Literary festival to return with hybrid format

  • 2021-09-27
The Vancouver Writers Festival will take place this October, and organizers have announced a format that will be a middle ground between the traditional in-person festival and a virtual event.

The festival typically sees thousands of visitors come to Granville Island from nearby areas like North Vancouver, as well as further afield. This year, the festival will feature some in-person author talks, some live-streamed conversations and some events that will see conversations between both people on an in-person stage and those communicating through a digital screen.

Announced talks include an in-person conversation with acclaimed author Lauren Groff, a virtual question-and-answer session with essayist Susan Orlean and a hybrid conversation between journalist Jesse Wente and Indigenous writer Tanya Talaga.

In addition to being available online, the festival’s virtual events will stream in movie theatres in Vancouver to allow for physical community and participation. Some of the panel conversations include topics ranging from “Good Reads” to “Fierce and Bold Heroines of YA”, referring to the ever-popular Young Adult fiction genre.

Literary events like this are often promoted through means like social media and poster printing, and they provide an opportunity for writers to connect directly with their audience and to network with industry figures.

The 2021 edition of the Vancouver International Writers Festival will take place at various locations between October 18 and 24.