Preview: What to expect from the 2015 Vancouver Writers Fest

Now in its 28th year, The Vancouver Writers Fest is set for its largest festival to date at Granville Island later this month.

Featuring almost 100 different events and more than 100 writers from across the globe, The Vancouver Writers Fest has something for everyone. Some of this year’s headliners include Girl on the Train author Paula Hawkins, UK best-seller Sarah Dunant and non-fiction writer Simon Winchester.

There will also be some very popular Canadian authors who will be in attendance such as Lawrence Hill, Elizabeth Hay, Patrick DeWitt, Nino Ricci, John Vaillant, Bill Richardson and Camilla Gibb.

Photo Credit: Van Writer’s Fest

The festival is truly international with guests from all around the word including Damien Wilkins (New Zealand), Denise Mina (Scotland), Yrsa Sigurdottir (Iceland), Daniel Galera (Brazil), Giuseppe Cotazella (Italy), Sara Blaedel (Denmark), Asne Sieierstad (Norway) Hannah Kent and Steve Toltz (Australia). Some of the American featured authors are Lauren Van Der Beg, Lauren Groff, Marlon James, Paige Mckenzie, Kelly Link, Roxane Gay, and Shauna Singh Baldwin.

The Van Writers Fest also has the special privilege to host the wife of imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, Ensaf Haidar, to speak about her husband’s struggle for freedom of speech.

The five day event is packed with poetry jams, discussion panels, readings, onstage interviews, performances and much more.

For young readers (K-12), Van Writers Fest features a full lineup of daytime events. These annual events are presented in French and English and are a great way to inspire reading in youth and students by exposing them to authors and the reading world throughout their education.

Photo Credit: Van Writer’s Fest

Amongst the festivities, there is also the annual writing contest where anyone is welcome submit a piece of poetry or creative short fiction. The first prize winners are featured on the festival website and also receive a cash prize. The deadline is October 25, 2015.

After the festival’s close there is also a special event scheduled on December 1, 2015, featuring best-selling author, John Irving. You can find more information about this evening here.

Photo Credit: Van Writer’s Fest

No matter what genre or author you admire, every reader will find something to inspire them at The Vancouver Writers Fest. Check the full festival lineup for full details.

The Vancouver Writers Fest runs on Granville Island from October 20 – 25. For tickets and more information, head over to the official Vancouver Writers Fest website.