• Mainstage

    It’s Festival Central here at the steps of the South Plaza! The Word On The Street Vancouver presents an exciting and entertaining roster of performances.

  • Magazine Life Tent

    These panel discussions, demonstrations and performances will introduce audiences to the exciting world of Canadian magazine publishing. Free samples, subscriptions and special deals on offer!

  • Canada Writes

    Popular, bestselling and thought-provoking reads ranging from “greening” your family to creating the quintessentially Canadian guitar to our fascination with British Columbia’s wild places.

  • Authors Tent

    Listen to some of the biggest stars on the West Coast literary scene and discover fresh new voices all under one roof!

  • Poetry Tent

    Experience the power of great poetry to convey a complexity of emotions in these readings by established and emerging writers.

  • Sony Reader Lounge

    Take a break and test drive a Sony e-Reader.

  • Kids Tent

    Geared to children aged 5 to 11, the Kids Tent is the place to be for all that’s fun and happening in Canadian children’s literature!

  • Raise-a-Reader Corner

    Picture book authors for the youngest members of your family, plus storytelling by children’s librarians from the Lower Mainland representing the InterLINK Children’s Services Committee. Ages 0-4.

  • Writing Talks

    These special events fill up quickly so early queuing is recommended. All take place inside the Library, downstairs in the Peter Kaye Room.

  • Visual Exhibits

    Located in the library, in the moat downstairs and the promenade upstairs. Take in exhibits displaying the visual component to books and magazines.

  • The Word Under The Street

    Local alternative comic book artists and 'zines. Including exhibitors, events, readings, and presentations. Inside the Library, Alice McKay Room downstairs

The Word On The Screen

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  • 11:15 :: Margaret Atwood
    The LongPen Launch of The Year of the Flood

    Canadian literary icon Margaret Atwood will be headlining our Word On The Screen venue, reading from her highly anticipated new novel, The Year of the Flood, via a live broadcast from Toronto. Vancouver fans will be able to participate in the Q&A and have their own copy of The Year of the Flood signed by the author using LongPen technology.

    Canada’s first live coast-to-coast book launch using the technology will broadcast Atwood in person from The Word On The Street Toronto to The Word On The Street festivals in Vancouver and Halifax. The interactive video broadcast will allow festival participants to engage in a question-and-answer session with the author. Atwood will sign books before the broadcast using the LongPen, allowing her to talk with each fan via a private video chat and to transmit a genuine, personalized autograph instantly to the interior pages of their copy of the book.

    The book signing will be followed by a reading and question-and-answer session with the author from 12:00 to 1:00 pm. Free tickets to Atwood’s broadcast appearance will be available at 10:00 am outside the Alma VanDusen room (limit of two tickets per person). Seating is limited.

  • 1:00 :: Live From Toronto!
    The View from Out Here: A Trillium Book Award Panel

    The Word On The Street Vancouver is pleased to present a live broadcast from Toronto’s Word On The Street, of The View From Out Here, a panel discussion with Dionne Brand (Land to Light On), Camilla Gibb (Sweetness in the Belly), Nino Ricci (Testament), and Jane Urquhart (Away), past winners of the Trillium Book Award.

    In these authors’ four Trillium Book Award-winning works, they have given life to characters that are on the margins of their communities, whether they are newcomers to their lands and experiencing the pain of relocation or whether their actions and beliefs have branded them as outsiders. But, in order to create great works of fiction, how necessary is it for authors themselves to live the life of an outsider? Is it possible to provide fresh eyes, to give a significant view, without stepping beyond the perimeter of society?

    Experience fiction through a writer’s eyes as four of our country’s finest literary talents unite for what is sure to be a riveting discussion.

  • 3:00 :: William Jans
    Getting There From Here and Stories Along the Way

    Photographer and world adventurer William Jans will share tales of escapades and discoveries in far-flung countries and exotic locales. Over the past fifteen years Jans’ slide and video shows have become a Canadian phenomenon, touring major centres across the nation and drawing sell-out crowds. He has created images for clients throughout Canada, the U.S. and as far away as Malaysia, and photographed numerous interesting people including Michael J. Fox, Celine Dion and Bill Cosby. Jans was also one of the official photographers for the Dalai Lama.

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