Word Vancouver Literary Festival

We are excited to share that Word Vancouver’s Reading & Writing Festival will run from September 8-23, 2023 with online and in person events. We are Western Canada’s largest free literary festival and have been running for over twenty years. This new year brings a new location, with the opening night of the festival held at grunt gallery on and the main event taking place September 16 at UBC Robson Square. On September 23, we will have additional children’s programming at Surrey Public Library. The full line up of events is available on the Word Vancouver website. Our guest Indigenous curator this year is Nathan Adler and our guest 2SLGBTQIA+ cuator is C. E. Gatchalian. They have curated some incredible programming this year we can’t wait to share with you. We are excited for all the artisans and exhibitors who will be joining us, along with a new special event, the Pandemic Book Launch. In recognition of the challenges of launching a book during a pandemic, we are offering an opportunity for authors to share their work with more readers. Our official booksellers this year will be 32 Books and Kinderbooks (September 23 in Surrey). Among over fifty events at the festival this year will be an opportunity to hear Phyllis Webstad, founder of Orange Shirt Day, read from her new children’s book, Every Child Matters. The reading will take place in person September 16 and is one of the events that will also be livestreamed through our Youtube channel. From writing craft workshops, fiction, non-fiction, children’s literature, poetry, an appearance by the Poetry Bus, a podcast listening party, a silent auction andthe announcement of the winners of the fourth annual Muriel’s Journey Poetry Prize, there is something for everyone. For the safety of elderly, immunocompromised, and other vulnerable people, we ask that attendees mask indoors. Masks will be available at our venues. Come on down and enjoy this celebration of reading and writing – no tickets are needed, just come on down!