Canada's literary scene is as exciting, diverse and challenging as a cosmopolitan city. Sudbury's annual English literary festival captures some of that big city buzz.
Wordstock Sudbury will be held Nov. 3, 4 and 5 at the Holiday Inn on 1696 Regent Street.
For this year’s festival, Wordstock Sudbury presents fresh voices of Indigenous, Black and LGBTQI+ writers, along with average Canadians of every colour, creed and credit line.
"The festival is built to bring Canadian writers and local audiences together," said director Heather Campbell. "We have conversations about books; (contemporary) writers are writing about Canadian issues."
She emphasizes Wordstock is a literary festival not a writers' convention, although there are several masterclasses designed for participants who are interested in improving their craft.
The first Wordstock Sudbury in 2013 had a modest budget of about $5,000. The 2022 festival budget is $100,000.
Thanks to government grants and corporate sponsors, Wordstock Sudbury can afford to host writers of national and regional acclaim.
As the head of the English publishing house, Latitude 46, Campbell keeps an eye out for emerging voices and the "hot" Canadian authors on the festival circuit.
Five of Sudbury's poet laureates, past and present, will present a poetry primer Nov. 3 at 5:30 p.m. This event will be followed by the festival opening and introduction of this year's Youthwords Writing Contest winners.
Thursday's special presentation will be Shani Mootoo in conversation with prolific poet and writer Gary Barwin at 7:30 p.m. Mootoo, a writer and visual artist, was born in Ireland and grew up in Trinidad. She currently lives in Toronto and she is the author of five novels, many of which have been Scotiabank Giller Prize finalists.
Winnipeg's David Robertson will take part in a panel Friday, Nov.4 at 7:30 p.m. titled "Minwaajimo: Tell a Good Story."
The 2021 recipient of the Writers’ Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award, Robertson is the author of numerous books for young readers. His memoir, Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory, was a Quill & Quire book of the year in 2020. Another of his books, On The Trapline", illustrated by Julie Flett, won a Governor General's Literary Award and was named one of the best picture books of 2021.
His panel mates are Ernie Louttit, award-winning author of The Unexpected Cop: Indian Ernie on a Life of Leadership, and former CBC Radio host Waubgeshig Rice. Rice's novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow, is a national bestseller.
The popular Annual Poetry Slam returns Friday evening from 9 to 11 p.m.
North Bay author Rod Carley moderates "A Funny Thing Happened" on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. featuring comedian and author Ali Hassan, who is also the host of CBC Radio's Canada Reads series.
Hassan's debut book, a comedic memoir, Is There Bacon In Heaven? was just published by Simon & Schuster.
Later, on Saturday at 9 p.m., LOL Sudbury presents Hassan on stage at Little Montreal on Elgin Street.
The festival winds up Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a literary conversation with Manitoulin Island writer Danielle Daniel and Charlene Diehl, a writer, editor, performer, and director the Winnipeg International Writers Festival. Her non-fiction book "Out of Grief, Singing: A Memoir of Motherhood and Loss" was named book of the year in 2010 by “The Globe and Mail." It is an aching account of how a mother comes to terms with the loss of her newborn.
An all-access festival pass is $138.93. A pass for all the sessions except the masterclasses is $91.19. The festival will be livestreamed and there are reduced fees for students and people on fixed incomes.
A full schedule of Wordstock Sudbury events is located on the website, WordStockSudbury.ca.
Vicki Gilhula is a freelance writer. Arts & Culture is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
