Newsletter of the Vancouver Writers Fest
WINTER 2012
LITERATI GALA
WRAP UP
janet wilson
CArol & Wayne
Cunningham
Festival Wrap-up
Hal Wake, Artistic Director
Many who have visited us since the Festival ended have noticed a certain
glow emanating from the office, perhaps more accurately, an afterglow. By
any measure—attendance, box office revenue, book sales, satisfied writers
and audiences—this was one of our most successful Festivals ever. There
were many highlights and the ones you settle on depends on what events you
were able to see and I guarantee you no one saw everything. Here are a few
of mine:
Anne Perry and Joanne Drayton in Redemption. Joanne’s biography of
crime writer Anne Perry dealt with Anne’s involvement in a notorious
murder when she was a teenager, an event that Anne has rarely spoken
about publicly. As the event got underway, the room was charged as the
audience wondered how the subject would be broached. Moderator Kathryn
Gretsinger handled the issue with great tact, but without flinching, and the
result was cathartic for everyone in the room. When the first question from
the audience was actually an expression of admiration for Anne’s courage
and her books, Anne was visibly moved.
When Tess Gallagher in her gentle, but strong voice, quoted her late
husband Raymond Carver’s poem “Late Fragment,” after describing their
last months, days and minutes together, the entire audience wept in silence.
Gordon Pinsent
Alistair MacLeod
Donna Morrissey
It wasn’t all serious stuff. Donna Morrissey, Russell Wangersky and Gordon
Pinsent swapped tall tales and saucy stories in From the Rock and turned the
Improv Theatre into a Newfoundland kitchen party.
There was music of course, including Gregorian Chanters from Christ Church
Cathedral who accompanied crime writer Louise Penny and transported the
audience down through the centuries to the beginning of western music.
Louise Penny
Some years the Festival seems to have a hallmark characteristic that manifests
itself in various ways and gives the Festival a bit of a stamp. That characteristic
this year was trust. Anne Perry had to trust that Joanne Drayton was not going
to sensationalize the events of her past in her biography. Both Joanne and
Anne had to trust that host Kathryn Gretsinger would ask questions that were
respectful and aimed at discovering the truth, not ones that dwelt on the crime
or implied judgment. When I interviewed Alistair MacLeod about his writing
and his wonderful story “Remembrance” (which the Festival commissioned)
he had no idea what I was going to ask him, but he trusted me. When trust is
freely given and then earned, the rewards are often moments of connection
that we yearn for all our lives. It is a source of deep satisfaction to all of us at
the Festival when those moments take place during our events. I hope you
experienced more than a few yourselves.
A heartfelt thanks to all who made this year’s Festival possible. It was a
marvelous celebration of our 25th anniversary.
Festival Highlights
Author Feedback
Margaret Atwood
“Solitude, while conducive to writing and reading, is
sometimes overrated. I did not know how hungry I was to
converse and listen, how eager to meet fellow citizens of
Planet Book until I arrived in Vancouver. The VWF is full of
great things, daring things, the beautiful, the improvised,
the intricate and things that happen by fluke. Thank you
dear Festival Organizers, Generous Volunteers, Kind
Readers, Fellow Writers. Thank you for creating such a
vibrant human space. You have completely rekindled my
faith in the future of reading.” Kyo Maclear
“Vancouver is one of the greatest festivals I’ve ever had
the pleasure to be part of, anywhere in the world. Serious
about literature and relaxed about pretty much everything
else, I was ensorcelled by it from the moment I arrived on
Granville Island. The location is perfect - beautiful, selfcontained, packed with terrific auditoria. The programming
was inspired—everyone I spoke with was having a hugely
enjoyable time flitting from one great event to the
next—and it was a pleasure as a writer to meet so many
enthusiastic readers and to see everyone’s sessions full.”
Chris Cleave
Jane Urquhart with Chor Leone
Junot Díaz
Audience Feedback
“This year’s Festival was outstanding. The mix of writers
was inspiring and the moderators were excellent. I
especially love the combination of literature and music.”
Ruth F.
“Prior to the Poetry Bash I thought about what I would
like to experience: diverse poets with a wide range of
experiences… and you did it! A fabulous group of poets,
insightful and joyous!” Karen M.
“Junot Diaz was absolutely dazzling. It’s incredibly
inspiring to be able to attend events with writers of this
calibre. I’ve been to four events this year and I really like
hearing authors I haven’t heard before, especially from
outside Canada.” Jean E.
The Vancouver Writers Fest presents the 11th annual
aDram Come True
Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sampling
Enjoy the superb, complex flavours of a variety of rare and distinguished single
malts. A Dram Come True will take place in late spring at a new location, visit
writersfest.bc.ca in February 2013 for details.
“I appreciated the diverse
selection of writers in
attendance and the writings
presented — particularly from
newer, emerging talents.
I was impressed by the
eloquence and honesty of
Incite authors.”
Doug P.
Tamas Dabozy
Candace Savage
Tim Bowling
Sandra Martin
Zac Unger
Every second Wednesday
from January 16 to May 22
01/16: Tim Bowling,
Tamas Dabozy, Candace Savage
02/13: Sandra Martin,
Zac Unger
02/27: Arthur Black,
Jackson Davies
03/13: John Barton,
Nicole Brossard,
Catherine Owen
03/27: Colin McAdam
Guy Gavriel Kay
04/17: Guy Gavriel Kay,
Ruth Ozeki
Ruth Ozeki
Title Support
Granville Island
Government Support
Australian Council for the Arts
British Columbia Arts Council
Canada Council for the Arts
Canadian Heritage
City of Vancouver
Creative New Zealand
Creative Scotland
Instituto Italiano di Cultura
Province of British Columbia
Republique Francaise
spreading the word
Spreading the Word, the Festival’s education program, presented 36 events for schools at the fall Festival, sent
20 authors on Reading with Writers school visits, and sent Brian Brett to Cortes Island and Janet Wilson to
Haida Gwaii as Writers in Residence. The Cynthia Woodward Development Fund provided 565 subsidized tickets
to students throughout the lower mainland and the Bus Subsidy Fund, generously supported by Bonnie Mah,
provided local travel assistance to 358 students.
Reading with Writers
Festival Sponsors
Bestseller
City of Vancouver Greenest City
2020
Hangar 18
HarperCollinsCanada Ltd.
Random House of Canada Limited
Scotia Private Client Group
Limited Edition
D&M Publishers Inc.
Penguin Group (Canada)
Simon & Schuster Canada
Spreading the Word
Sponsors
Classic
Amazon.ca
HSBC
Limited Edition
Kidsbooks
Media Sponsors
CBC
Global BC
Lamar
The Vancouver Sun
In-Kind Sponsors
Air Canada
Dockside Restaurant
Granville Island Hotel
Origins Organic Coffee
Pemberton Distillery
Rogers
Tinhorn Creek
Corporate Support
ACL Services Ltd.
Ampersand Canada’s Book and
Gift Agency
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Brick Books Inc.
Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd.
John Steeves Law Corporation
Macaulay McColl LLP
Microsoft
Orca Book Publishers Ltd.
Siddall & Associates
Telus
Thomas Allen & Son Ltd.
Urban Impact Recycling Ltd.
Scott Chantler’s Reading with Writers visit at South Slope Elementary & BC School for the Deaf
The Fall Reading with Writers program sent nine
Festival authors to local inner-city classrooms,
inspiring students to check out books, visit school
libraries and get writing. Richard Scrimger, Shane
Peacock, Susan Musgrave, Arthur Slade, Sarah Tsiang
and Sheree Fitch engaged and entertained students,
and talk to them about how their ideas are transformed
into a book.
“It was a pleasure to host Susan Musgrave here
at Britannia. She was engaging and forthcoming
in talking about how her personal life shaped her
writing. The students were quite mesmerized by her
accounts of her life experiences.”
Anne Sander, Teacher Librarian
Britannia Secondary School
Graphic novelist Scott Chantler visited South Slope
Elementary & BC School for the Deaf. TeacherLibrarian Jennifer Araujo was thrilled her students were
given the opportunity to engage with an acclaimed
novelist and illustrator and feels the students got a lot
out of the experience, “and loved the chance to get his
autograph.”
Through La Joie de Lire, Quebec author Angèle
Delaunois and Saskatchewan author Martine Noël-Maw
visited French immersion classrooms across the lower
mainland.
Thank you to HSBC Bank Canada for sponsoring
Reading with Writers.
“Sheree Fitch’s presentation was truly a gift for
our school. With such limited funds, this kind of
inspirational speaker is not always easy for us to
arrange. Sheree was so compelling when talking
about writing and she really encouraged the
children to just pick up a pencil and write.”
Mary-Ann Brown, Principal
Douglas Road Elementary School
spreading the word
WRITER-in-residence on Haida Gwaii
Communit y partners
Canadian Parents for French
Chapters Indigo
Ruby Slippers Theatre
Simon Fraser University
The Walrus
Vancouver Public Library
Whistler Readers & Writers Festival
Urban Impact Recycling Ltd.
Photos: Jack Litrell
Travel Assistance
For one week in October, award-winning author and
illustrator Janet Wilson mentored a group of Grade
6 and 7 students at Tahayghen Elementary School in
Masset, Haida Gwaii.
Each day, Janet taught writing and illustrating
workshops for the students, focusing on the power of
the written word. Tahayghen’s principal, Bernadette
Ouellette welcomed Janet’s visit.
“We are very excited to have Janet Wilson come and
visit us. Our students are very talented and enthusiastic
about writing. Unfortunately, we live so far away from
the mainland that having visitors is expensive and limits
our experiences. The teachers are grateful when there are
opportunities for their students to learn and explore a
variety of different mediums.”
Wilson was thrilled at the prospect of her visit to Haida
Gwaii.
“This is my first experience of a West Coast First Nation
community, my goal was to meet the students and inspire
them with true stories of young activists. Hopefully I’ll light
a few sparks.”
The students were inspired by Janet’s book Shannen
and the Dream for a School, which tells the true story
of young activist Shannen Koostachin and her fight
for a safe school with culturally based education on
the Attawapiskat First Nation Reserve. Janet helped
guide the students to write their own call to action
about issues that are important to them.
During her residency on Haida Gwaii, Janet also
spoke to elementary students in Port Clements and
held a reading at a local coffee shop.
The Writer in Residence program is generously
sponsored by Amazon and supported by Pacific
Coastal Airlines and the Michael R. Shaw
Foundation. Amazon.ca is committed to fostering
the creation, discussion and publication of new
authors and new books.
“Amazon.ca is honoured to be able to work with the
Vancouver Writers Fest in support of nurturing and
developing the next generation of great writers.”
Jon Fine
Director of Author and Publisher Relations at Amazon.ca
Air Canada
Alcuin Society
Anvil Press
Australian Council for the Arts
Biblioasis
Brindle & Glass Publishing
Coach House Books
Consulat général de France
à Vancouver
Cormorant Books
Creative New Zealand
Creative Scotland
Doubleday Canada
D&M Publishers Inc.
Éditions de l’Isatis
Goose Lane Editions
Groundwood Books
Hachette Book Group Canada
Harbour Publishing/
Nightwood Editions
HarperCollinsCanada Ltd.
House of Anansi
Istituto Italiano di Cultura
Kids Can Press
Knopf Canada
Les Éditions de la nouvelle plume
McArthur & Co.
McClelland & Stewart
Nimbus Publishing
Orca Book Publishers
Pedlar Press
Penguin Group Canada
Raincoast Books
Random House of Canada
Second Story Press
Department of World Literature and
the Humanities Institute at SFU
Simon & Schuster Canada
Surrey International Writers’
Conference
The Betty & Ralph Gustafson Chair
of Poetry at Vancouver Island
University
The Creative Writing Program
at UBC
The McLean Foundation
Thomas Allen & Son
Talon Books
Thistledown Press
Tundra Books
LITERATI GALA WRAP UP
Literati Gal a Sponsors
Literati Presenting Sponsor
Scotia Private Client Group
Literati Table Sponsors
Annabel Lyon, Anne Giardini, Miranda Hill
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
CAI Capital Management
Rivka and Miriam Lipsey
Literati Reception Sponsor
Vancouver Film School
Literati Gala Art Donor
Andre Petterson
Bau-Xi Gallery
Literati Gala Auction Donors
Alma Lee, Louise Dennys
Graham Harris, Carina Harris, Shannon Boggis
To kick off the Festival and commemorate our 25th
Anniversary, this year’s Literati Gala was inspired by
the fun, festivity and joy of birthday parties. Balloons,
birthday presents and confetti brought a pop of colour
to the reception and each table was treated to a oneof-a-kind centerpiece: a birthday cake made entirely
out of books.
Guests at the reception sipped celebratory sparkling
peach bellinis and nibbled on fresh popcorn while
mingling with Festival authors Alistair MacLeod,
Lawrence Hill, Annabel Lyon and Vincent Lam,
to name a few. The evening began with an uplifting
performance by the Good Noise Vancouver Gospel
Choir. Gloria Macarenko was a lively and engaging
MC and guests were moved to laughter and tears
by testimonials from Shirarose Wilensky, a longtime
friend of the Festival, and Festival authors Sheree
Fitch and Donna Morrissey.
The support of everyone in attendance, the
generosity of our donors and the dedication of the
Literati Gala committee provided the Vancouver
Writers Fest with the ability to encourage a love
of books and reading in BC’s students through the
Spreading the Word program.
A r t Ra f f l e
Eclipse White
Mixed media on Paper • Donated by artist Andre Petterson
Andre Petterson’s current photography-based work explores
various themes of lighting to create elements of mystery.
Congratulations to Barbara-Jo McIntosh, the winner of
Eclipse White. Thank you to Bau-Xi Gallery and to everyone
who purchased tickets!
Auckland Writers & Readers Festival
Anne Giardini
Bioethique
Black Stone Press
Blue Water Café
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Cheryl Berge
Crush Imports
D&M Publishers Inc.
Daniel le Chocolat Belge
Fairmont Waterfront
Frankie’s Candy Bar
Galileo Wine & Spirits
Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir
Granville Island Tea Company
Grouse Mountain
Heideh White
It’s Still a Dog’s Life
Just Imagine
Kathryn Shoemaker
Kelli Bodnar
Langham Hotel Auckland
Leslie Hurtig
Lisa Kershaw
Listel Hotel
Mark Anthony Group
Nuba
Paul Whitney
PMA Canada Ltd.
Ruff Stuff Dog Services
Sage Cottage B&B
Sandra Jakab
Semperviva Yoga
The Cooke Agency
The Jewish Book Festival
The Lazy Gourmet
Thomas Haas
Tinhorn Creek
Will Stroet
Thank You to our Literati Gala
Performers
Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir
Foundations
Kinder Morgan Foundation
RBC Foundation
Rix Family Foundation
RJ Nelson Family Foundation
The McLean Foundation
Vancouver Foundation
VWF Member Profile:
CArol & Wayne Cunningham
program schedule and the line-up of authors are
always great. We enjoy the combination of music
and readings and always build our personal schedule
around the Literary Cabaret, the choral presentations
and the Sunday brunch and Afternoon Tea. We
attend the young adult presentations as well and are
constantly amazed at the enthusiasm and audience
participation. We even enjoy standing in the lines
before events because it gives us a chance to chat
with others, to learn where they’ve come from and
find out which Festival events they have seen or
which they plan to attend. This year we met a woman
from Michigan who came to Vancouver to visit her
brother, she saw the publicity for the Festival and
came to see a few of the sessions featuring mystery
writers.
In Kind Donors
Canadian Linen & Uniform Service
Daniel Le Chocolate Belge
Granville Island Tea Company
Origins Organic Coffee
Oyama Sausage Company on
Granville Island
Terra Breads
The Milkman
Top Ten Produce
The whole Festival is a living tribute to its founder,
Alma Lee, to the past and present Board members, to
Hal Wake and the current staff—some of whom we’ve
gotten to know—and of course, to the hundreds of
volunteers. Every year, the organization and program
seem to get better and better.
Thank You to
the Donors who
Generously
Contributed to
the VWF Volunteer
Program
Anne Giardini
Arts Club Theatre Company
Ballet British Columbia
Bard on the Beach Shakespeare
Festival
Edible Canada
Festival Cinemas
Firehall Arts Centre
Granville Island Brewery
Plum Clothing
PuSh International Performing Arts
Festival
Terra Breads
The Granville Island Fudge Company
The People’s Co-op Bookstore
Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Chamber Choir
Vancouver International Jazz Festival
Vancouver Opera
Vetta Chamber Music Society
Aeropl an Miles
without Borders
Donors
Darren Bold
Josephine Baxendale
James Griffin
Colin Harris
Harvey McKinnon
Anonymous (4)
Photo credit: Robb Hansen
How did you first get involved with the
Writers Fest?
Although neither Carol nor I can pinpoint our first
contact with the Vancouver Writers Fest, we are both
daily readers of The Vancouver Sun and The Province,
listeners to CBC radio and viewers of CBC-TV. I’ve
also been a part-time book reviewer for the last several
years, so, despite living in Kamloops, we’ve encountered
lots of references to the Festival. We attended first
in 2006 and have come almost every year since. We
always pay our membership dues as early as possible to
be sure to get the benefit of early-bird ticket sales since
we know how quickly certain events sell out.
What is your favourite thing about the
Festival?
We’re both pretty much agreed that—as trite as it
sounds—we enjoy everything about the Festival. The
What were your Festival highlights this
year?
Again, we’re unanimous that the highlight for us this
year was our re-connection with Louise Penny and
her husband Michael Whitehead. We first met them
at a Crime Writers of Canada dinner in Toronto for
the Arthur Ellis Awards when Louise was up for her
first award. Needless to say, she won and her career
and accumulation of awards have both escalated
ever since. We’ve kept in touch over the years, but it
was a distinct pleasure to see her and Michael again,
to attend her outstanding performance at Mystery
and Music, and to chat, however briefly, with such
gracious and charming individuals—all thanks to the
Festival.
Our usual favourites, the Cabaret, the Brunch, the
Afternoon Tea and events featuring Chor Leoni,
were annual highlights as well. So was the autograph
session with young adult authors Shane Peacock,
Richard Scrimger, Kenneth Oppel and Arthur Slade,
Alma Lee LEGACY FUND
The Alma Lee Legacy Fund was established in 2006 to honour the achievement of the VWF’s
founder Alma Lee, who retired in 2005. Revenue from the fund will helps us present acclaimed
Canadian and international writers to Festival audiences and inspire young readers and writers by
offering Spreading the Word programs to schools.
Lead Donors
Colin & Helen Harris • Jab Sidhoo • Dr. Yosef Wosk • The Vancouver Sun • Cynthia Woodward Development Fund
VWF Member Profile:
CArol & Wayne Cunningham
especially since I’ve reviewed several of their books.
Actually, every one of the 16 events we attended
this year turned out to be memorable in its own
way. We’re looking back fondly on this year’s
Festival experience and already planning to attend
next year, in fact, we’ve already made our hotel
reservations.
What first sparked your love of books?
My recollection of my first spark of interest in
reading was ignited from Robert Louis Stevenson’s
Treasure Island. Carol’s memory is for Louisa May
Alcott’s Little Women. Then, for both of us it was
the evolving influences of teachers, friends and
family that fanned the flames.
(cont)
Loss, Kathy Page’s The Story of My Face and
Jack Whyte’s The Renegade, on the go. I’ve
just finished Scott Fotheringham’s The Rest is
Silence, which I’ll be reviewing for subTerrain
magazine and have read Anne Fleming’s Gay
Dwarves of America, also to be reviewed for
subTerrain. I’m waiting for a review copy of The
Red Suitcases: An Inspector Castle Investigation
by Lyndsey Norton, which I’ll be reviewing for
an American magazine.
What do you do when you’re not
reading?
Carol is an avid golfer and goes out twice a week
during the Kamloops golfing season. She also
enjoys shopping, knitting and keeping in touch
with family and friends. When I’m not reading, I’m
usually writing a book review or meeting with a
client. I do consulting work now that I’m officially
retired after a career in postsecondary education
and from acting as the Executive Director of the
Saskatchewan Arts Board, where author Bonnie
Burnard also worked as the Board’s Literary
Program Officer.
What’s currently on your reading list/
bedside table?
Both of us brought back several books from the
Festival bookstore, another great service the
Festival offers. With these, and others we’ve
purchased since, Carol has Anne Perry’s Acceptable
Help us to bring the best Canadian
& international authors to
BC audiences
Your gift allows us to connect readers of
all ages to writers and ideas that enlighten,
engage and entertain.
Inspire a new generation of readers
Our Spreading the Word education program
offers K-12 students the rare opportunity
to engage with internationally renowned
writers at the Festival and in the classroom.
Leave a Legacy
The Vancouver Writers Fest accepts gifts
by will and can be named as the beneficiary
of RRSPs and life insurance policies.
Donate online using our secure donation
form: writersfest.bc.ca.
To make a donation by phone, please call
(604) 681-6330. If you make a contribution
before December 31st, you will receive a tax
receipt for 2012.
R e m e mbranc e
A sh o rt st o r y b y
A listair M ac L e o d
Commissioned in honour of the Festival’s 25th
anniversary, we have printed just 600 copies of
“Remembrance” in a beautifully designed chapbook.
A limited number of chapbooks are available for
purchase at $25 each, plus postage and packing. Click
here to order online.
Chapbooks can also be purchased in person or over
the phone, please call 604.681.6330 ext. 109.
By mail:
Vancouver Writers Fest
Suite 202, 1398 Cartwright Street
Vancouver, BC V6H 3R8
Please include your name, telephone
number and complete mailing address.
.................
CanadaHelps accepts gifts of securities online, on
behalf of the VWF. With the elimination of capital gains
on donations of publically traded securities, gifts of
securities are now the most tax efficient way to make
a charitable donation...and a great way for donors to
make a greater impact with their gift. To find out more
about how it works, visit www.canadahelps.org.
writersfest.bc.ca
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
Classic Edition
First Edition
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The Perfect Gift for Book Lovers!
Ignite a pa ssi o n f o r r ea di n g a n d wr i t i ng i n y o u r
lov ed o n es th i s h o li da y s e a s o n.
Gift certificates, In increments of $20, are
now available for the 2013 Vancouver Writers
Fest. To purchase gift certificates, valid towards
events during the 2013 Festival from October
22 to 27, please call 604-681-6330 ext. 0. Gift
certificates are available for purchase until
December 17, 2012. Some restrictions apply.
A Festival membership also makes the
perfect gift for book lovers and at only $35
(or $60 for two years), you can’t go wrong.
Please call 604-681-6330 ext.0 to purchase
yours before December 17, 2012.
Deborah Nordheimer
Robin O’Brien
Peggy Olive
Arne Olsen
Eduardo Ottoni
Maggie Pappas
Jennifer Passas
Karla Pederson
Beverley Price
Anne Priestman
Nainjeet Rai-Dayal
RobertaRich
Susan Riley
Kim Roberts
Nancy Roberts
Sylvia Roberts
DeborahRoitberg
Jenny Rootman
Rowland Lorimer
Shirley Rudolph
Melanie Rupp
Robert Safrata
Anita Salchert
Rob Sanders
Minna Schendlinger
Sondra Schloss
Karen Shuster
Marsha Sibthorpe
Helen Smith
Lynda Spratley
Beverley Straight
Gloria Sully
Tom & Audrey Sun
Adrienne Tanner
Terri Tatchell
Rhea Tregebov
Shelagh Van Kempen
M.G. Vassanji
Mary Vickers
John Vigna
Vlasta Vit
Olga Volkoff
Una Walsh
Jerry Wasserman
Susan Wasserman
Wendy Webber
Ray Weremczuk
Jan Whitford
Paul Whitney
Patricia Wilensky
Leslie Wilton
Cathleen With
Ronald Wright
Rachel Wyatt
Max Wyman
Patricia Young
Anonymous (2)
Thank you to our volunteers
“A great experience! It was wonderful to help others
have positive experience and to see so many of the
presentations. A privilege and a treat to be involved!”
Julia H.
Paddy Aiken
Stefania Alexandru
Marty Allen
Jen Andersen
Paula Apperley
Harminder Atwal
John Baldwin
Sydney Ball
Annu Bangar
Christine Barrett
Elizabeth Barthel
Suky Basran
Sharon Baxter
Margot Beauchamp
Cordelia Benjamin
Mary Bentley
Steven Best
Bernice Betts
Sandra Bishop
Lisa Blachut
Steevy Blower
Janice Bosnick
Nelia Botelho
Mark Bradshaw
Linda Brandt
Carla Braun
Simon Briault
Louise Brooks
Gail Brown
Louisa Brunke
Allan Buium
Sherry Buium
Daniel Caicedo
Anne Cameron
Gwen Cameron
Karen Campbell
Heather Capocci
Jennifer Capocci
Sean Casey
Kathleen Cassidy
Theresa Chaboyer
Melissa Chan
Cathy Chen
Micaelan Cheyne
Darryl Chow
Liam Clancey
Donald Clancy
Melanie Clark
Yvonne Colebert
Beth Cole-Morgan
Robert Collins
Sara Comuzzo
Mary Cooney
Alicia Copp Mokkonen
Moira Corrigan
Liz Costello
Vickie Critchley
Jennifer Croll
Clare Crosthwait
Susan Cuthbert
Consuelo Cuyugan
Bridget Daughney
Judy Daughney
Ann Dauphinee
Emily Davidson
Margaret Davidson
Gloria Davies
Kaja Dawkins
Jacquie Day
June Demcheson
Alison Dempsey
Dana Deschene
Sarah Desrosiers
Wilma DeVito
Ainsley Dinwoodie
Lynn Doan
Laura Dochtermann
Ann Dow
Fanny Dufour
Patrick Dunn
Corinne Durston
Kate Eckfeldt
Kyla Epstein
Kathryn Feeney
Lizette Fischer
Emily Fisher
Kristina Fleming
Joan Fogarty
Lily Fong
Toni Forbes
Stella Jesselle Garciano
Barbara Gelfant
Crissy George
Julie Gieseler
Shirley Giggey
Audrey Gill
Jean Glover
Simon Glover
Kate Gole
Corrigan Goodwin
Jill Gorman
Charlene Gram
Gordon Gram
Megan Gray
Sonja Grgar
Ekatarina Grguric
Saura Haggart-Smith
Lia Haleem
Elise Hall-Meyer
Karen Hama
Elizabeth Hancock
David Handelman
Mary Hardy
Susan Harman
Michelle Harrison
Alison Hart
Karin Hartner
Debra Hawryzki
Michael Hayward
Jessica Heafey
Julia Hedley
Gail Helmcken
Devon Henderson
Wayne Henderson
Ann Hinkle
Nicole Holas
Maureen Howard
Marcela Huerta
Amanda Hunt
Philomene Jahnke
Kathryn Jamieson
Nicole Jendro
Karl Jensen
Karen Jeong
Amanjeet Jhooty
Jas Jhooty
Gerald Joe
Ellen Johnston
Laurie Johnston
Kami Kanetsuka
Maura Keenan
Anne Kennedy
Min-jee Kim
Shirley Kim
Nancy Kisby
Anna Knowlson
Leah Koehle
Elaine Koochin
Erich Kreppenhofer
Barbara Kyle
Maureen Lawrence
Jongbeom Lee
Seungwon Lee
Megane Leung
Scott Lillico
Miriam Lipsey
Rivka Lipsey
Robyn Livingstone
Lesley Llewellyn
Gordon Long
Barbara Lumer
Faye Maddock
Krysten Maier
Jean Maloney
Zoe Manarangi
Bake-Paterson
Kylie Mantei
Patricia Marchant
Susan Masi
Ian Mass
Dennis Matheson
Mary Matheson
Claire Matthews
Melanie McBride
Bev McDowell
Joan McEwen
Trilby McGaw
Anne-Marie McGinn
Betty McGowan
Larry McIntyre
Catherine McKeehan
Amy McKenna Rae
Sharon McKibbon
Sheila McLean
Leanna McLennan
John McVicar
Susan Mellor
Anna Mendoza
Jeannie Meredith
Allison Mills
Sue-Ann Mitchell
Sandra Moe
Peggy Monro
Dylan Moore
Linda Moran
Helen Morres
Elinor Morris
Patricia Morris
Cecelia Muirhead
Tony Mumford
Carole Nakonechny
Chandni Navani
Stephanie Nazywalskyj
Megan Nelis
Barb Nelson
Tom Nesbit
Rod Neuman
Nancy Newman
Sharron O’Brien
Susan Ogul-Propas
Arline Oishi
Sally O’Neil
Lalitrudee Onkaew
Arthur Orsini
Charles Pan
Jennifer Passas
Anne-Laure Paulmont
Maida Paxton
Lourdes Pereira
Caitlin Perry
Michelle Peters
Stephanie Peters
Tera Pham
Betty Lou Phillips
Karly Pinch
Claire Ping
Betti Port
Lonnie Propas
Sarah Quigley
Lee Rachar
Shazia Ramji
Karen Ranalletta
Katie Redburn
Debby Reis
Sara Reoch
Nadya Rezansoff
Stephanie Rice
Deborah Rizun
Elizabeth Robbins
Farryn Robins
Linda Robins
Shirley Rudolph
Yasaman Sabersheikh
Anita Salchert
Lennie Sargent
Michael Schwartz
Vanessa Sidhu
Shalon Sims
Allie Slemon
Jane Slemon
Dawn Smaill
Marcia Smith
Amy Spence
Ashly Stanyer
Daryl Sturdy
Lorraine Suomi
Marjan Szlivka
Lauren Tam
Yixin Tang
Mark Tanner
Rowena Tate
Claire Thompson
Elaine Thorson
Deborah Tildesley
Noreen Timms
Dario Tolusso
Mark Torry
Susan Tourigny
Kim Van Haren
Eva van Loon
Katje van Loon
Brad Verity
Pierrette Vezina
Elizabeth Vint
Gillian Walker
Amanda Wallace
Ada Wan
Wei-Ju (Heidi) Wang
Sandra Waserman
Scott Waters
Lucy Wedge
Fiona Wei
Claire Westlake
M. Lynne Westlund
Jackson White
Cora Whiting
Shirarose Wilensky
Deborah Wilkins
Marilyn Williams
Siobhaun Williams
Sharron Wilson
Ann Wong
Cynthia Wong
Kayi Wong
Mary Yarwood
Claire Young
Mike Yu
Kat Zelenika
Lindsey Zikakis
staff and board
The Vancouver Writers Fest ignites a passion for
books and ideas by connecting readers of all ages
to writers and ideas that enlighten, engage, and
entertain. We shape conversations through live
and online experiences, featuring established and
emerging writers, from Canada and around the
world, whose work is compelling and diverse.
Founder and Lifetime Member
Alma Lee
Board of Directors
Chair: Anne Giardini
Vice-Chair: Kim Thorne
Secretary: Kelli Bodnar
Treasurer: Cheryl Berge
Members: Terri-Lynn Brown, Sally Harding,
Leslie Hurtig, Sandy Jakab, Shirley Lew, Harvey
McKinnon, Kathryn Shoemaker, Paul Whitney
Patrons Circle
Patricia Crowe, Yulanda & Moh Faris, Sandra
Garossino, Colin & Helen Harris, Alma Lee, Jim &
Joan Mayhew, Don Prior, Bonnie & Don Sheldon,
Yasmeen & Andrew Strang, Jan Whitford, Cynthia
Woodward
Staff
Artistic Director: Hal Wake
Executive Director: Camilla Tibbs
Director of Marketing & Development:
Ann McDonell
Writer Services Co-ordinators:
Jocelyn Wagner & Clea Young
Administrator: Sandra Millard
Development & Marketing Assistant: Tavia Audia
Education Co-ordinator: Ilona Beiks
Programmer, La Joie de Lire: Brenda Berck
Bookkeeping Services: Office Alternatives
Advertising Sales: Yasmeen Strang
Media Relations Manager: Judith Walker
Production Manager: Eduardo Ottoni
Production Co-ordinator: Katja Schlueter
Production Assistant: Liam Kupser
Catering Co-ordinator: Carolina Sartor
Catering Assistant: Joey Mallett
Food & Beverage Co-ordinator: Heideh White
Food & Beverage Assistant: Cathy Abrossimoff
Volunteer Manager: Kathryn Fowler
Volunteer Assistant: Lili Okuyama
Hospitality Suite Manager: James Taylor Irvine
Night Manager: Brade Stanton
Box Office Supervisor: Megan Verhey
Box Office Assistant: Amanda Konkin
Website Design: Chris MacDonald
Ink Design: Steve Chow
All photos by Chris Cameron unless
otherwise noted.