• Literally Funny Mainstage

    It’s Festival Central here at the steps of the South Plaza! The Word On The Street Vancouver teams up with Global ComedyFest Vancouver to present an exciting and entertaining roster of comedy skits and musical 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. Located inside The Centre for Performing Arts, Homer Street.

  • 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.

  • Cheer Tent

    Visit Canada Post and Cheerios at the Cheer Tent to write your encouraging postcard to our Canadian Olympic athletes!

  • 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.

  • The Word On The Screen

    Presenting Margaret Atwood and more, live from Toronto. Inside the Library, Alma VanDusen Room downstairs

  • 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

Writing Talks

click times to expand content

 

  • 11:00 :: Writing Groups Work
    SPiN Writing Group

    The writers of SPiN, June Hutton (Underground), Mary Novik (Conceit) and Jen Sookfong Lee (The End of East), come together to talk about the work, fun and camaraderie behind their successful writing group. All three authors will discuss how the group helped them complete and publish their first novels, and each will read a passage from her book that highlights the value of group input. Sheryl MacKay of CBC’s North by Northwest will moderate the discussion.

  • 12:00 :: Writing for Film
    How to Make the Transition from Page to Screen

    Passionate about turning your published work into film? Looking for the best way to get started? Listen in as Mark Leiren-Young, in conversation with Michele Adams, shares his vast writing experience and offers personal insights on transforming great stories into screenplays that sell. Leiren-Young’s award-winning first feature, The Green Chain, which he wrote, directed and produced, is being released on DVD this fall and the screenplay is upcoming from Heritage Press. His comic memoir, Never Shoot A Stampede Queen, won the 2009 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Adams is a writer, teacher and story editor. A two-time winner of the Praxis Screenwriting Competition, she also won the CBC/BC Film Signature Shorts competition. Her short story collection, Bright Objects of Desire, was published by Biblioasis Press.

  • 1:00 :: A Boot Camp for Adventurers
    How to Start and Maintain a Travel Writing Career

    Have you ever felt the lure of the exotic and the thrill of the unknown? If you’re new to the freelance magazine writing business and love to write about your travels, you’ll want to attend this insightful panel discussion led by industry veterans Daniel Wood, Colleen Friesen and Anthony Dalton. Get tips on how to effectively promote yourself, pitch your ideas and ensure your work stays in demand. Whether you want to learn how to spice up your travel blogs and photographs or launch into a full-fledged career as a freelance travel writer, this presentation offers inside advice on travel writing. Moderated by artist Leanne Johnson, former managing editor and associate publisher of FRONT Magazine.

  • 2:00 :: Canadian Book Camp

    Meet some of the young writers from this summer’s Canadian Book Camp as they read from their recent works and share their experiences from the five-day workshop held at Vancouver Public Library this past August. Hosted by the 2009 VPL Writer-In-Residence and Canadian Book Camp Teen Mentor, Ivan E. Coyote.

  • 3:00 :: Philosophers' Café
    Yosef Wosk with Sam Sullivan

    Join us for a vibrant debate with former mayor Sam Sullivan. Sullivan, who was awarded the Order of Canada for his social activism, is one of the country’s leading visionaries. His controversial ideas and approaches have resulted in both praise and criticism during his many years in public office. Moderated by Yosef Wosk, Director of Interdisciplinary Programs in Continuing Studies at SFU and founder of the Philosophers’ Café.

  • 4:00 :: Breaking into the Online Magazine Wrting Market

    Looking to pick up some extra work as a freelance writer online or plying your skills as an editor in cyberspace? About to post your first piece on a blog or corporate site and need some tips to navigate these waters? Want to build your online portfolio, get experience and learn Search Engine Optimization (SEO) skills before you apply for a position? Joy Gugeler and Lisa Manfield of Orato.com will arm you with in-the-trenches knowledge of how online publishing can work for you and you for it. Before entering the web world, Gugeler worked as an editor in book publishing for 13 years and has taught editing at Ryerson and SFU for nearly a decade. Manfield teaches Web Writing and Online Marketing in SFU’s Writing and Publishing program and her 13 years in publishing have included positions at The Tyee, Suite101.com, CGA Magazine and REALM Magazine.

 

 

 

More talks, discussions and panels, including How to Survive as a Freelance Writer and Balancing Writing and Motherhood, can be found in the Magazine Life Tent and the Raise-a-Reader Corner.

Copyright © 2010 The Word On The Street Site by Orchard Studios