This month, local residents and aspiring novelists can hear from some of the industry’s best during a new festival that celebrates the written word.
The inaugural Tri-Cities Writers Festival, a partnership between the Coquitlam, Port Moody and Terry Fox (Port Coquitlam) public libraries, takes place June 14 and 15.
It’s set to feature 10 acclaimed writers from across North America, all of whom will share their knowledge and experience both in person and virtually.
“In the pages of their remarkable books, you’ll find not just stories but gateways to imagination, empathy, and understanding,” says Marc Saunders, director of library services at Port Moody Public Library, in a statement about the two-day event.
“Whether you’re an avid reader or a budding writer, our festival promises inspiration, discovery, and the joy of shared stories.”
Featuring workshops on creating your own superhero, overcoming writer’s block, and Q&As with guest authors, these sessions cater to a range of interested writers and readers from kids and teens to adults.
As well, Ryan Murphy, an award-winning writer and editor who’s also worked for the likes of Walt Disney Studios and HBO, is set to moderate a Writers Round Table on Friday, June 14th at the Coquitlam Public Library’s City Centre branch (1169 Pinetree Way) following a cocktail reception.
The reception is for festival-goers aged 19 and older and is a ticketed event. The $10 cost includes access to the event, light refreshments, and one drink. Additional drinks will be available for purchase. Government-issued ID must be shown at entry.
The authors participating in this year’s Tri-Cities Writers Festival are (in alphabetical order):
Tanya Boteju
Boteju teaches English part-time to clever and sassy young people. The rest of her time, she uses writing as an excuse to eat pastries. Her debut novel, Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens, was named a Top Ten Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association. Her second novel, Bruised, was selected as a Gold Standard book by the Junior Library Guild. Look for another YA novel, Messy Perfect, in 2025.
Kevin Chong
Chong is the author of seven books of fiction and nonfiction, most recently the novel The Double Life of Benson Yu, which was a finalist for the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize and named a Best Book of Canadian Fiction by CBC. His creative nonfiction and journalism have appeared in Time Magazine, Literary Hub, Montecristo, and The Globe and Mail.
Michael Christie
Christie is the author of the novel If I Fall, If I Die, which was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Kirkus Prize, was selected as a New York Times Editors' Choice Pick, and was on numerous best-of 2015 lists. His linked collection of stories, The Beggar's Garden, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, shortlisted for the Writers' Trust Prize for Fiction, and won the Vancouver Book Award. His essays and book reviews have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Globe and Mail. Greenwood, his most recent novel, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.
Michelle Good
Good, after working for Indigenous organizations for 25 years, obtained a law degree and advocated for residential school survivors. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at UBC while managing her own law firm. Her poems, short stories, and essays have been published in magazines and anthologies across Canada.
Harrison Mooney
Mooney is a best-selling memoirist and award-winning journalist from Abbotsford, B.C. His debut memoir, Invisible Boy, was the winner of the 2023 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for nonfiction, and shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award and the Hurston Wright Legacy Award in memoir nonfiction. Harrison's work has appeared in The New York Times, The Vancouver Sun, The Guardian, Yahoo, Maclean's and The Tyee, where his columns appear regularly.
Kenneth Oppel
Oppel is a bestselling author of numerous books, including Airborn, which won the Governor General's Award for children’s literature and a Michael L Printz Honor Award, and the Silverwing trilogy, which has sold over a million copies worldwide. The Nest and Half Brother both won the Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year for Children Award. Some of his other books include The Boundless, Every Hidden Thing, and Inkling. His latest books are the Bloom trilogy, Ghostlight, and Silverwing: The Graphic Novel.
Graeme Partridge-David
Partridge-David is an autistic writer and cartoonist. He loves reading comic books and watching movies almost as much as he loves writing and drawing.
David A. Robertson
Roberston is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Literary Award, has won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, as well as the Writer's Union of Canada Freedom to Read award. He has received several other accolades for his work as a writer for children and adults, and as a podcaster, public speaker, and social advocate. He was honoured with a Doctor of Letters by the University of Manitoba for outstanding contributions in the arts and distinguished achievements in 2023.
Iona Whishaw
Whishaw is a former educator and social worker whose mother and grandfather were both spies during their respective wars. She is the award-winning author of the Globe and Mail bestselling Lane Winslow Mystery series.
For more information about the Tri-Cities Writers Festival, including a full lecture schedule, you can visit www.coqlibrary.ca/seasonal-pages/tri-cities-writers-festival.
