Variety. That’s the key to this year’s Shuswap Writers’ Festival, May 27 to 29, says Sarah Weaver, president of the Shuswap Association of Writers.
“People can come for the Friday night coffee house (7 p.m. at the art gallery), the Saturday night Storytelling party (7:30 p.m. at the college), they can buy a pass for the whole weekend, or take in just Saturday or Sunday.”
The festival offers events of interest to both readers and writers. Many of the workshops are intimate discussions with writers about their books. Fans of William Deverell, Annabel Lyon or poet Evelyn Lau will find opportunities to meet these authors face-to-face. Deverell is the author behind the TV series Street Legal and will be keynote speaker Saturday morning at the Prestige Harbourfront.
The festival also offers two three-hour intensive writing workshops – one with well- known mystery author Michael Slade, and the other with Angie Abdou, a finalist on CBC Canada Reads.
Two authors with Shuswap connections are on the festival slate – Wendy Phillips, a Governor General award- winner for her young adult novel, and Deanna Kawatski of Celista whose books have been selected twice by Book of the Month club.
Festival registration is online at www.saow.ca until May 20; walk-in registration is also welcomed at the Prestige Harbourfront Resort from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday May, 27, or 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. Saturday, May 28. People wanting to attend Sunday only at Okanagan College must pre-register online or go to the Prestige in advance. For more information, go to www.saow.ca, or call Weaver at 250-832-6702.
