Stir Cheat Sheet: 3 events to check out at this year's North Shore Writers Festival
Free offerings include a hockey talk led by sports journalists and a conversation with author Chelene Knight
Author Chelene Knight (left) and the CBC’s Margaret Gallagher.
The North Shore Writers Festival takes place at the Lynn Valley Branch of the North Vancouver District Public Library from April 24 to 26
CANADIAN AUTHORS AND READERS are stepping into the spotlight at this year’s North Shore Writers Festival.
From April 24 to 26, the festival will host nine events—including a traditional Indigenous welcome with knowledge keeper Tsitsáyxemaat (Rebecca Duncan), book talks, and a closing reception with prizes—at its main hub inside the Lynn Valley Branch of the North Vancouver District Public Library.
The North Vancouver City Library and West Vancouver Memorial Library are presenting partners for the festival. All events are free to attend, but advance registration is required to secure a spot.
Ahead of the three-day celebration, here’s a closer look at a few of the author talks in store.
(From left) Hockey Talk authors Daniel Wagner, Ed Willes, and Andy Prest.
Hockey Talk: Chronicling the Canucks
April 24 from 5:30 pm to 7 pm
Three of Canada’s most knowledgeable hockey writers, Daniel Wagner, Ed Willes, and Andy Prest, will host this conversation about all things Canucks, during which they’ll unpack topics ranging from behind-the-scenes moments and favourite stories to their own experiences covering what goes down on the rink. All three are long-time sports journalists: Willes was a regular columnist at the Province for more than two decades, Wagner writes the Canucks blog “Pass It to Bulis” for Vancouver Is Awesome as a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and Prest is currently editor of the North Shore News.
Willes has authored several books, including Gretzky to Lemieux: The Story of the 1987 Canada Cup and Never Boring: The Up and Down History of the Vancouver Canucks. Wagner’s first book, On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Vancouver Canucks at the NHL Draft, was released in 2024.
(From left) Unsettling Fiction authors Sam Wiebe, Linda Cheng, Erica McKeen, and JJ Lee.
In the Shadows: Unsettling Fiction
April 26 from 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm
Sam Wiebe writes Pacific Northwest detective novels, Linda Cheng authors Southern Gothic stories, and Erica McKeen pens horror fiction—but what unites all three is that they infuse their works with uncannily dark elements. JJ Lee, author of memoir The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son, and a Suit, will moderate a discussion with the three as they dive into their respective processes.
Wiebe is well-known for his popular Wakeland series, which follows Vancouver-based private investigator Dave Wakeland everywhere from Chinatown office buildings to mega-mansions in the British Properties as he solves local cases. McKeen’s releases include Tear and Cicada Summer, while Cheng is the author of Gorgeous Gruesome Faces.
Chelene Knight in Conversation with Margaret Gallagher
April 26 from 5 pm to 6:15 pm
Vancouver-born and -raised author Chelene Knight has written five books, ranging from coming-of-age story Junie to Black self-love guide Let It Go: Free Yourself from Old Beliefs and Find a New Path to Joy. At the festival, she’ll focus on her most recent release, Safekeeping: A Writer’s Guided Journal for Launching a Book with Love, in conversation with long-time CBC journalist Margaret Gallagher. In the journal, Knight offers support and advice to authors of all experience levels about such topics as avoiding imposter syndrome, beating burnout, and showing up authentically. Knight will read excerpts from both Safekeeping and Let It Go at the event.
Related Articles
