Victoria Fest of Authors

Tickets for the 8th edition of the Victoria Festival of Authors are on sale now. For the first time, the festival is offering sliding scale pricing, with a free option, for all virtual events and for the five in-person events taking place at Langham Court Theatre. “This year our focus is on increasing the accessibility of the festival, and a large part of that is reducing the financial barrier,” said Laura Trunkey, festival producer. “All five events at Langham Court Theatre have a free ticket option, and will also be livestreamed so that those who are unable to attend in person can still take part in our events.” There are 13 events in 2023. Highlights include: Advocacy Through Story A panel of Indigenous women leaders who create movement and change through activism, literature, and performance. Forest to Poet/Tree Walk A walk through the trails of W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary (formerly Mary Lake) as four poets read in the shadow of cedar and oak. Banned: On Diversity, Censorship, and Children’s Books A panel of authors who have been challenged with public library bans, media outrage, online harassment for the diverse representation in their children’s books. In Conversation: Jack Knox with Ian and Will Ferguson Brothers Ian and Will Ferguson, back together with I Only Read Murder, the first instalment of a new comedic crime series. The conversation will be led by Victoria humourist Jack Knox. The Victoria Festival of Authors runs Oct. 11-15, 2023. Thirty-five festival authors will appear on the stage, the trails, and virtually over our five-day event. Visit https://victoriafestivalofauthors for the latest news and announcements, and for a list of authors and events.

The largest and liveliest celebration of books and booklovers, Victoria Festival of Authors (VFA) is celebrating seven years this fall. From September 28 to October 2nd, VFA will host 30 authors, taking part in 11 offerings including panels, readings and conversations with authors at indoor and outdoor venues around Victoria. With land and environmental concerns being forefront in the minds of many in Victoria, VFA has focused half of our programming on ecology, climate emergency, the Land Back movement, and connections with the protected forests just outside our city. This includes the panel Climate Acts, Land Sings which examines how we cultivate respectful relationships with the land, its original peoples, and its lifeforms. Keeping with the theme, an evening curated by Planet Earth Poetry (PEP), A Corrective Lens, features poets “gaz[ing] on a glorious world…that we humans have irrevocably changed.” VFA2022 Indigenous Curator, author Monique Gray Smith, will host an event with Shelagh Rogers on National Truth and Reconciliation Day and Forest to Poet/Tree Walk is back, featuring four poets reading from their new work as audience members stroll the trails of Mary Lake Nature Sanctuary. Monique’s event with Shelagh is one of four solo author events this year. Bob McDonald of the popular radio program, Quirks and Quarks, is discussing climate solutions and his new book The Future is Now with Elin Kelsey. Jane Billinghurst is leading a forest walk at Mary Lake Nature Sanctuary, and Jennifer Egan is chatting about her new novel, The Candy House, with Zsuzsi Gartner. Our festival opens with New Works, showcasing four local writers who are gifting us a sneak peak at their manuscripts in-progress. And Saturday evening, as usual, is a night to listen to new fiction with a musical accompaniment—this year provided by Jen Severtson/Peach Pyramid. Because VFA is committed to accessibility, all events feature closed captioning, and most in-person events will be livestreamed. There are also four free/ by donation virtual events. Visit victoriafestivalofauthors.ca for more!