Whistler Writers Fest Saturday Lineup

October 07th, 2026

The 25th anniversary of the Whistler Writers Fest hits full stride on Saturday, November 7, 2026, with a powerhouse lineup at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. The day brings together intensive craft masterclasses, fiction explorations with BC storytellers, and two major evening highlights: the launch of Stella Harvey’s newest novel and an intimate literary salon with 2026 CBC Canada Reads champion Loghan Paylor.

Morning Craft & Tectonic Readings

• Workshop 7: The Body Writes (9:00 AM): Led by Anna Mrozik, this screen-free, embodied workshop explores how rhythm, movement, and physical sensation can shape narrative and unblock the creative flow.

• Reading Event 7: Tectonic Shifts (10:00 AM): Moderated by Clea Young, this fiction panel dives into questions of survival, secrecy, and transformation. Featured writers include BC author Brian Kaufman (Cascadia Subduction Shift), Giller Prize nominee Tara Gereaux (Wild People Quiet), and the 2026 Whistler Independent Book Award fiction winner. Sponsored by Capilano University.

• Workshop 8: Interstices with Eve Joseph (11:15 AM): Griffin Poetry Prize winner Eve Joseph guides writers through the Japanese concept of ma—the generative space between poetry and prose—fostering cross-genre experimentation.

Afternoon Dialogues: Tech, Satire & Memoir

• Workshop 9: Closing Doors: How Using Generative AI Can Impact Your Book (12:30 PM): Bret Newton of FriesenPress outlines the practical and commercial pitfalls of generative AI in publishing, offering a human-first roadmap for authors navigating the shifting landscape.

• Reading Event 8: Glorious, Disrupting Dystopia (1:45 PM): Moderator Alli Vail leads a spirited conversation on machine consciousness and human purpose with Anakana Schofield (The Library of Brothel) and Glenn Dixon (The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances), complete with tea, coffee, and Fairmont red velvet cupcakes. Sponsored by Preszler Injury Lawyers.

• The Trek to Know Thyself (3:15 PM): Leslie Anthony moderates an exploration of memoir and midlife transformation featuring Wiley Wei-Chiun Ho (The Astronaut Children of Dunbar Street) and six-time Olympic medalist Clara Hughes (Learning to Breathe).

Evening Headliners: Book Launch & Literary Salon

• Reading 10: Disruption: A Book Launch (5:00 PM):

  Festival founder Stella Harvey unveils her timely, high-stakes dystopian novel, Disruption. Set in a nation fractured by civil war, disease, and total surveillance, the story follows a young woman whose refusal to submit to state control forces her family to risk everything. Harvey joins moderator Rebecca Wood Barrett to explore the price of safety, the courage of curiosity, and resistance against authoritarian rule.

• The Cure for Drowning: A Literary Salon (8:00 PM):

  The festival caps Saturday night with a book-club salon welcoming 2026 CBC Canada Reads winner Loghan Paylor in conversation with kate heskett. Centring queer and non-binary characters within an expansive Canadian historical saga, Paylor’s The Cure for Drowning will be explored table-by-table with guided audience discussion prompts, complemented by live harp music from Alison Hunter. Sponsored by RGF – Integrated Wealth Management.

Tickets and registration for all Saturday events are available through the Whistler Writers Fest box office.

Share on Facebook

Tweet