SALMON ARM –– The Shuswap Association of Writers has announced two award-winning keynote speakers will headline its ninth annual festival, May 25 to 27 in Salmon Arm.
Kay Johnston, association president, announced that Sylvia Taylor and Ivan Coyote are among a host of accomplished authors and writers who will present seminars, workshops, speeches and panel discussions at the newly renamed festival called Word on the Lake.
Taylor’s work has been short-listed for the CBC National Literary Awards and led to her nomination for a Women of Excellence Award. She has authored more than 400 magazine and newspaper articles, 75 commercial and business writing projects, and edited more than 100 manuscripts. Her latest novel, Fisher Queen, is scheduled for release in May.
Yukon-born Coyote’s seven books have attracted six award nominations including the 2007 ReLit Award for her novel Bow Grip published in 2006. She is also a performer and educator, and in 2007 was writer-in-residence at Carleton University in Ottawa.
Among the other 12 presenters are Eric Wilson, recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2002 for promoting literacy in Canada, and Diana Hayes, the production manager of Salt Spring Island’s Theatre Alive.
The weekend festival starts the Friday evening at the Shuswap Art Gallery followed by a full day of workshops and seminars on the Saturday at the Prestige Resort and Convention Centre. The festival continues on the Sunday at Okanagan College, wrapping up at 1:30 p.m.
More information is at www.saow.ca.
