts du Canada, qui a investi 20,1 millions de dollars l’an dernier dans les lettres et l’édition à travers le Canada.

The Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Gaming and Policy Enforcement Branch

TRAVEL ASSISTANCE Annick Press Australia Council for the Arts Biblioasis Brick Books British Council Coach House Books Consulat géneral de France Conundrum Press Cormorant Books Danish Arts Council Douglas & McIntyre Exile Editions Gaspereau Press German Consulate General Goose Lane Editions Groundwood Books HarperCollinsCanada Ltd. House of Anansi

Insomniac Press Istituto Italiano de Cultura Key Porter Books Les éditions de la courte échelle inc. Les éditions Hurtubise Ltd. McArthur & Company McClelland & Stewart New Zealand Book Council Penguin Group (Canada) Raincoast Books Random House of Canada The Betty & Ralph Gustafson Chair of Poetry at Malaspina UniversityCollege The Charles Taylor Prize Thomas Allen & Son Ltd. Tundra Inc.

TUE SDAY

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OCTOB E R 16

FROM YOUR BACKYARD TO ANTARCTICA

ÉVELYNE DAIGLE, MARGRIET RUURS MODERATOR: EVE SAVORY 10–11:30 AM WATERFRONT THEATRE $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

IL ÉTAIT UNE FOIS SYLVAIN MEUNIER ANIMATRICE : TRILBY JEEVES

10 H À 11 H PTC STUDIO $12 / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Close up or far away, the nature of animals is a constant source of amazement. Spend a morning with two science writers discovering that, when you take the time to look closely, the animals in your own backyard— from bats and mice to skunks and hummingbirds—are as extraordinary as the dozen or more species of penguins that live in Antarctica.

Graindsel et sa soeur, Bretelle, aimaient beaucoup les bonbons. Ils faisaient des cauchemars lorsqu’ils surprenaient une conversation entre leurs parents qui parlaient de la fermeture possible du magasin de bonbons. Joignez-vous à l’auteur Sylvain Meunier qui récite l’aventure de Graindsel et Bretelle alors qu’ils tentent d’éviter la fermeture du magasin—et qui raconte également d’autres histoires en chantant.

Suitable for grades 4 to 7

Pour les élèves de la maternelle à 3e année

This event may be taped for future broadcast.

Cet événement se tiendra exclusivement en français. Il y aura beaucoup de possibilités d’interaction entre les élèves et les auteurs.

STAND UP FOR CHANGE SEVERN CULLIS-SUZUKI, D. SIMON JACKSON, LYNDSAY POAPS MODERATOR: SEVERN CULLIS-SUZUKI

QUELLE EST MA PLACE? MICHEL NOËL ANIMATRICE : ANNE-MARIE MCGINN

13 H À 14 H 30

1–2:30 PM

PTC STUDIO

WATERFRONT THEATRE $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

$12 / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

When Severn Cullis-Suzuki was 12, she addressed the UN’s Earth Summit, asking decision-makers to consider their children. She and other young people have fascinating stories to tell about how to make a difference on this planet. Pushing for change, while encouraging others to speak out about what they know and care about, three young activists will share their experiences and their wisdom. Suitable for grades 8 to 12, and adults interested in change activism This event is sponsored by BC Hydro. This event may be taped for future broadcast.

Un trop grand nombre d’adolescents ont entendu des remarques comme : « Tu es bon à rien! ». Ou encore « Crois-moi, tu vas finir en prison! ». Les adultes, tout comme les adolescents, cherchent la réponse à ces questions : « Qui suis-je vraiment? Quelle est ma place? ». Peut-être Nipishish, et ses amis, ou le pilote de brousse qui tente de survivre à l’écrasement de son avion—tous les personnages des livres de Michel Noël—peuvent fournir des indices sur nos propres vies. Où trouvent-ils leur courage? Puisque ces livres sont, au moins en partie, autobiographiques, cet événement suscitera assurément une conversation fascinante entre l’auteur et les participants. Pour les élèves de la huitième à la douzième année Cet événement se tiendra exclusivement en français. Il y aura beaucoup de possibilités d’interaction entre les élèves et les auteurs.

W E DN E SDAY

THE CYNTHIA WOODWARD YOUNG READERS LEGACY

IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE

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OCTOB E R 17

AVENTURES VRAIES OU FAUSSES

SYLVAIN MEUNIER, MICHEL NOËL ANIMATRICE : LYNE BARNABÉ

DAVID JONES, CARRIE MAC MODERATOR: ALMA LEE

10 H À 11 H 30

10–11:30 AM GRANVILLE ISLAND STAGE $12 + $2 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Two BC authors have created dark, imaginary worlds that challenge their characters to survive in the face of the unexpected. David Jones puts a 14-year-old boy in the body of a baboon, and in the midst of a baboon troop, and makes him face the question of what it means to be human. Carrie Mac’s hero, a Droughtlander, encounters adventure after adventure with an army of street boys, in times of war, rebellion and retribution, in a land of fantasy that just might be recognizable after all.

REVUE THEATRE $12 + $1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Il est vrai que Michel Noël a survécu à un ou trois écrasements d’avion; il est peut-être vrai que Sylvain Meunier est venu en aide à un garçon qui, en raison de la maladie, était incapable de quitter sa maison ou qui a tenté, avec ses amis, de retrouver une bicyclette volée. Est-ce important de savoir si cela est vraiment arrivé aux auteurs ou non? Ce qui importe, c’est que leurs livres racontent des aventures excitantes qui demandent du courage, de la curiosité, de l’intelligence et de l’imagination. Pour les élèves de la 4e à la 7e année

Suitable for grades 8 to 10

Cet événement se tiendra exclusivement en français. Il y aura beaucoup de possibilités d’interaction entre les élèves et les auteurs.

IMAGINARY GREATS, GREAT IMAGINATIONS

KIT PEARSON, EDEET RAVEL MODERATOR: BRENDA BERCK

10–11:30 AM PERFORMANCE WORKS $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Funny things happen when it’s hard to tell the difference between imagination and delusion. Edeet Ravel’s Pauline dreams of being an author and has discovered a thesaurus along with the dramatic worlds of Madame Bovary, Lucia di Lammermoor and now Siddhartha. In Kit Pearson’s new novel, Corrie’s family pretend that they are Knights of the Round Table, but Corrie worries when her brother lets the game stray too far from reality. Suitable for grades 4 to 7

MEAN STREETS JOHN BURNS, BRIAN DOYLE MODERATOR: ALLISON SULLINGS

10–11:30 AM WATERFRONT THEATRE $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Sometimes teens have to grow up very fast and make their way in worlds that aren’t hospitable or even caring. How individual characters cope—by escaping into fantasy worlds or worlds of dishonesty and discontent—makes for great teen reading. Two authors talk about their novels of strength, resilience and endurance and about the difficult choices teens can face. Suitable for grades 8 to 10

PENGUIN PARTY ÉVELYNE DAIGLE

W E DNE SDAY

10–11:30 AM PTC STUDIO $12 / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Renowned biologist Évelyne Daigle spent time on an icebreaker in Antarctica to observe close up the world of penguins. She’s brought back amazing facts, such as how penguins desalinate seawater in their beaks, and why penguins and fur seals can live together on land but not in the water. You’ll love these fascinating seabirds even more when you hear the real life experiences of this wildlife biologist. Suitable for grades 4 to 6

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OCTOB E R 17

SHOUT IT OUT LINDA BAILEY, DENNIS LEE, MARGRIET RUURS

1–2:00 PM REVUE THEATRE $12 + $1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

It’s afternoon storytime, and three writers and poets will keep you delighted and entertained with their tales. Linda Bailey, creator of that charming dog Stanley, introduces a team of hockey-loving farm animals. Canadian rhyming favourite Dennis Lee is sure to delight new audiences with well-loved poems from his books, Alligator Pie and Garbage Delight. Margriet Ruurs’s backyard tales will capture young imaginations. Suitable for grades K to 3

NOUVEAUX ENDROITS, NOUVELLES VIES

FAÏZA GUÈNE, SYLVAIN MEUNIER ANIMATRICE : FRANCE PERRAS

13 H À 14 H 30 WATERFRONT THEATRE $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Les livres de Faïza Guène ont trait à la vie des gens aux prises avec deux cultures dans les banlieues de Paris. Le livre de Sylvain Meunier, Lovelie D’Haïti raconte l’histoire d’une fille arrachée à son domicile en Haïti pour vivre avec une famille haïtienne de Montréal, où la bataille culturelle est peut-être le dernier de ses soucis. Les deux auteurs décrivent de façon précise la vie des gens tout en respectant fidèlement le Canada d’aujourd’hui. Pour les élèves de la 8e à la 12e année Cet événement se tiendra exclusivement en français. Il y aura beaucoup de possibilités d’interaction entre les élèves et les auteurs.

W E DN E SDAY

ZINES, FLICKS AND TUNES (1) HAL NIEDZVIECKI

1–2:30 PM PTC STUDIO

Modern media technology—the Internet, video cameras, homemade CDs and more—allows anyone and everyone to create his or her own pop culture today. All it takes is a little know-how, some inspiration and a lot of empowerment. How to use the technology to create your own entertainment and your own art is the specialty of indie-guru Hal Niedzviecki, so bring your how-to questions and your ideas for an afternoon workshop that will inspire with real-life examples produced by kids themselves. (This event is repeated on Thursday morning.) Suitable for grades 8 to 12

JAMES GEORGE, NANCY HUSTON, JEN SOOKFONG LEE, LINDA ROGERS MODERATOR: KATHRYN GRETSINGER

7:00 PM WATERFRONT THEATRE

$15 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE

The lives of the characters created by these four novelists are profoundly shaped by world events—from early 20th-century Chinese racism in the new cities of Victoria and Vancouver to the broad-scale disruptions of both World Wars. Amid these turbulent times, however, family secrets determine what gets told, and to whom, and how family history is passed from generation to generation until the truth is finally told. The novels that result are captivating and compelling, especially in the hands of these gifted writers.

AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH PETER ROBINSON 8:00 PM PTC STUDIO

$15

Come spend an evening with world-renowned author Peter Robinson and his middle-aged, divorced, whiskey-loving character Inspector Banks. His Inspector Banks novels are among the best detective fiction in the world, and their multi-layered stories continue to delight readers not only in Robinson’s adopted country of Canada, but also in 20 other countries. Robinson sets all his novels in his beloved native Yorkshire and fills them with social and psychological details that provide insight into both society and individuals. The 17th Inspector Banks novel will be published this fall. This event is sponsored by Weyerhaeuser.

OCTOB E R 17

THE ALMA LEE OPENING NIGHT EVENT

GRAND OPENINGS

$12 / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY

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KIRAN DESAI, WILL FERGUSON, LLOYD JONES, CLAIRE KEEGAN, VINCENT LAM, ALISTAIR MACLEOD, HELEN OYEYEMI HOST: HAL WAKE

8:30 PM PERFORMANCE WORKS $20 + $1 FACILITY SURCHARGE

It’s opening night at the Writers Festival, and the Festival’s Artistic Director Hal Wake introduces seven fine writers. Among them, they have won the Giller Prize, the Booker Prize, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Leacock Medal, the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award— and have been nominated for all the rest. Kiran Desai reads from The Inheritance of Loss, for which she won the Booker Prize. Canada’s Will Ferguson has his eye on con artists in Spanish Fly. New Zealand’s Lloyd Jones tackles the imaginative power of literature in Mister Pip, set in civil war-torn Papua New Guinea. Claire Keegan brings her unmistakable Irish voice to her second collection of short stories. You’ll want to hear short story writer Vincent Lam, who became a household name in Canada after he won the Giller Prize for Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures. No stranger to Vancouver audiences, Alistair MacLeod reads from his short story collection, Island, set in majestic Cape Breton Island. Helen Oyeyemi, who straddles two lives in Nigeria and the UK, reads from her second novel, The Opposite House. These writers will open the Festival in grand style. This event is sponsored by Random House of Canada Ltd.

COMPELLED TO WRITE FAÏZA GUÈNE, HELEN OYEYEMI MODERATOR: KATHRYN GRETSINGER

THURSDAY

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OCTOB E R 18

ZINES, FLICKS AND TUNES (2) HAL NIEDZVIECKI

10–11:30 AM

Two writers in their early 20s know firsthand the experience of being precocious and compelled to write. Both published their first novels to critical acclaim before they were 20. Faïza Guène was born to Algerian parents and raised in the poor suburbs of Paris. Helen Oyeyemi, Nigerian by birth, has lived in England since the age of four. Conscious both of their place in the world of literature and the issues of social dislocation and politics, these are two extraordinary writers whose thoughts on cultural identity and the craft of writing go well beyond their years. Suitable for grades 8 to 12 and adults

BRIAN DOYLE, KIT PEARSON MODERATOR: ALLISON SULLINGS

10–11:30 AM

REVUE THEATRE $12 + $1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

GRANVILLE ISLAND STAGE $12 + $2 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

TIME TRAVEL

PERFORMANCE WORKS $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Modern media technology—the Internet, video cameras, homemade CDs and more— allows anyone and everyone to create his or her own pop culture today. All it takes is a little know-how, some inspiration and a lot of empowerment. How to use the technology to create your own entertainment and your own art is the specialty of indie-guru Hal Niedzviecki; so bring your how-to questions and your ideas for an afternoon workshop that will inspire with real-life examples produced by kids themselves. (This event also takes place on Wednesday afternoon.)

Brian Doyle and Kit Pearson, two of the best young adult authors writing today, are loved by readers and have been nominated for, and won, countless awards for their work. Both authors have chosen to place their latest novels in the not-too-distant past of the 1940s and ’50s, a time when young people faced the same questions as they do today. These are age-old questions about identity, bravery in the face of challenge and the desire to be admired. Doyle and Pearson have earned their place at the top of their field, and young readers will be delighted to meet them face-to-face. Suitable for grades 4 to 7

Suitable for grades 8 to 12

Discussion will be in French and English.

OTHERWORLDLY JOHN BURNS, CARRIE MAC

WORD PLAY LINDA BAILEY, DENNIS LEE

10–11:30 AM

10–11:00 AM

WATERFRONT THEATRE $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

PTC STUDIO $12 / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Carrie Mac’s Triskelia is a full fantasy world, neither necessarily in the future nor in the past, where the ruling elite controls the earth’s water. John Burns’s main character escapes to Runnerland, leaving his own troubled life behind. Two authors who have immersed themselves in fantasy discuss the freedoms and constraints it brings. It’s a genre loved by readers who enjoy thinking beyond the borders of reality. Suitable for grades 8 to 10

As both of these experienced writers know, children love word play, whether it is words with pictures or words that are spoken aloud. From entrancing rhythms and surprising rhymes to the joyful sound of the words themselves, this will be an hour devoted to a celebration of the word. Suitable for grades K to 3

PUMP IT UP BARBARA ADLER, CATHERINE KIDD, BRENDAN MCLEOD, MORGANICS HOST: VANESSA RICHARDS

1–2:30 PM GRANVILLE ISLAND STAGE $12 + $2 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS Some of the most dynamic, hip, hard-hitting spoken-word artists working today will show what happens when words get pumped and creativity rides high. A two-time member of the Vancouver Poetry Slam team, Barbara Adler has performed extensively in Canada and the United States. Brendan McLeod has been the Canadian Grand Slam Poetry Champion. Over a 10-year period, Montreal’s spoken-word artist Catherine Kidd has developed a cult following. Morganics is an award-winning Australian hip hop artist who has performed around the world and taught hip hop in jails and isolated Aboriginal communities. Suitable for grades 10 to 12 and adults

THU R SDAY

LES ANIMAUX : FAITS ET LÉGENDES

ÉVELYNE DAIGLE, MICHEL NOËL ANIMATRICE : TRILBY JEEVES

13 H À 14 H 30 REVUE THEATRE $12 + $1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Qu’est-ce que les pingouins et les chiens de traîneau ont en commun? Quelles sont les répercussions des changements environnementaux et politiques sur leurs vies? Évelyne Daigle partagera ses textes sur les pingouins et les baleines; Michel Noël racontera des histoires basées en partie sur les légendes autochtones apprises de ses aînés. Pour les élèves de la 4e à la 7e année Cet événement se tiendra exclusivement en français. Il y aura beaucoup de possibilités d’interaction entre les élèves et le s auteurs.

L’AMITIÉ SYLVAIN MEUNIER ANIMATRICE : ANNE-MARIE MCGINN

13 H À 14 H 30 PTC STUDIO $12 / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

L’amitié se présente sous différentes formes : avec des gens de notre âge, d’autres qui sont plus âgés ou plus jeunes que nous, des voisins ou des camarades de classes. Dans Le Seul Ami, Michel vient en aide à un garçon malade qui est confiné à la maison. Dans L’Homme à la Bicyclette, Germain et ses amis sont à la recherche de l’homme soupçonné d’avoir volé le vélo de Germain. Peuvent-ils également venir en aide à cet homme qui semble en piètre état? Joignez-vous à Sylvain Meunier pour discuter de ses livres amusants et touchants, et sur ce que l’amitié signifie pour lui et pour vous. Pour les élèves de la 4e à la 7ee année

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OCTOB E R 18

DOCTOR, DOCTOR LIAM DURCAN, VINCENT LAM MODERATOR: ALMA LEE

OUT OF YOUR ELEMENT LINDA BAILEY, DAVID JONES, EDEET RAVEL MODERATOR: SUSIN NIELSEN

1–2:30 PM

PERFORMANCE WORKS $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

WATERFRONT THEATRE $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Two Canadian doctors who write fiction take the stage this afternoon. Or, is that two Canadian writers who also practise medicine? In Liam Durcan’s novel, a Montréal neurologist (which is also Durcan’s other career) struggles to understand why his mentor is being tried for war crimes. Vincent Lam’s short story collection, his first fiction, won the Giller Prize. The combination of doctor-writer runs from William Carlos Williams, W. Somerset Maugham and Anton Chekhov to today. How can these two demanding careers exist side by side?

Grand adventures often begin when you’re out of your element, plucked out of your comfortable surroundings and forced to face new worlds. Linda Bailey’s Good Times Travel Agency series plunks her characters in ancient Egypt, Viking times and the Ice Age. David Jones places his hero in a baboon’s body amid a baboon troop. And Edeet Ravel’s character Pauline finds herself in London, enthralled by the different cultures she encounters. But once you’re out of your element, can you get back home again? And do you want to? Suitable for grades 4 to 7

Suitable for grades 8 to 12 and adults

GAWK

JENN FARRELL, CATHERINE KIDD, JEN SOOKFONG LEE, BRENDAN MCLEOD, MAUREEN MEDVED, STEVEN PRICE, NICK THRAN, ANDREW WEDDERBURN HOST: BILLEH NICKERSON

8:00 PM PERFORMANCE WORKS $15 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE

Join Billeh Nickerson, eight irreverent writers and the Festival’s infamous go-go dancers for an evening guaranteed to rock the gawker within. (Sold out four years and counting—don’t be left broken-hearted.)

THE PURPOSE OF FICTION LIAM DURCAN, WILLIAM GIBSON, A.L. KENNEDY, ALESSANDRO PIPERNO, RICHARD B. WRIGHT MODERATOR: KIRK LAPOINTE

8:00 PM WATERFRONT THEATRE $15 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE

Does fiction have a purpose beyond entertainment? Should it tackle the bigger moral and political issues? And if it does, how does a writer walk the tightrope between story and message? Spend an evening with five thoughtful, articulate and brilliant authors from vastly different national backgrounds and experiences. Not only have they faced these questions before putting words on paper, they have also successfully balanced personal belief and strong political and moral stances with the imaginative art of fiction.

THURSDAY

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OCTOB E R 18

AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH NANCY HUSTON 8:00 PM PTC STUDIO

$15

Born in Calgary, Nancy Huston has lived in France for three decades. She is a cultural phenomenon—an anglophone Canadian who writes award-winning work in both English and French. Her latest novel, Fault Lines, won the Prix Femina, one of France’s most prestigious awards. She says writing in French allows her to write about things that would be impossible for her to reveal or even think about in her mother tongue. Her work is candid, sensual and challenging. She’s won the Governor General’s Award for fiction and has been shortlisted for the Giller Prize. This is an opportunity to spend an hour with a warm and engaging writer in an intimate setting. This event is sponsored by Weyerhaeuser.

UNE SOIRÉE-RENCONTRE AVEC FAÏZA GUÈNE :

FRANÇAISE, MUSULMANE ET ROMANCIÈRE À 20 ANS

ANIMATRICE : SYLVIA L’ÉCUYER

8:00 PM THE TAPROOM

$15

Faïza Guène est née en 1985, dans la banlieue parisienne, de parents algériens. C’est la banlieue qu’on veut fuir, mais elle a choisi d’y rester, même après l’immense succès en 2004 de son premier roman, Kiffe kiffe demain publié dans 22 pays, même après les émeutes. Avec un deuxième roman, une poignée de courts documentaires, des chroniques radiophoniques, elle témoigne de la vie des jeunes de sa génération. Le tableau n’est pas rose, mais la langue est colorée, teintée d’humour, et Faïza apporte une lueur d’optimisme. « L’avenir des banlieues », dit-elle, « est entre les mains des femmes. » Pour les gens 19 ans et plus

GIFT OF THE GAB NUALA O’FAOLAIN, RAY ROBERTSON, MICHAEL WINTER MODERATOR: VICKI GABEREAU

F RI DAY

OCTOB E R 19

THE HUNGARIAN SCHINDLER

ANNA PORTER IN CONVERSATION WITH HAL WAKE

10–11:30 AM

REVUE THEATRE $12 + $1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

GRANVILLE ISLAND STAGE $12 + $2 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

The Festival is thrilled to welcome the witty and wonderful Vicki Gabereau back to the stage as she engages three lively writers who live in the world of words—well-researched non-fiction, a touch of autobiography and a good dollop of imagination. Ireland’s Nuala O’Faolain brings to life another daughter of Ireland, notorious criminal Chicago May. Ray Robertson takes to the highway in pursuit of Kerouac’s On the Road. And Newfoundland’s Michael Winter, no stranger to Festival audiences, spins a tale of mythic proportion in his novel, The Architects Are Here.

LET THE IMAGINATION REIGN

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A.L. KENNEDY, LOUISE PENNY, EDWARD O. PHILLIPS, NEIL SMITH MODERATOR: JOHN BURNS

10–11:30 AM WATERFRONT THEATRE $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Flaubert claimed that he became Emma Bovary when he wrote Madame Bovary. The audacity and skill it takes to adopt a different perspective or a different gender when creating characters unites these four writers. A.L. Kennedy’s Day takes the viewpoint of an RAF tailgunner during WWII. Louise Penny’s Detective Chief Inspector Armand Gamache reappears as the main character in her latest mystery, Dead Cold. Edward O. Phillips’s main character is a widow beginning a new life in Montréal. And Neil Smith creates a love story starring a pair of pink leather gloves and a severed foot. Long live the imagination!

GEORGE BOWERING, TIM BOWLING, JANICE KULYK KEEFER, RICHARD SIKEN, PRISCILA UPPAL, BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH HOST: BILLEH NICKERSON

10–11:30 AM PERFORMANCE WORKS $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

In the summer of 1944, Hungarian Rezso Kasztner met with Adolf Eichmann to strike a deal. His act may have saved as many as 40,000 Hungarian Jews. In the hands of former Canadian publisher Anna Porter, Kasztner’s Train is part political thriller, part love story and part legal drama, a compelling non-fiction account of a man who was later judged to have “sold his soul to the devil.” Hungarian-born Porter explores in intriguing detail a hero and proud Zionist who believed that promises, even to diehard Nazis, had to be kept.

INDIAN TAPESTRY: FROM BOLLYWOOD TO BOMBAY

THE MINI POETRY BASH

DAVID DAVIDAR, AMEEN MERCHANT MODERATOR: PAUL GRANT

10–11:30 AM PTC STUDIO $12 / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

For centuries, India has been providing readers with extraordinary tales and inspiring writers. Ameen Merchant’s story is of two sisters in a traditional Brahmin family, one of whom runs off with a Muslim Bollywood star. In musical prose, he captures the world of Brahmin women, restricted by caste and rules but teeming with colour and music. David Davidar’s unflinching novel is set among the Bombay riots of the 1990s. The Solitude of Emperors is about what drives fundamentalist beliefs and what makes someone driven, bold or mad enough to make a stand.

The Mini Poetry Bash is an annual favourite with students, teachers and poetry fans alike. This year, the Festival has gathered exceptional and award-winning poets from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada to strut their stuff. Poetry is ordinary language raised to distilled and powerful forms, so come and delight in this world of words—in all its different forms.

SLEUTHS AND SCOUNDRELS

JAKOB ARJOUNI, JASPER FFORDE, ELIZABETH GEORGE, LOUISE PENNY, PETER ROBINSON MODERATOR: LOUISE PENNY

1–2:30 PM GRANVILLE ISLAND STAGE $12 + $2 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Former CBC broadcaster turned mystery writer Louise Penny will lead a stellar and diverse group of mystery writers in a discussion about making characters come alive in the realm of the mystery novel. Assembling a cast of characters that is believable enough to keep a mystery on track, yet extraordinary enough to keep readers riveted, takes great skill, and these writers are masters of their craft.

F R IDAY

LANDSCAPES: INSIDE AND OUT

JACQUELINE BAKER, IAN HOLDING, CARRIE TIFFANY, CÉLESTINE HITIURA VAITE MODERATOR: ANNE GIARDINI

1–2:30 PM REVUE THEATRE $12 + $1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

How does physical landscape shape, mirror or stand in conflict with character? Four authors from very different landscapes— Alberta, Zimbabwe, Australia and Tahiti—gather to talk about the inspiration of the lands they write about and the lands that make their stories possible, from the windborn grit of the Canadian prairie to the fragrant frangipani of Tahiti, to the vast farms of rural Australia and Zimbabwe.

FRUITS OF THE EARTH

RUDY WIEBE IN CONVERSATION WITH ANDREAS SCHROEDER

1–2:30 PM PTC STUDIO $12 / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

The winner of this year’s Charles Taylor Prize for Non-Fiction, Rudy Wiebe has written an evocative and moving memoir of his childhood in rural Saskatchewan, bearing witness of a way of life that has since disappeared. In Of This Earth, the two-time winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction recalls his childhood with his immigrant parents in the isolated, mostly Mennonite community of Speedwell, Saskatchewan, and the experiences of a young boy whose love of words delivered the world to him.

THE FRESH FACE OF FICTION

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OCTOB E R 19

DAVID CHARIANDY, JEN SOOKFONG LEE, AMEEN MERCHANT, NEIL SMITH MODERATOR: DENISE RYAN

1–2:30 PM WATERFRONT THEATRE $12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS

Four writers, four firsts—first novels and first short story collections. With fresh perspectives and fresh enthusiasm for their craft, these writers discuss the paths that have brought them to this stage, the moments (or years) of doubt and exhilaration. You’ll enjoy knowing more about these writers, who will make you fall in love with fiction all over again. This event is sponsored by the UBC Writing Centre.

THE LITERARY CABARET

JACQUELINE BAKER, BARRY CALLAGHAN, WILLIAM GIBSON, BARBARA GOWDY, ELIZABETH HAY, BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH HOST: SALVADOR FERRERAS

8:00 PM PERFORMANCE WORKS $20 + $1 FACILITY SURCHARGE

The fabulous multi-faceted Sal Ferreras and the Festival house band Poetic License bring their talents once again to provide a rich sound bed for Festival writers to lay their words in. This popular event of alchemy mixes literature with music and creates pure gold. Sure to transport audiences to new levels of enjoyment, the evening is astounding, extraordinary and always fun. Buy your tickets early to avoid disappointment. Cash bar This event is made possible in part by support from Davis LLP.

F RI DAY

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OCTOB E R 19

OUR TOWN: NEW VIEWS OF VANCOUVER THROUGH IRISH EYES

AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH RICHARD B. WRIGHT

CLAIRE KEEGAN, NUALA O’FAOLAIN MODERATOR: HAL WAKE

PTC STUDIO

8:00 PM WATERFRONT THEATRE $15 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE

As part of an exchange with the Dublin Writers Festival, Irish writers Claire Keegan and Nuala O’Faolain will spend several days in Vancouver before our Festival begins, keeping their eyes and ears open. The opportunity to immerse themselves in this new territory comes with a deadline—to write and present a new piece at this event. Come and hear what these two talented and thoughtful writers choose from among their experiences—how they interpret us, surprise us and see us. This event is generously supported by the Hamber Foundation.

WISE GUYS

TODD BABIAK, WILL FERGUSON, JASPER FFORDE MODERATOR: TODD BABIAK

8:00 PM THE TAPROOM $15

It takes real talent to make people laugh out loud when they read a book, to snicker in public and want to share the funny bits. Three wise guys read generous portions from their work, then share their thoughts on what makes “funny.” Is clever and witty the same as funny? And does humour cross the ocean well? Two Canadians and one Welshman will entertain these notions, and you at the same time. For those 19 years and older

8:00 PM $15

In 2001, Clara Callan brought Richard B. Wright international acclaim. In Canada it swept all the major Canadian literary awards and sent readers to discover previous novels by this masterful writer, many of which were out of print. Wright says, “I take a situation and then I want to explore what happened. I really want to find out myself. It’s all about exploring character.” His new novel, October, is again an understated yet powerful story about youth and age, luck and mortality, told through a character who is poignantly human. This is an opportunity to spend an evening with one of Canada’s finest writers in an intimate setting. This event is sponsored by Weyerhaeuser.

FALSEWORK GARY GEDDES

8:00 PM OCEAN CONSTRUCTION $15

In 1958, Vancouver’s Second Narrows Bridge collapsed while under construction and 18 ironworkers were killed. Award-winning poet Gary Geddes has written an intimate portrait of the many lives affected by the toppling of that seemingly indomitable structure. Falsework will be presented in a site-specific staged reading at Ocean Construction by Vancouver’s Playwrights Theatre Centre and will represent the first stage in adapting Falsework to the stage, giving dramatic voice to the ironworkers, their families, the bosses and the people of Vancouver caught up in this extraordinary historical moment.

SATU RDAY

THE ANNUAL SPELL OFF GEIST MAGAZINE TEAM THE VANCOUVER SUN TEAM YOU, THE AUDIENCE SPELL MISTRESS: CAROL MUNRO

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OCTOB E R 2 0

MURDER, SHE WROTE: AN INTERVIEW WITH ELIZABETH GEORGE

IN CONVERSATION WITH SHELAGH ROGERS

10:30 AM–12 NOON

REVUE THEATRE FREE

PERFORMANCE WORKS $13 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE

The annual etymological face off among journalists from The Vancouver Sun, writers and editors from Geist magazine, and the audience. The Vancouver Sun team this year will be pitted against those who passionately put together a magazine of Canadian ideas and culture. And what more cultural activity than a spelling bee? Bring your notepad and pen and join Spell Mistress Carol Munro in a morning of the arcane and the witty.

Elizabeth George’s 14 bestselling murder mysteries, starring Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, are filled with explorations of the human heart. Although she lives in the United States, all her mysteries are set in England, where she conducts meticulous research to get the settings and landscapes just right. She engages her legions of faithful readers in asking not only “who dunnit?” but “why”? “When I begin a mystery, I know the killer, the victim and the motive.” Everything else after that, she says, is revealed in the writing. Come spend a morning with one of the finest mystery writers working today.

This event is sponsored by The Vancouver Sun.

THE CRACKED MIRROR JAKOB ARJOUNI, DAVID DAVIDAR, IAN HOLDING, EDEET RAVEL MODERATOR: ERICA JOHNSON

10:30 AM–12 NOON WATERFRONT THEATRE $13 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE

This morning’s conversation will take you to corners of the world that are rarely revealed in travelogues or the nightly news. Zimbabwe’s treatment of its white farmers, the political turmoil of Bombay in the 1990s, the challenging Israeli-Palestinian question and the discrimination faced by the Turks in Germany are the topics of fiction for these writers. With insight, tenderness and occasional wit, they grapple with the tough issues that their countries have faced and allow us to enter into new worlds. Isn’t this what keeps us reading fiction, after all?

TUESDAY

F ESTI VA L AT A GL A NCE

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

EVENT #1

EVENT #5

EVENT #11

EVENT #16

EVENT #21

EVENT #26

10 –11:30 am Waterfront Theatre From Your Backyard to Antarctica Évelyne Daigle, Margriet Ruurs $12 + $.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups

10 – 11:30 am Granville Island Stage It’s a Jungle Out There David Jones, Carrie Mac $12 + $2 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups

1–2:30 pm Waterfront Theatre La Joie de Lire Nouveaux Endroits, Nouvelles Vies Faïza Guène, Sylvain Meunier $12 + $.50 facility surcharge/ $6 pour les groupes d’étudiants

10 – 11:30 am Granville Island Stage Compelled to Write Faïza Guène, Helen Oyeyemi $12 + $2 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups

1 – 2:30 pm Granville Island Stage Pump It Up Barbara Adler, Catherine Kidd, Brendan McLeod, Morganics $12 + $2 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups

8 pm Performance Works GAWK Jenn Farrell, Catherine Kidd, Jen Sookfong Lee, Brendan McLeod, Maureen Medved, Steven Price, Nick Thran, Andrew Wedderburn Host: Billeh Nickerson $15 + $.50 facility surcharge

EVENT #2

10 – 11:00 am PTC Studio La Joie de Lire Il était une fois Sylvain Meunier $12 / $6 pour les groupes d’étudiants

EVENT #6

10 – 11:30 am Revue Theatre La Joie de Lire Aventures vraies ou fausses Sylvain Meunier, Michel Noël $12 + $1.50 facility surcharge/ $6 pour les groupes d’étudiants

EVENT #17

1 – 2:30 pm PTC Studio Zines, Flicks and Tunes (1) Hal Niedzviecki $12 / $6 for student groups

10 – 11:30 am Revue Theatre Zines, Flicks and Tunes (2) Hal Niedzviecki $12 + $1.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups

EVENT #13

EVENT #18

7 pm Waterfront Theatre The Weight of History James George, Nancy Huston, Jen Sookfong Lee, Linda Rogers $15 + $.50 facility surcharge

10 – 11:30 am Performance Works Time Travel Brian Doyle, Kit Pearson $12 + $.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups

EVENT #12

EVENT #7 EVENT #3

1 – 2:30 pm Waterfront Theatre Stand Up for Change Severn Cullis-Suzuki, D. Simon Jackson, Lindsay Poaps $12 + $.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups EVENT #4

1 – 2:30 pm PTC Studio La Joie de Lire Quelle est ma place? Michel Noël $12 / $6 pour les groupes d’étudiants

10 – 11:30 am Performance Works Imaginary Greats, Great Imaginations Kit Pearson, Edeet Ravel $12 + $.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups EVENT #8

10 – 11:30 am Waterfront Theatre Mean Streets John Burns, Brian Doyle $12 + $.50 facility surcharge/ $6 for student groups EVENT #9

10 – 11:30 am PTC Studio Penguin Party Évelyne Daigle $12 / $6 for student groups

EVENT #19 EVENT #14

8 pm PTC Studio An Intimate Evening with Peter Robinson $15 EVENT #15

8:30 pm Performance Works Grand Openings Kiran Desai, EVENT #10 Will Ferguson, 1 – 2:00 pm Lloyd Jones, Revue Theatre Claire Keegan, Shout It Out Vincent Lam, Linda Bailey, Dennis Lee, Alistair MacLeod, Margriet Ruurs Helen Oyeyemi $12 + $1.50 facility surcharge/ $20 + $1 facility $6 for student groups surcharge

10 – 11:30 am Waterfront Theatre Otherworldly John Burns, Carrie Mac $12 + $.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups EVENT #20

10 – 11:00 am PTC Studio Word Play Linda Bailey, Dennis Lee $12 / $6 for student groups

EVENT #22

1 – 2:30 pm Revue Theatre Les animaux: faits et légendes Évelyne Daigle, Michel Nöel $12 + $1.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups EVENT #23

1 – 2:30 pm Performance Works Doctor, Doctor Liam Durcan, Vincent Lam $12 + $.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups EVENT #24

1 – 2:30 pm Waterfront Theatre Out of Your Element Linda Bailey, David Jones, Edeet Ravel $12 + $.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups EVENT #25

1 – 2:30 pm PTC Studio L’amitié Sylvain Meunier $12 / $6 for student groups

EVENT #27

8 pm Waterfront Theatre The Purpose of Fiction Liam Durcan, William Gibson, A.L. Kennedy, Alessandro Piperno, Richard B. Wright $15 + $.50 facility surcharge EVENT #28

8 pm PTC Studio An Intimate Evening with Nancy Huston $15 EVENT #29

8 pm The Taproom Une soiréerencontre avec Faïza Guène $15

F E STIVA L AT A GL A NCE

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

EVENT #30

EVENT #34

EVENT #38

EVENT #44

EVENT #50

EVENT #55

10 – 11:30 am Granville Island Stage Gift of the Gab Nuala O’Faolain, Ray Robertson, Michael Winter Host: Vicki Gabereau $12 + $2 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups

10 – 11:30 am PTC Studio Indian Tapestry: From Bollywood to Bombay David Davidar, Ameen Merchant $12 / $6 for student groups

1 – 2:30 pm PTC Studio Fruits of the Earth Rudy Wiebe $12 / $6 for student groups

10:30 am – 12 noon Revue Theatre The Annual Spell Off Geist Magazine, The Vancouver Sun, and You Spell Mistress: Carol Munro FREE

2 – 3:30 pm Waterfront Theatre Three Masters, One Mistress of Short Fiction Barry Callaghan, Alistair MacLeod, Patricia Robertson, Seán Virgo $13 + $.50 facility surcharge

10:30 am – 12 noon PTC Studio A Traveller’s Totems Barbara Hodgson $13

EVENT #31

10 – 11:30 am Revue Theatre The Hungarian Schindler Anna Porter $12 + $1.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups

EVENT #35

1 – 2:30 pm Granville Island Stage Sleuths and Scoundrels Jakob Arjouni, Jasper Fforde, Elizabeth George, Louise Penny, Peter Robinson $12 + $2 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups

EVENT #39

8 pm Performance Works The Literary Cabaret Jacqueline Baker, Barry Callaghan, William Gibson, Barbara Gowdy, Elizabeth Hay, Benjamin Zephaniah Host: Salvador Ferreras $20 + $1 facility surcharge EVENT #40

8 pm EVENT #32 Waterfront Theatre 10 – 11:30 am Our Town: New Views Performance Works EVENT #36 of Vancouver Through 1 – 2:30 pm The Mini Irish Eyes Revue Theatre Poetry Bash Claire Keegan, Landscapes: Inside Nuala O’Faolain George Bowering, and Out Tim Bowling, $15 + $.50 facility Janice Kulyk Keefer, Jacqueline Baker, surcharge Ian Holding, Carrie Richard Siken, EVENT #41 Tiffany, Célestine Priscila Uppal, 8 pm PTC Studio Benjamin Zephaniah Hitiura Vaite $12 + $1.50 facility An Intimate Evening $12 + $.50 facility with Richard B. Wright surcharge / $6 for surcharge / $6 for $15 student groups student groups

EVENT #45

10:30 am – 12 noon Performance Works Murder, She Wrote $13 + $.50 facility surcharge EVENT #46

10:30 am – 12 noon Waterfront Theatre The Cracked Mirror Jakob Arjouni, David Davidar, Ian Holding, Edeet Ravel $13 + $.50 facility surcharge EVENT #47

10:30 am – 12 noon PTC Studio Bringing the Past to Life Peter Behrens, Mary Novik $13 EVENT #48

2 – 3:30 pm Revue Theatre Tarnished Heroes Justin Cartwright, Liam Durcan, Anna Porter $13 + $1.50 facility surcharge

EVENT #33

EVENT #37

EVENT #42

EVENT #49

10 – 11:30 am Waterfront Theatre Let the Imagination Reign A.L. Kennedy, Louise Penny, Edward O. Phillips, Neil Smith $12 + $.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups

1 – 2:30 pm Waterfront Theatre The Fresh Face of Fiction David Chariandy, Jen Sookfong Lee, Ameen Merchant, Neil Smith $12 + $.50 facility surcharge / $6 for student groups

8 pm The Taproom Wise Guys Will Ferguson, Jasper Fforde $15

2 – 3:30 pm Performance Works Poets Laureate George Bowering, Carla Funk, George McWhirter, Agnes Walsh $13 + $.50 facility surcharge

EVENT #43

8 pm Ocean Construction Falsework Gary Geddes $15

EVENT #51

2 – 3:30 pm PTC Studio Tricks of the Trade Todd Babiak, Elizabeth Hay, Ray Robertson, Michael Winter $13 EVENT #52

8 pm Performance Works The Poetry Bash Marilyn Bowering, Niels Hav, Dennis Lee, Barbara Nickel, Richard Siken, Priscila Uppal, Agnes Walsh, Tom Wayman Host: Ryan Knighton $20 + $1 facility surcharge EVENT #53

8 pm Waterfront Theatre Polyphony Gail AndersonDargatz, Peter Behrens, Tim Bowling, James George, Janice Kulyk Keefer, Alessandro Piperno, Linda Rogers $15 + $.50 facility surcharge

EVENT #56

11 am – 12:30 pm Performance Works The Sunday Brunch Peter Behrens, Justin Cartwright, Elizabeth Hay, Janice Kulyk Keefer, Carrie Tiffany, Seán Virgo, $22 + $1 facility surcharge EVENT #57

1:30 – 3:00 pm Waterfront Theatre Maritime Medley Alistair MacLeod and Chor Leoni $20 + $1 facility surcharge EVENT #58

1:30 – 3:00 pm PTC Studio The Lost Coast Tim Bowling in conversation with Mark Forsythe $13 EVENT #59

3:30 – 5:00 pm Performance Works The Afternoon Tea Gail Anderson-Dargatz, Edward O. Phillips, Patricia Robertson, Célestine Hitiura Vaite, Richard B. Wright, Benjamin Zephaniah $22 + $1 facility surcharge EVENT #60

4 – 5:30 pm Waterfront Theatre emerge Jennifer Caldwell, Geoff Cole, Alev Ersan, Eufemia Fantetti, Clarissa Green, Susan Grossman, Gaye Hickman-Barr, Leslie Hill, Janet Hong, Nazanin Hozar, Anna Kaye, Jonina Kirton, Sue Anne Linde, Jane Mellor, Charlotte Morganti Jan Redford, Maureen Reynolds, Fiona Scott, Jenn Sommersby-Young Ayelet Tsabari, Marni Wedin $5 + $.50 facility surcharge

EVENT #54

8 pm PTC Studio An Intimate Evening with Barbara Gowdy $15

EVENT #61

8 pm Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage The Bill Duthie Memorial Lecture Eleanor Wachtel $20 + $2 facility surcharge

SATURDAY

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OCTOB E R 2 0

BRINGING THE PAST TO LIFE PETER BEHRENS, MARY NOVIK MODERATOR: JERRY WASSERMAN

10:30 AM –12:00 NOON PTC STUDIO $13

One of the powerful things about historical fiction is that it can sweep us away into a world very different than our own. But to be successful, historical fiction needs to have both factual and emotional authenticity. Mary Novik’s Conceit is a sensual evocation of Elizabethan England. Peter Behrens’s The Law of Dreams captures the terrible tragedy of Ireland’s great famine of 1846. Come and be transported.

TARNISHED HEROES JUSTIN CARTWRIGHT, LIAM DURCAN, ANNA PORTER MODERATOR: JERRY WASSERMAN

2–3:30 PM REVUE THEATRE $13 + $1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE

It would be nice if all our heroes were pure of heart and free of blemish. But that is rarely the case, either in fiction or non-fiction. In two novels and one non-fiction work, these writers tell the stories of characters who are capable of heroic acts sometimes accompanied by questionable motives. Complex moral issues are not restricted to fictional accounts, and charting the right course can be as difficult in real life as in imagination.

POETS LAUREATE GEORGE BOWERING, CARLA FUNK, GEORGE MCWHIRTER, AGNES WALSH MODERATOR: GARY GEDDES

2–3:30 PM PERFORMANCE WORKS $13 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE

Four honoured poets read from their work and chat about the pleasures and challenges of being a Poet Laureate. George Bowering was Canada’s first Poet Laureate. George McWhirter was recently named Vancouver’s first Poet Laureate. Agnes Walsh is St. Johns’s Poet Laureate and Carla Funk is Victoria’s first.

SATU R DAY

THREE MASTERS, ONE MISTRESS OF SHORT FICTION

BARRY CALLAGHAN, ALISTAIR MACLEOD, PATRICIA ROBERTSON, SEÁN VIRGO

2–3:30 PM WATERFRONT THEATRE $13 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE

There’s great freedom to explore in the short story—freedom to write in different styles, different settings, different voices—albeit for a short time. Although Alistair MacLeod became a household name in Canada with his novel, No Great Mischief, it is the short story that has held his attention for more than 30 years. Four writers who love this genre talk about its challenges and its rewards, both for the writer and the reader.

POLYPHONY

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

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TODD BABIAK, ELIZABETH HAY, RAY ROBERTSON, MICHAEL WINTER MODERATOR: ANNE GIARDINI

2–3:30 PM PTC STUDIO $13

8:00 PM WATERFRONT THEATRE $15 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE

Settle back this evening to hear seven fine writers read aloud from their new works. Be it Peter Behrens’s Governor General’s Award-winning novel, Tim Bowling’s juxtaposition of the trenches of WWI with the Alberta badlands, Gail Anderson-Dargatz’s tale about family, New Zealander James George’s multicontinental story, Italian Alessandro Piperno’s Jewish family saga set in the opulence of contemporary Rome, Janice Kulyk Keefer’s Ukrainian-Canadian family saga, or Linda Rogers’s epistolary novel of early Victoria, there’s more than enough to introduce you to some riveting and entertaining fiction that you will want to explore further.

THE POETRY BASH

MARILYN BOWERING, NIELS HAV, DENNIS LEE, BARBARA NICKEL, RICHARD SIKEN, PRISCILA UPPAL, AGNES WALSH, TOM WAYMAN HOST: RYAN KNIGHTON

8:00 PM

Is there a surefire formula for writing fiction? Some writers believe that if you put a person in a place with a problem, then your story is launched. Some authors write methodically, plotting out their characters’ moves in advance, while others sit down before their computers without a clue as to what they are going to write, how their characters might behave. Learn the secrets of these four Canadian authors. How do they get their stories moving? What inspires them? Just how, exactly, do they do it?

GAIL ANDERSON-DARGATZ, PETER BEHRENS, TIM BOWLING, JAMES GEORGE, JANICE KULYK KEEFER, ALESSANDRO PIPERNO, LINDA ROGERS HOST: PAUL GRANT

OCTOB E R 2 0

PERFORMANCE WORKS $20 + $1 FACILITY SURCHARGE

Ryan Knighton will introduce you to a panoply of poets who will satisfy poetry lovers of all persuasions. International voices, new voices, seasoned voices— an evening of readings that will delight your ears and demonstrate once again why poetry matters. Get your tickets early for one of the Festival’s most popular events.

AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH BARBARA GOWDY

8:00 PM PTC STUDIO $15

Barbara Gowdy has an uncanny ability to climb into others’ skins. Known for inhabiting the minds of unorthodox protagonists—such as a herd of elephants or a female necrophiliac—Gowdy in her new novel explores the vulnerability of a child-stalking kidnapper, a choice of topic that has been controversial. She confesses to walking her neighbourhood by night, fascinated by the ordinary lives of other people. Her five previous books have appeared on bestseller lists throughout the world, so it’s obvious that readers are fascinated as well. In this intimate evening, Barbara Gowdy shares her thoughts and stories with her audience face to face. This event is sponsored by Weyerhaeuser.

SUNDAY

A Traveller’s Totems Barbara Hodgson

10:30 AM–12 NOON

PTC STUDIO $13

Visiting flea markets and other repositories of material culture around the world, Barbara Hodgson, a consummate collector, has gathered the world’s cast-offs to reveal rich insights into people, places and times past. Can a city’s history be found in its museums? Perhaps, but Barbara Hodgson believes that it is in the streets, bookstores and markets where the city tantalizingly and coyly unveils its real past and most intimate self. She’ll richly illustrate her stories of her travels with photographs for this morning’s show-andtell event.

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OCTOB ER 21

The Sunday Brunch Peter Behrens, Justin Cartwright, Elizabeth Hay, Janice Kulyk Keefer Carrie Tiffany, Seán Virgo Host: Gloria Macarenko

11 AM–12:30 PM PERFORMANCE WORKS $22 + $1 facility surcharge

Celebrate one of the Festival’s grand traditions with the CBC’s Gloria Macarenko. With lots of eclectic readings and large helpings of merriment, your morning cup of coffee won’t be the only hot thing on the go. Come with a friend or make a new one over croissants and champagne. Be forewarned. This event is very popular and tables fill early. This event is sponsored by Raincoast Books.

Maritime Medley Alistair MacLeod, Chor Leoni Men’s Choir

1:30–3 PM waterfront theatre $20 + $1 facility surcharge

When one of Canada’s most acclaimed writers joins forces with one of Canada’s most acclaimed men’s choirs, the result is sure to be unforgettable. Alistair MacLeod is a master of his craft, an exceptional and original voice whose short stories ring with the cadence of Cape Breton. Chor Leoni’s repertoire runs the scale from somber to comedic, the perfect complement to the passages that MacLeod will read. Two coasts, two forms of expression, one great afternoon. Piano provided by Tom Lee Music.

The Lost Coast: Salmon, Memory and the Death of Wild Culture Tim Bowling in conversation with mark forsythe

1:30–3 PM PTC STUDIO $13

McClelland & Stewart welcomes Todd Babiak, David Davidar, Liam Durcan, Elizabeth Hay, Alistair MacLeod and Peter Robinson to the festival. www.mcclelland.com

Governor General’s Award nominee Tim Bowling is known for his seven collections of poetry and three novels. Raised in Ladner, British Columbia, in a gillnetting family, Bowling was a fisherman himself until the mid-1990s. In this non-fiction departure from his usual style of writing, he laments the disappearing salmon and erosion of the wild culture that once defined British Columbia. In Bowling’s powerful and lyrical style, The Lost Coast asks hard questions about the diminishment of the Pacific salmon and the river creatures that continue to haunt his memory.

S U N DAY

THE AFTERNOON TEA GAIL ANDERSON-DARGATZ, EDWARD O. PHILLIPS, PATRICIA ROBERTSON, CÉLESTINE HITIURA VAITE, RICHARD B. WRIGHT, BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH HOST: PAUL GRANT

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OCTOB E R 2 1

3:30–5 PM PERFORMANCE WORKS $22 + $1 FACILITY SURCHARGE TEA AND SCONES INCLUDED

What could be more pleasant and relaxing than joining host Paul Grant for a thought-provoking afternoon of tea and tales from a diverse selection of Festival authors? This event is freshly baked to warm your senses and stimulate your soul. This event is sponsored by HarperCollinsCanada Ltd.

emerge

JENNIFER CALDWELL, GEOFF COLE, ALEV ERSAN, EUFEMIA FANTETTI, CLARISSA GREEN, SUSAN GROSSMAN, GAYE HICKMAN-BARR, LESLIE HILL, JANET HONG, NAZANIN HOZAR, ANNA KAYE, JONINA KIRTON, SUE ANNE LINDE, JANE MELLOR, CHARLOTTE MORGANTI, JAN REDFORD, MAUREEN REYNOLDS, FIONA SCOTT, JENN SOMMERSBY-YOUNG, AYELET TSABARI, MARNI WEDIN

4–5:30 PM WATERFRONT THEATRE $5 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE

The launch of emerge, the annual anthology from Simon Fraser University Writer’s Studio, will provide a tantalizing taste from the work of 20 new writers, who span four generations and write in the genres of non-fiction, poetry, fiction and lyric prose.

THE BILL DUTHIE MEMORIAL LECTURE ELEANOR WACHTEL

8:00 PM STANLEY INDUSTRIAL ALLIANCE STAGE $20 + $2 FACILITY SURCHARGE

Writer and broadcaster Eleanor Wachtel met Carol Shields in 1980 and first interviewed her in 1987. Over almost two decades they kept up a dialogue in conversation and correspondence that ranged from talks about writing, language and consciousness to coping with illness. Random Illuminations is Wachtel’s collection of those discussions, which offer us an intimate portrait of a great Canadian writer. Wachtel is widely admired for her contribution to arts journalism and as the host of CBC Radio’s Writers and Company. This event is sponsored by Scotia Private Client Group. The speaker honorarium is generously provided by Duthie Books Fourth Avenue.

AUTH OR B I OGR A P H I E S

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 21

At age 18, Barbara Adler became the youngest performer, to have won a spot on the acclaimed Vancouver Poetry Slam team. Now a four-time member, Barbara has toured the world performing poetry both as a solo performer and as a member of the spoken-word music band, The Fugitives. She has also collaborated with composers, dancers, filmmakers and theatre artists. Her new CD is titled Flusterblush.

GAIL ANDERSON-DARGATZ BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 53, 59

Gail Anderson-Dargatz has been published worldwide in English and in many other languages. Her first book, The Miss Hereford Stories, was shortlisted for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, and her first novel, The Cure for Death by Lightning, won

TODD BABIAK

numerous awards, including the United Kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Betty Trask Prize. That book and her follow up novel, A Recipe for Bees were shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and A Rhinestone Button was a Canadian bestseller. Her new novel is Turtle Valley.

ALBERTA, EVENTS 42, 51

JAKOB ARJOUNI GERMANY, EVENTS 35, 46

Jakob Arjouni was born in Frankfurt, lived for many years in Berlin, and now resides in the south of France. He has published novels, plays, stories and radio plays, and won the German Crime Novel Prize in 1992 for One Man, One Murder. An earlier novel, Happy Birthday, Turk!, was made into a successful film and his 2003 collection, Idiots: Five Fairy Tales and Other Stories, was on the bestseller lists for several months. Kismet, Arjouniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most recent novel to appear in English, will be published this fall.

ÂŠ R. MOSIMANN DIOGENES VERLAG

BARBARA ADLER

Todd Babiak is the culture columnist for the Edmonton Journal and author of the bestseller, The Garneau Block, which was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. His first novel, Choke Hold, won the Writers Guild of Alberta Henry Kreisel Award for Best First Book, and was shortlisted for the Rogers Writersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Trust Fiction Prize. Also an award-winning screenwriter and former Lord Mayor of Old Strathcona, Babiak lives and writes in Edmonton. His latest novel is The Book of Stanley.

LINDA BAILEY BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 10, 20, 24

Linda Bailey is the author of more than 20 books for children, including the Stevie Diamond Mystery series and the Good Times Travel Agency series of comic-book histories of ancient civilizations. She has also written numerous picture

Jakob Arjouniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appearance is made possible by the German Consulate General.

Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival

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AU THOR B I OGR A P H I E S

EVENTS 36, 39

Jacqueline Baker is the author of A Hard Witching and Other Stories, which won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award, the City of Edmonton Book Prize and the Howard O’Hagan Award for Short Fiction. It was also a finalist for the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Her new book, The Horseman’s Graves, follows two feuding families in Saskatchewan after the First World War.

PETER BEHRENS QUÉBEC/US EVENTS 47, 53, 56

Peter Behrens has written four feature screenplays and rewritten many others. His stories and essays have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Saturday Night and the National Post, and have been anthologized in Best Canadian Stories and Best Canadian Essays. He is the author of a collection of stories, Night Driving, and a novel, The Law of Dreams, which won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, and is a nominee for The Amazon. ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award.

GEORGE BOWERING BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 32, 49

George Bowering, Canada’s first Poet Laureate, has written more than 80 books, which include works of poetry, fiction, autobiography, biography and young adult titles. A tireless supporter of fellow writers and committed advocate for the arts, he is a prominent literary critic and a dedicated Canadian literary ambassador at international conferences and readings. In 2002 Bowering was recognized by The Vancouver Sun as one of the most influential people in British Columbia and in 2003 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

BARRY CALLAGHAN

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 52

ONTARIO, EVENTS 39, 50

Marilyn Bowering is an awardwinning novelist, poet and playwright whose first novel, To All Appearances a Lady, was a New York Times Notable Book of 1990. Her second novel, Visible Worlds (1997), was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and awarded the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. Her most recent books are a novel, What It Takes to Be Human, and a collection of poems, Green.

Barry Callaghan is the winner of the inaugural W.O. Mitchell Literary Prize for a body of work, and has won the CBC Fiction Prize, the Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters Prize for Fiction, the Pushcart Prize and many others. His memoir, Barrelhouse Kings, was shortlisted for the Trillium Award, and he won the City of Toronto Award for The Black Queen Stories. Callaghan’s fiction has been translated into Spanish, Croatian, French, Swedish, Serbian and Italian. His new book is Between Trains. He lives in Toronto.

TIM BOWLING ALBERTA, EVENTS 32, 53, 58

JUSTIN CARTWRIGHT

Tim Bowling has published seven poetry collections. Two of these, The Memory Orchard and The Witness Ghost, have been nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry. His work has also won the Canadian Authors Association Award for Poetry and the Alberta Book Award. Bowling is the author of three novels: The Paperboy’s Winter, Downriver Drift and, most recently, The Bone Sharps. He is also the editor of Where the Words Come From, a selection of interviews with Canadian poets. He lives in Edmonton.

UK, EVENTS 48, 56

Justin Cartwright was born in South Africa, and was educated there, in the United States and at Oxford University. His novels include Look At It This Way, Interior, Masai Dreaming, In Every Face I Meet, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Leading the Cheers, which won the 1998 Whitbread Novel Award, Half in Love and the acclaimed White Lightning, which brought his fifth shortlisting for the Whitbread Novel Award in 2002. His most recent novels are The Promise of Happiness, which won the 2005 Hawthornden Prize, and The Song Before It Is Sung.

JOHN BURNS BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 8, 19

DAVID CHARIANDY

John Burns is a well-known journalist and writer. He is the managing editor and the books columnist for the Georgia Straight and has been a finalist for the Western Magazine Awards (2002 and 2005) and National Magazine Awards (2004). He is also a regular contributor and event host for CBC Radio and CBC-related events such as the CBC Radio Studio One Book Club. He co-authored The Urban Picnic, a book of recipes. His new book, Runnerland, is his first young adult novel.

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 37

David Chariandy lives in Vancouver and teaches in the Department of English at Simon Fraser University. His debut novel, Soucouyant, takes its title from the word for an evil spirit in Caribbean folklore. Praised for its luminous prose, the novel follows a Canadian-born son who retraces the life of his Trinidad-raised mother as she succumbs to dementia.

JACQUELINE BAKER

MARILYN BOWERING

books, most recently, Stanley’s Party and Stanley’s Wild Ride. Her books have won awards across Canada, including the Ontario Silver Birch, the Christie Harris Prize for Illustrated Children’s Books and (twice) the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada.

AUTH OR B I OGR A P H I E S

JEAN CHRÉTIEN

ÉVELYNE DAIGLE

QUÉBEC, SPECIAL EVENT

QUÉBEC, EVENTS 1, 9, 22

The Rt. Hon. Jean Chrétien was first elected to Parliament in 1963, at the age of twenty-nine. Four years later he was given his first Cabinet post and, over the next thirty years, he headed nine key ministries. From 1993 to 2003 he served as Canada’s twentieth prime minister. His bestselling autobiography, Straight from the Heart, was published in 1985. A Passion for Politics, his new political memoir, covers his years as prime minister.

Évelyne Daigle travaille depuis 15 ans à titre de biologiste et d’interprète scientifique au Biodôme de Montréal. Son premier livre, Tant qu’il y aura des baleines, s’est classé parmi les finalistes du prix littéraire ASPCA Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award (le prix Henry Bergh — Le choix des jeunes, de l’ASPCA). Pour son nouveau livre, Les Saisons des manchots, Évelyne Daigle a accompagné des scientifiques et des étudiants dans une expédition en Antarctique, ce qui lui a permis de jeter un regard personnel sur l’habitat des créatures en captivité qu’elle avait observées pendant presque 12 ans.

SEVERN CULLIS-SUZUKI BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 3

La participation d’Évelyne Daigle a été rendue possible grâce a la Fondation Rix Family. Évelyne Daigle has worked as a biologist and scientific interpreter at the Montréal Biodôme for 15 years. Her first book, As Long As There Are Whales, was a finalist for the ASPCA Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award. For her new book, The World of Penguins, she accompanied scientists and students on an expedition to the Antarctic, giving her an opportunity to study firsthand the habitat of the creatures she has been studying in captivity for almost 12 years. Évelyne Daigle’s appearance is made possible by the Rix Family Foundation.

DAVID DAVIDAR ONTARIO/INDIA EVENTS 34, 36

David Davidar is president and publisher of Penguin Canada and also a director on the board of Penguin India, of which he was a founding member. Davidar’s first novel, The House of Blue Mangoes, was published in 16 countries and was an international bestseller. His new novel is The Solitude of Emperors.

KIRAN DESAI US/INDIA EVENT 15

Kiran Desai’s first book was the critically acclaimed Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, for which she won the Society of Authors’ Betty Trask Award for a first novel. In 2006, she won the Man Booker Prize for her second novel, The Inheritance of Loss. Educated in India, England, and the United States, she makes her home in the United States but travels between the three countries. Kiran Desai’s appearance at the Festival has been supported by a generous donation to the Alma Lee Legacy Fund by Jab Sidhoo.

Severn Cullis-Suzuki, the daughter of David Suzuki, has been speaking out on social justice and environmental issues since she was a child, founding the Environmental Children’s Organization at age nine. In 1992, when she was 12, she gave a passionate speech at the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. She is a commissioner for the Earth Charter and spearheaded the Recognition of Responsibility pledge, taking it to the Johannesburg Summit in 2002 and on tour in Japan. She is co-editor of and a contributor to Notes from Canada’s Young Activists: A Generation Stands Up for Change and is currently studying ethnoecology at the University of Victoria.

AU THOR B I OGR A P H I E S

BRIAN DOYLE ONTARIO, EVENTS 8, 18

JENN FARRELL

Brian Doyle is one of Canada’s most loved and honoured authors of fiction for young people. His novel Mary Ann Alice won the International Order of Daughters of the Empire National Chapter of Canada Award, the Leishman Prize and was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Children’s Literature, among others. His last book, Boy O’Boy, won the Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year for Children and the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award for Children’s Literature. His most recent book, Pure Spring, is a sequel to Boy O’Boy.

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 26

Jenn Farrell is a two-time winner of the Vancouver Courier Fiction Contest, recipient of the 2001 Maclean-Hunter Endowment Award and a contributor to CBC Radio. Her stories have previously appeared in Prism and subTerrain magazines. Born and raised in southern Ontario, she now lives in Vancouver, where she works as a writer and editor. Her first book of short fiction, Sugar Bush and Other Stories, was released in the fall of 2006.

WILL FERGUSON ALBERTA, EVENTS 15, 42

QUÉBEC, EVENTS 23, 27, 48

Will Ferguson has twice won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour: for his debut novel, HappinessTM (which also won the Canadian Authors Association Award for Fiction) and for his travel memoir, Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw. With his brother Ian, he wrote the wildly successful humour book, How to Be a Canadian. His other books are Hitching Rides with Buddha: A Journey Across Japan, and his new novel, Spanish Fly.

Liam Durcan was born and raised in Winnipeg, and earned his degree in medicine from the University of Manitoba. He works as a neurologist in Montréal and teaches at McGill University. His debut story collection, A Short Journey by Car, was chosen as a Globe and Mail top book of 2004. His first novel, García’s Heart, delves into the complex and controversial world of neuroeconomics.

LIAM DURCAN

AUTH OR B I OGR A P H I E S

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SAL FERRERAS BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 39

Sal Ferreras is a percussionist, teacher and event organizer who works in many facets of the Canadian music scene. He was awarded a BC Entertainment Hall of Fame star on Granville Street in 2002 and a Healey Willan Award for Outstanding Contributions to Choral Music in 2005. He has a PhD in Ethnomusicology and is Director of the Vancouver Community College School of Music. Sal has directed the Literary Cabaret since 1989, and he and his all-star band, Poetic License, consider it one of the highlights of their musical year.

JASPER FFORDE WALES, EVENTS 35, 42

Jasper Fforde has been called the “grown-up J.K. Rowling” for his series of novels featuring Literary Detective Thursday Next. He received 76 rejection letters for his first book, The Eyre Affair, which was eventually published to rave reviews and massive sales in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Subsequent titles in the Thursday Next series are The Well of Lost Plots, Lost in a Good Book, Something Rotten and, most recently, First Among Sequels. Fforde lives in Wales.

CARLA FUNK BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 49

Carla Funk was born in Vanderhoof, British Columbia, and now lives in Victoria, where she teaches at the University of Victoria. She was appointed Victoria’s first Poet Laureate in 2006. Her collections of poetry include Blessing the Bones into Light, Head Full of Sun and, most recently, The Sewing Room.

GARY GEDDES BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 43

Gary Geddes has written and edited more than 35 books of poetry, fiction, drama, non-fiction, criticism, translation and anthologies. His influential anthologies, 20th-Century Poetry & Poetics and 15 Canadian Poets have gone into numerous editions. His national and international awards include the E.J. Pratt Medal and Prize, the National Poetry Prize, the Writers’ Choice Award, National Magazine Gold Award, the Archibald Lampman Prize (twice) and Chile’s Gabriela Mistral Prize in 1996 for service to literature and to the people of Chile. His latest collection of poems is Falsework.

n the DIY Revolutio n Joiin Jo

ELIZABETH GEORGE US, EVENTS 35, 45

Elizabeth George is bestselling author of 14 novels of psychological suspense, one book of non-fiction and two short story collections. Her first novel, A Great Deliverance, won the Anthony Award, the Agatha Award and France’s Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière. Many of her novels have been filmed for television by the BBC. Her latest book is What Came Before He Shot Her.

AU THOR B I OGR A P H I E S JAMES GEORGE

NIELS HAV

NEW ZEALAND, EVENTS 13, 53

DENMARK, EVENT 52

James George is a New Zealander of Ngapuhi, English and Irish descent. He published his first novel, Wooden Horses, in 1995. His second novel, Hummingbird, was a finalist in the 2005 Tasmania Fiction Prize, and his third, Ocean Roads, was shortlisted for the 2007 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. He lives in Auckland.

Niels Hav is an award-winning Danish writer who has published five collections of poetry and three books of short fiction. His poetry has been translated into English by Patrick Friesen and P.K. Brask in two collections, God’s Blue Morris and, most recently, We Are Here. Hav lives in Copenhagen.

Niel Hav’s appearance is made possible by the Danish Arts Council.

James George’s appearance is made possible by Creative New Zealand.

ELIZABETH HAY WILLIAM GIBSON

William Gibson is widely credited with inventing the genre of cyberfiction with his first novel, Neuromancer. His other books include Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Burning Chrome, Virtual Light, Idoru, All Tomorrow’s Parties, Pattern Recognition and, his newest novel, Spook Country. He appeared in the very first Vancouver Writers Festival. He lives in Vancouver with his wife and two children.

Elizabeth Hay’s fiction includes A Student of Weather, a finalist for The Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Ottawa Book Award; Garbo Laughs, winner of the Ottawa Book Award and a finalist for the Governor General’s Award; and Small Change, a collection of short stories. In 2002, she received the Marion Engel Award. Hay has worked for CBC Radio in Yellowknife, Winnipeg and Toronto. Her new novel, Late Nights on Air, is set in a small radio station in Canada’s North.

BARBARA GOWDY

BARBARA HODGSON

ONTARIO, EVENTS 39, 54

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 55

Barbara Gowdy is an award-winning author whose books have appeared on bestseller lists throughout the world. The recipient of the Marion Engel Award in 1996, she has been a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Trillium Award and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Her novels include Mister Sandman, The White Bone, The Romantic and, most recently, Helpless.

Barbara Hodgson is a book designer and writer. In addition to her novels, The Tattooed Map, The Sensualist, Hippolyte’s Island and The Lives of Shadows, she is the co-author of the fictional guidebooks Paris Out of Hand and Italy Out of Hand. Her non-fiction works include The Rat: A Perverse Miscellany, Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon, No Place for a Lady and, her latest, Trading in Memories.

IAN HOLDING FAÏZA GUÈNE FRANCE, EVENTS 11, 16, 29

Faïza Guène est née en France en 1985 de parents algériens. Elle a commencé à écrire des scénarios de films à l’âge de 13 ans, grâce à un projet communautaire destiné aux jeunes des banlieues de Paris; elle a subséquemment réalisé ses propres films. Son premier roman, Kiffe kiffe demain, a connu un énorme succès en France et a été publié dans 22 pays. Son deuxième roman, Du rêve pour les oufs, a été publié l’année dernière en France.

ZIMBABWE, EVENTS 36, 46

Ian Holding works as a schoolteacher in Harare, Zimbabwe. His first book, Unfeeling, is a searing, angry novel that explores the nature of brutality in a country whose first language is violence. It is one of the first attempts to grapple with the recent history of Zimbabwe in fiction. Unfeeling was nominated for the 2006 Dylan Thomas Prize. Holding is currently at work on his second novel.

NANCY HUSTON FRANCE/CANADA EVENTS 13, 28

Le Consultat général de France à Vancouver assume les coûts de déplacement de Faïza Guène. Faïza Guène was born in France in 1985 to Algerian parents. She began writing film scripts at the age of 13, thanks to a community project for youth in the suburbs of Paris, and subsequently began directing her own work. Her first novel, Kiffe kiffe demain, was a huge success in France, and has been published in 22 countries. Her second novel, Du rêve pour les oufs, was published last year in France.

Nancy Huston lives in Paris and writes fiction and non-fiction in both French and English. Her previous novels include Plainsong, Slow Emergencies and the international bestseller, The Mark of the Angel, which won numerous awards and was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her previous books have won the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens, Québec’s Prix Elle and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction in French. The original French edition of her latest novel, Fault Lines, won France’s Prix Femina last year.

Faïza Guène’s appearance is made possible by the Consul General of France in Vancouver.

Nancy Huston’s appearance is made possible by the Consulate General of France in Vancouver.

ONTARIO, EVENTS 39, 51, 56

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 27, 39

AUTH OR B I OGR A P H I E S

DAVID JONES

JANICE KULYK KEEFER

A.L. KENNEDY

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 5, 24

ONTARIO, EVENTS 32, 53, 56

SCOTLAND, EVENTS 27, 33

David Jones began writing stories in high school, and complemented his science studies at university with at least one creative writing course each year. His first book, Mighty Robots: Mechanical Marvels that Fascinate and Frighten, was inspired by his lifelong preoccupation with artificial intelligence. His new book, Baboon, is a riveting story of one teenager’s journey into the heart of the primate world.

Janice Kulyk Keefer is widely admired for her novels, short story collections, poetry and non-fiction, including Thieves, Honey and Ashes, The Green Library, Under Eastern Eyes, Travelling Ladies and Rest Harrow. She is a recipient of the Marion Engel Award, the Canadian Authors Association Award for Poetry, two prizes from the CBC Radio Literary Competition and several National Magazine Awards, and has twice been nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award. Her latest book is The Ladies’ Lending Library.

A.L. Kennedy has published seven previous books of fiction, including Indelible Acts, Original Bliss and Everything You Need. She has twice been selected as one of Granta magazine’s Best Young British Novelists, and has won numerous prizes, including the Society of Authors Somerset Maugham Award. The Sunday Times has called her “one of the most brilliant writers of her generation.” Her latest novel is Day. She lives in Glasgow.

LLOYD JONES

Lloyd Jones’s appearance is made possible by the New Zealand Book Council.

CLAIRE KEEGAN IRELAND, EVENTS 15, 40

Claire Keegan’s first collection of short stories, Antarctica, introduced her as an exceptionally gifted and versatile writer of contemporary fiction and earned her the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. Her new collection, Walk the Blue Fields, has also been enthusiastically received. She lives in County Louth, Ireland. Claire Keegan’s appearance is made possible by Culture Ireland.

Catherine Kidd is an acclaimed performance artist who has performed her stories all over the globe: New York, Edinburgh, Bavaria, Singapore, Toronto, Oslo, Bristol, Montréal, South Africa and many points in between. Her writing has appeared in numerous magazines, journals and anthologies. An excerpt from her highly anticipated debut novel, Missing the Ark, was nominated for the prestigious Journey Prize and sections were adapted into the award-winning stage show, Sea Peach. Kidd lives in Montréal.

NAOMI KLEIN ONTARIO, SPECIAL EVENT

Naomi Klein is the awardwinning author of the acclaimed international bestseller, No Logo, and the essay collection, Fences and Windows, and is an internationally-syndicated columnist. With Avi Lewis, she co-created the documentary film, The Take. Klein’s third book is titled The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.

The Vancouver International Writers Festival congratulates

DUTHIE BOOKS on their 50th Anniversary.

Lloyd Jones was born in New Zealand in 1955. His previous novels and collections of stories include the award-winning The Book of Fame, Biografi, a New York Times Notable Book, Choo Woo, Here at the End of the World We Learn to Dance and Paint Your Wife. His most recent book, Mister Pip, won the 2007 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Overall Best Book. He lives in Wellington.

CATHERINE KIDD QUÉBEC, EVENTS 21, 26

NEW ZEALAND, EVENT 15

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AUTH OR B I OGR A P H I E S MORGAN LEWIS (MORGANICS) AUSTRALIA, EVENT 21

Vincent Lam studied medicine in Toronto, where he works as an emergency-room physician and as a writer. His first collection of short stories, Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, won the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize and is currently being adapted for television. His non-fiction writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, National Post, The Toronto Star and Toronto Life magazine. His forthcoming novel, Cholon, Near Forgotten, tells the tale of a Chinese gambler in 1960s Saigon.

Morganics is an award-winning Sydney based hip hop artist, performer and director. He has taught hip hop in jails, community centres and isolated Aboriginal communities all around Australia. In 2002 he released his solo album invisible forces… and All You Mob!, recordings of young Aboriginal hip hop from all around Australia. In 2002 he was highly commended in the Justice Awards at New South Wales Parliament House for his work with socially and economically disadvantaged people in rural and regional New South Wales. In 2005 he performed, directed and ran workshops in the UK, New York and Tanzania, where he produced an album for ex-street kids called “Watahudi Family.”

DENNIS LEE ONTARIO, EVENTS 10, 20, 52

Dennis Lee is the author of more than 20 books for adults and children, including Civil Elegies, which won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry, and the classic children’s book, Alligator Pie. He was one of the founders of House of Anansi Press in 1967, and from 2001 to 2004 he was Toronto’s first Poet Laureate. His new collection of poetry is yesno.

Morganics’s appearance is made possible by the Australia Council for the Arts.

CARRIE MAC

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 13, 26, 37

Carrie Mac’s first novel The Beckoners won the Arthur Ellis YA Award, is a CLA Honour book, and is being adapted for film as well as enjoying a readership worldwide. Her contributions to the Orca Soundings series, Charmed and Crush, continue to get reluctant teens excited about reading. The Droughtlanders, nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults by the ALA, is the first book in the Triskelia series. The second book, Retribution, was recently released by Penguin Books. Carrie Mac lives in Pemberton, BC, where she is working on the final Triskelia book.

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 5, 19

JEN SOOKFONG LEE Jen Sookfong Lee wrote her first short story at the age of 10, and has since published her poetry, fiction and articles in a variety of magazines, including The Antigonish Review, The Claremont Review, Horsefly, Potlatch and Jasmine. She was a finalist for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Poetry, and has also freelanced as a food writer. Her debut novel, the end of east, sets a contemporary family’s story against the backdrop of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown.

VINCENT LAM ONTARIO, EVENTS 15, 23

ALISTAIR MACLEOD ONTARIO/NOVA SCOTIA, EVENTS 15, 50, 57

Alistair MacLeod has published two internationally acclaimed collections of short stories: The Lost Salt Gift of Blood and As Birds Bring Forth the Sun and Other Stories. In 2000, these two books were republished in a single-volume edition entitled Island: The Collected Stories of Alistair MacLeod. In 1999, MacLeod’s first novel, No Great Mischief, was published to great critical acclaim and was on national bestseller lists for more than a year. The novel won many awards, including the prestigious International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. MacLeod lives in Windsor, Ontario.

MAUREEN MEDVED

SASKATCHEWAN, SPECIAL EVENT

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 26

Yann Martel is the prize-winning author of The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios, and Self. His novel Life of Pi won the 2002 Man Booker Prize, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award and is an international bestseller. This fall, Life of Pi: Illustrated Edition will be released by Knopf Canada. Yann Martel currently lives in Saskatoon.

Maureen Medved’s novel, The Tracey Fragments, was first published in 1998. Earlier this year, Medved’s screen adaptation of The Tracey Fragments won the Manfred Salzgeber Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival; it will be released in Canada this fall, along with a new edition and French translation of the book. Her plays have been produced in Vancouver, Waterloo and Toronto, and her writing has been published in literary journals and magazines. She is currently completing her second novel.

BRENDAN MCLEOD

YANN MARTEL

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 21, 26

Brendan McLeod won the Canadian Slam poetry championship in 2004 and finished second at the 2005 World Slam championships held in the Netherlands. He performs with The Fugitives, a music and spoken-word group that has completed four European tours. His first novel, The Convictions of Leonard McKinley, won the 3-Day Novel Contest in 2006. McLeod lives in Vancouver.

GEORGE MCWHIRTER

AMEEN MERCHANT BRITISH COLUMBIA/INDIA EVENTS 34, 37

Ameen Merchant was born in Bombay and raised in Madras, India. His first novel, The Silent Raga, is a moving tale of family, tradition, loss and reconciliation that follows the lives of two sisters in a middle-class Brahmin family in Madras. Merchant lives in Vancouver, where he is working on his next novel and programming a new Bollywood audio channel for the CBC.

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 49

George McWhirter was named Vancouver’s first Poet Laureate earlier this year. His debut collection, Catalan Poems, won the first Commonwealth Writers’ Poetry Prize in 1972 (with Chinua Achebe). His other awards include the F.R. Scott Prize for Translation, the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the League of Canadian Poets’ Canadian Chapbook Prize. He taught at the University of British Columbia for 35 years, has lived in Spain and Mexico and has worked with a number of Mexican poets on translations of their work. McWhirter’s latest book of poetry is The Incorrection.

SYLVAIN MEUNIER QUÉBEC, EVENTS 2, 6, 11, 25

Sylvain Meunier a publié son premier roman en 1995 et a depuis fait paraître plus de 20 livres destinés aux lecteurs, de tous âges, notamment Graindsel et Bretelle, Piercing sanglant, et Lovelie D’Haïti. Il a été deux fois finaliste au Prix littéraire du Gouverneur général. Sylvain Meunier published his first novel in 1995 and has since published more than 20 books, for readers of all ages, including Graindsel et Bretelle, Piercing Sanglant and Lovelie D’Haïti. He has twice been nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award.

AU THOR B I OGR A P H I E S

AUTH OR B I OGR A P H I E S

BARBARA NICKEL

MARY NOVIK

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 52

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 47

Barbara Nickel’s previous collection of poetry, The Gladys Elegies, won the Pat Lowther Memorial Award. Her work has appeared in numerous literary magazines and anthologies, including Notre Dame Review, Prairie Schooner and The Malahat Review. She is an award-winning author of books for children, a former winner of The Malahat Review Long Poem Prize and a 2004 CBC Literary Award finalist. Nickel’s latest collection of poems is Domain.

Mary Novik’s debut novel Conceit is the story of Pegge Donne, the daughter of the English poet, John Donne. Conceit was published by Doubleday Canada in September 2007. Born in Victoria, Mary lives in Vancouver and is a member of the noted writing group SPiN, which includes Jen Sookfong Lee, also making her debut at the Festival this year.

NUALA O’FAOLAIN IRELAND, EVENTS 30, 40

Billeh Nickerson is the author of two books and the coeditor of Seminal: The Anthology of Canada’s Gay Male Poets. Known for his irreverent events, he is a founding member of Haiku Night in Canada. He teaches at Kwantlen University College and serves on the national council of The Writers’ Union of Canada. In January 2008, he will be the writer-in-residence at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

Nuala O’Faolain spent many years working as a journalist and teacher in her native Ireland before a small Irish publisher issued a collection of her opinion columns. Her introduction to that book grew into the international bestseller, Are You Somebody? The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman. She then followed-up with the novel, My Dream of You. Her latest book is The Story of Chicago May, a non-fiction account of Beatrice Desmond, the notorious Irish-American prostitute and blackmailer. Nuala O’Faolain’s appearance is made possible by Culture Ireland.

HAL NIEDZVIECKI

HELEN OYEYEMI

ONTARIO, EVENTS 12, 17

UK/NIGERIA, EVENTS 15, 16

Hal Niedzviecki is a Toronto-based writer, culture commentator and editor whose work has appeared in such publications as Utne Reader, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Life, Walrus, Geist, Saturday Night and This Magazine. Niedzviecki is founding editor of Broken Pencil, the magazine of zine culture and the independent arts; he has also written six books, including the novel The Program and the non-fiction book Hello, I’m Special: How Individuality Became the New Conformity. His latest book is The Big Book of Pop Culture.

Helen Oyeyemi was born in Nigeria in 1984 and moved to London at the age of four. She completed her first novel, The Icarus Girl, just before her nineteenth birthday; the novel received great acclaim and was nominated for the 2006 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. She has written two plays, Juniper’s Whitening and Victimese. Her latest novel is The Opposite House.

MICHEL NOËL

Kit Pearson is one of Canada’s foremost authors for young people. She has published eight novels, including A Handful of Time, The Sky Is Falling, The Lights Go On Again and Awake and Dreaming. She has received numerous writing awards, including the International Order of Daughters of the Empire Violet Downey Book Award, the Canadian Library Association Children’s Book of the Year Award (twice) and the Vicky Metcalf Award for a Body of Work. Her ninth novel, A Perfect Gentle Knight, will be published in September 2007.

QUÉBEC, EVENTS 4, 6, 22

Michel Noël a publié plus de 50 livres, notamment des contes pour enfants, des pièces de théâtre, de la poésie, des romans, des livres d’art et des ouvrages de référence. Ayant occupé divers postes dans la fonction publique québécoise en lien avec les affaires autochtones depuis le début des années 1970, il est considéré comme une autorité en matière de culture autochtone. Son dernier livre a pour titre Hush! Hush!

KIT PEARSON BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 7, 18

LOUISE PENNY QUÉBEC, EVENTS 33, 35

Michel Noël has published more than 50 books, including children’s stories, plays, poetry, novels, art books and reference works. Since the early 1970s, he has held a number of government posts relating to aboriginal affairs in Quebec and is considered a leading authority on aboriginal culture. His latest book is Hush! Hush!

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 26

Louise Penny worked many years for the CBC, specializing in hard news and current affairs. In 2006, her first novel, Still Life, was awarded two best first mystery awards: the Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award and the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain New Blood Dagger Award. She was born and raised in Toronto, and now lives in Québec with her husband.

BILLEH NICKERSON

AU THOR B I OGR A P H I E S EDWARD O. PHILLIPS QUÉBEC, EVENTS 33, 59

Edward O. Phillips is the author of numerous short stories and novels, including No Early Birds and The Mice Will Play. He is best known for his series featuring Geoffry Chadwick, corporate lawyer and wry social commentator (Working on Sunday, Sunday Best, Buried on Sunday, Sunday’s Child and A Voyage on Sunday. In 1987, Phillips earned the Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award for Buried on Sunday. His latest novel is Queen’s Court. He lives in Montréal.

ALESSANDRO PIPERNO Alessandro Piperno was born in Rome and is a professor of French literature at Rome’s Tor Vergata University. In 2000, he published the controversial non-fiction book Proust Anti-Jew, dividing his readers into staunch supporters and fierce detractors. Then, in 2005, he published The Worst Intentions. This hotly debated book became an instant bestseller in Italy and won the Campiello Prize for first novel. Alessandro Piperno’s appearance is made possible by the Istituto Italiano de Cultura.

ANNA PORTER ONTARIO, EVENTS, 31, 48

Anna Porter has had an enormous influence on Canadian publishing, having rapidly risen through the ranks at McClelland & Stewart before founding Key Porter Books. She has also written three crime novels—Hidden Agenda, Mortal Sins and The Bookfair Murders—and a biography of her grandfather entitled The Storyteller, which won the 2001 Canadian Authors Association Birks Family Foundation Award. Her latest non-fiction work, Kasztner’s Train, tells the epic tale of the “Hungarian Schindler’s List.”

STEVEN PRICE BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 26

Steven Price’s first collection of poems, Anatomy of Keys, was shortlisted for the Dorothy Livesay Award, won the Gerald Lampert Award, and was named a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year. His work has appeared in numerous anthologies and journals, including Breathing Fire 2: Canada’s New Poets. He teaches poetry and writing at the University of Victoria.

EDEET RAVEL ONTARIO, EVENTS 7, 24, 46

Edeet Ravel was born on an Israeli kibbutz, grew up in Montreal and taught for two decades at McGill University, Concordia University and John Abbott College. She is the author of many books, including Ten Thousand Lovers (a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award) and A Wall of Light (a finalist for the Giller Prize and winner of the Canadian Jewish Book Award). Her fresh, quirky Pauline, btw series of books are written for a young adult audience.

ITALY, EVENTS 27, 53

AUTH OR B I OGR A P H I E S LINDA ROGERS

NEIL SMITH

YUKON, EVENTS 50, 59

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 13, 53

QUÉBEC, EVENTS 33, 37

Patricia Robertson’s fiction, poetry and drama have appeared in a variety of literary journals, anthologies and on CBC Radio. She is the author of two collections of short fiction, City of Orphans and The Goldfish Dancer; she is also the co-editor of Writing North: An Anthology of Contemporary Yukon Writers. Her work has twice been nominated for a National Magazine Award, the CBC Literary Awards, and the Pushcart Prize. She holds an MA in creative writing from Boston University and teaches creative writing at Yukon College in Whitehorse.

Linda Rogers is the author of Friday Water and Say My Name: The Memoirs of Charlie Louie, as well as several books of poetry and young adult fiction. She has also edited many anthologies of Canadian poets, including P.K. Page and Al Purdy. Her award-winning work has been translated into Spanish, Hebrew, German, French, Gaelic, Hindi and Farsi. Rogers lives in Victoria, where she is a full-time writer and grandmother.

Neil Smith has been nominated three times for the Journey Prize, received an honourable mention at the National Magazine Awards and won first prize at the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival. His writing has appeared in The Journey Prize Stories, Coming Attractions 04, The Malahat Review, The New Quarterly, Fiddlehead and Maisonneuve. His debut collection of nine short stories, Bang Crunch, has earned raves for its graceful intertwining of humour and tenderness. He lives in Montréal.

MARGRIET RUURS

RAY ROBERTSON ONTARIO, EVENTS 30, 51

Ray Robertson is the author of the novels Home Movies, Heroes, Moody Food, Gently Down the Stream and What Happened Later; he has also written the non-fiction collection Mental Hygiene: Essays on Writers and Writing. Robertson is a contributing book reviewer to The Globe and Mail and appears regularly on TVO’s Imprint and CBC’s Talking Books. He teaches creative writing and literature at the University of Toronto.

PETER ROBINSON

ONTARIO/UK, EVENTS 14, 35

Peter Robinson has received numerous awards for his Inspector Banks novels, including the French Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, for the French translation of In a Dry Season, the Danish Palle Rosenkrantz Award and the British Crime Writers’ Association Dagger in the Library Award. He has also received five Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Awards. His latest Inspector Banks instalment is Friend of the Devil. Born in Yorkshire, England, Robinson now lives in Toronto.

PATRICIA ROBERTSON

US EVENTS 1, 10

NICK THRAN

Margriet Ruurs is the author of more than 25 books for children. She has a master’s degree in education and has spent her adult life both writing books for children and teaching children about books. Many of her books, including Wild Babies and A Mountain Alphabet, reflect her interest in the environment and in wildlife. Ruurs has lived all over North America and now makes her home in Oregon.

ONTARIO, EVENT 26

RICHARD SIKEN

CARRIE TIFFANY

US, EVENTS 32, 52

AUSTRALIA, EVENTS 36, 56

Richard Siken’s poetry collection Crush won the 2004 Yale Series of Younger Poets Prize, a Lambda Literary Award and a Thom Gunn Award. He has also been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. His poems have appeared in several journals as well as in the anthologies The Best American Poetry 2000 and Legitimate Dangers. Siken received a Pushcart Prize and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. He lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Carrie Tiffany was born in England and grew up in Western Australia. She spent her early twenties working as a park ranger and now works as an agricultural journalist. Her first novel, Everyman’s Rules for Scientific Living, was published in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. In 2005, it won the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards prize for fiction and, in 2006 it was shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Miles Franklin Award, the Orange Prize and the Guardian First Book Award. She lives in Melbourne and is at work on her second novel.

Nick Thran grew up in western Canada, southern Spain and southern California. His work has appeared in a number of literary magazines, including Grain, The Fiddlehead and The Malahat Review. His debut collection of poetry, Every Inadequate Name, fuses a whimsical pop sensibility with an urgent poetic seriousness. He now lives in Toronto.

Carrie Tiffany’s appearance is made possible by the Australia Council for the Arts.

AU THOR B I OGR A P H I E S PRISCILA UPPAL

CÉLESTINE HITIURA VAITE

SEÁN VIRGO

ONTARIO, EVENTS 32, 52

AUSTRALIA/TAHITI,

EVENTS 50, 56

Among Priscila Uppal’s publications are five collections of poetry: How to Draw Blood From a Stone, Confessions of a Fertility Expert, Pretending to Die, Live Coverage, and Ontological Necessities; and the novel The Divine Economy of Salvation, published to critical acclaim by Doubleday Canada and Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill and translated into Dutch and Greek. Her poetry has been translated into Korean, Croatian, Latvian, and Italian, and Ontological Necessities was recently shortlisted for the prestigious Griffin Prize for Excellence in Poetry. She has a PhD in English Literature and is a professor of Humanities and English at York University and Coordinator of the Creative Writing Program.

EVENTS 36, 59

Seán Virgo is best known for his collections of short fiction, including White Lies & Other Fictions, Wormwood, Waking in Eden, A Traveller Came By: Stories About Dying and the novel, Selakhi. He was born in Malta and grew up in South Africa, Malaya, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Since immigrating to Canada in 1966, he has lived on the Queen Charlotte Islands, the Gulf Islands, the Bruce Peninsula and in Newfoundland and Saskatchewan. His latest collection of short fiction is titled Begging Questions.

Célestine Hitiura Vaite grew up in Tahiti. Poverty reigned, breadfruit and frangipani trees grew by the hundreds and women tackled obstacles with gusto and humour. Vaite married a spunky Australian surfer and, at age 22, followed her husband to Australia. After learning English, she started writing stories about ordinary Tahitian people overcoming everyday obstacles. From these stories grew a trilogy of acclaimed novels: Breadfruit, Frangipani and Tiare in Bloom. Célestine Hitiura Vaite’s appearance is made possible by the Australian Council for the Arts.

SASKATCHEWAN,

“...a work of insight and mastery...” –The National Post

Patricia Robertson The Goldﬁsh Dancer Available at better bookstores everywhere.

BIBLIOASIS www.biblioasis.com

AUTH OR B I OGR A P H I E S RUDY WIEBE

ONTARIO, EVENT 61

ALBERTA, EVENT 38

Eleanor Wachtel has hosted Writers & Company on CBC Radio One since its inception in 1990; she also hosts The Arts Tonight, also on CBC Radio One. Wachtel has received prizes for both programs, as well as other honours, including the Order of Canada in 2005. Her collections of interviews include Original Minds, Writers & Company, More Writers & Company and, most recently, Random Illuminations: Conversations with Carol Shields. She lives in Toronto.

Rudy Wiebe grew up in an isolated Mennonite community in rural Saskatchewan. His novels include Peace Shall Destroy Many, First and Vital Candle and the Governor General’s Literary Award-winning The Temptations of Big Bear. His books have been widely translated. For more than 30 years, he taught literature and creative writing in Canada, the United States and Germany. Wiebe received the 2007 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction for his memoir Of This Earth: A Mennonite Boyhood in the Boreal Forest.

ELEANOR WACHTEL

AGNES WALSH NEWFOUNDLAND, EVENTS 49, 52

MICHAEL WINTER

Agnes Walsh is an actor, playwright, storyteller and poet who grew up in Placentia, Newfoundland. She divides her time between St. John’s and Patrick’s Cove on the Cape Shore. Her first poetry collection, In the Old Country of My Heart, celebrates her Newfoundland heritage; her second collection, Going Around With Bachelors, continues in the same distinctive voice. Her poems have won Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters awards and have been translated into French and Portuguese. In 2006, Walsh was invited to be St. John’s inaugural Poet Laureate.

NEWFOUNDLAND/ONTARIO, EVENTS 30, 51

Michael Winter has published two collections of short stories, One Last Good Look and Creaking in Their Skins, as well as the novels This All Happened and The Big Why. The Big Why won the Drummer General’s Award and was nominated for Ontario’s Trillium Book Award and for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. His latest novel is The Architects Are Here. He divides his time between St. John’s and Toronto.

RICHARD B. WRIGHT TOM WAYMAN

ONTARIO, EVENTS 27, 41, 59

BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 52

Richard B. Wright is the author of numerous novels, including Sunset Manor, Tourists, The Weekend Man and The Age of Longing. In 2001, Wright’s Clara Callan won the Giller Prize, the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction and the CBA Libris Award for Author of the Year and for Fiction Book of the Year. His latest novel, October, is a haunting coming of age portrait set in 1940’s Québec.

Tom Wayman’s numerous collections of poetry include Money and Rain, The Astonishing Weight of the Dead and High Speed through Shoaling Water. He has received the Canadian Authors Association Medal for Poetry, the A.J.M. Smith Prize for distinguished achievement in Canadian Poetry and first prize in the USA Bicentennial Poetry Awards competition. He has just published his first collection of short fiction, Boundary Country.

BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH UK, EVENTS 32, 39, 59

Tom Wayman’s appearance is made possible by The Betty and Ralph Gustafson Chair of Poetry at Malaspina University-College.

ANDREW WEDDERBURN ALBERTA, EVENT 26

Andrew Wedderburn has worked in community radio and co-operative bookstores, slung martinis and now explains stock photography for a living. His rock ’n’ roll outfit, Hot Little Rocket, has played across Canada more times than he can count and, in 2005, performed for two weeks in Beijing. The Milk Chicken Bomb is Wedderburn’s first novel. He lives in Calgary.

Benjamin Zephaniah is a figurehead of popular progressive poetry. He writes, he raps and performs poetry, combining reggae rhythms and Rastafarian zeal. As a teen, he was sent to reform school for being “uncontrollable, rebellious and a born failure.” He ended up in prison for burglary. After prison, he turned from crime to music and poetry. His poetry books include The Dread Affair, City Psalms, Propa Propaganda and Too Black, Too Strong. Zephaniah is equally popular with adults and children and is in demand internationally to perform his work. He lives in East London. Benjamin Zephaniah’s appearance is made possible by the British Council.

In January, the New York Times declared 2007 to be The Year of the Penguin. We agree.

Kiran Desai

Will Ferguson

Michael Winter

Carrie Mac

Helen Oyeyemi

Kit Pearson

SEE THE FESTIVAL SCHEDULE FOR EVENT DETAILS.

Celestine Hitiura Vaite

William Gibson

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THE NINTH ANNUAL VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WRITERS & READERS FESTIVAL POETRY AND SHORT STORY CONTEST THE RULES THE INVITATION Submit your finest prose and poetry to the Vancouver International Writers Festival Poetry & Short Story Contest.

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1ST PRIZE IN EACH CATEGORY: $350 2ND PRIZE IN EACH CATEGORY: $250 First prize winners will published in the Spring 2008 issue of subTERRAIN and on the Festival website: www.writersfest.bc.ca.