The fourth annual celebration of great books and great writers comes to town Oct. 2-6 and promises a stellar list of special guests, workshops, discussion panels and more.
The Victoria Festival of Authors embraces poets, fiction and creative non-fiction writers and other storytellers who come from a wide variety of communities, with diverse backgrounds, and from all levels of a writing career.
Authors from across the country and right here in Victoria will once again share their writing, ideas and techniques for developing writers and those who have already embarked upon a literary career.
A project spearheaded by the not-for-profit Victoria Festival of Authors Society, the festival brings together authors from a broad cross-section of genres.
Among this year’s special guests is Victoria’s Yasuko Thanh, whose novel Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains won the Rogers Writers Trust Fiction Prize. Her short-story collection Floating Like the Dead was shortlisted for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and her latest book, the memoir Mistakes to Run With, describes her evangelist upbringing in Victoria and years on the streets in Vancouver. It was published this spring by Hamish Hamilton to rave reviews.
Thanh will be one of the readers at the Wednesday night launch, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Victoria Arts Council Gallery, along with Julie Paul and Richard Van Camp. Thanh will also take part in the Saturday memoir panel From These Beginnings, 3:30 p.m. at the Metro Theatre, along with Carla Funk, Meenal Shrivastava and Samra Zafar.
Also on the guest list is Ian Hamilton, the author of the bestselling Ava Lee series, which follows the adventures of a Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant. Hamilton has won the Arthur Ellis Award and has been shortlisted for the Barry Award and Lambda Literary Prize. The Ava Lee series is currently being adapted for television. The 12th book in the series, The Mountain Master of Sha Tin, takes Ava to Shanghai and Hong Kong. It was published last month by House of Anansi and is already appearing on bestseller lists.
For an interesting account of the genesis of the series, check out Ian’s YouTube channel. Hamilton will be part of the Friday mystery panel, The Usual Suspects, at the Metro along with Nathan Ripley and Iona Wishaw.
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A wide range of events are planned over the course of the week. Tickets go on sale Aug. 31 and interested parties are encouraged to purchase early to make sure you get a seat for your top picks. Students receive a 20 per cent discount on tickets. Find more information at victoriafestivalofauthors.ca,where thefull schedule of events will be posted soon.
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Tickets will go on sale August 31. Purchase early to make sure you get a seat for your top picks. Events do sell out! And remember, students get at 20% discount on tickets.