2024 Fraser Valley Writers Festival
October 01st, 2024
The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) is set to host the 2024 Fraser Valley Writers Festival (FVWF), bringing together ten acclaimed authors from BC and Ontario for a two-day celebration of Canadian literary talent. Now in its 17th year, the festival has grown significantly, expanding its lineup to include nine free events on November 1st and 2nd at UFV’s Abbotsford campus.
This year’s festival promises an engaging mix of keynote addresses, panel discussions, writer workshops, and even a live podcast recording. FVWF Director Rob Taylor shared his excitement about the festival’s growth, stating, “Enthusiasm has increased year after year, and we’ve done our best to try to keep up, almost doubling the number of events we offer. Whether you’re interested in hearing the latest work from a favourite author, or learning hands-on how to improve your own writing, we hope this year’s festival has a little something for everyone.”
The festival will kick off on November 1st with an opening night headlined by two of BC’s most celebrated authors. Billy-Ray Belcourt (at right), a poet and author from the Driftpile Cree Nation, and Angela Sterritt, an award-winning investigative journalist and national bestselling author from Wilp Wiik’aax of the Gitanmaax community, will be the keynote speakers. Both authors have been finalists for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction and will discuss their lives and writing, including their latest books, Coexistence (Hamish Hamilton, 2024) and Unbroken (Greystone Books, 2023).
November 2nd will feature a packed schedule designed to inspire and educate aspiring writers. A series of workshops will provide hands-on opportunities for participants to refine their craft, while panel discussions will offer insights from a diverse group of poets, fiction, non-fiction, and comic authors. One of the standout participants is Abbotsford’s own Loghan Paylor, a queer, trans author who has been longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize for their debut novel, The Cure for Drowning.
Joining Paylor are several other notable authors:
- Carleigh Baker: A short fiction author and winner of the City of Vancouver Book Award for Last Woman.
- Kate Black: An essayist and winner of the National Magazine Awards’ “Best Emerging Author” title for Big Mall.
- Adrienne Gruber: The author of four books of poetry and essays, including Monsters, Martyrs, and Marionettes.
- Richard Kelly Kemick: A poet, memoirist, and fiction writer known for Hello, Horse.
- Anita Lahey: A poet, essayist, and Ottawa Book Award Finalist for While Supplies Last and Fire Monster.
- Marc Perez: A poet and author of fiction and non-fiction, including
- Onjana Yawnghwe: A poet and two-time nominee for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, recognized for We Follow the River.
EVENTS DETAILS:
Date: November 1-2, 2024
Location: University of the Fraser Valley, 33844 King Rd, Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M7
All the events hosted by the Fraser Valley Writer’s Festival are FREE and open to the public. Visit this link for more information and to register for events of your liking.
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