Break out the Knee Socks: Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival

Being the ridiculously huge nerd that I am, the Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival is always a highlight of my autumn. Maybe it's something about the smell of fall, which I equate simultaneously with wet foliage and new books. Something about going back to school, sharpened pencils, ringing in a whole new year of academia. The 20-year-old Writers & Readers Fest is something like the knee socks to my plaid kilt and sweater vest. Committed to supporting literacy and exposing Canadian authors, the Fest is held on Granville Island from the 16th to the 21st of October.

Continue reading for the highlights I've already cursived into my shiny red agenda...

Falsework: Poet Gary Geddes' Falsework tells the story of a Titanic-esque moment in Vancouver history; the construction collapse of the monolithic Second Narrows Bridge and the resulting deaths of 18 bridge workers. The poems are brought to life in a staged reading, aiming to give voice to those lost to a tragedy that shaped our urban landscape.
October 19, 8:00pm at the Granville Island Stage

An Intimate Evening with Barbara Gowdy: Gowdy is one of the ballsiest Canadian writers out there, and her latest novel, Helpless (an intimate portrayal of a would-be paedophile and the young girl he kidnaps), has stirred up a storm of controversy among reviewers. A refreshing live-wire on the Canadian literary scene - the movie "Kissed" was based on one of her short stories - she's bound to have the academics in a tizzy.
October 20, 8:00pm at the Playwrights Theatre Centre

Maritime Medley: Renowned Cape Bretoner Alistair MacLeod (author of the mythical No Great Mischief and Islands ) will read from his works, accompanied by Vancouver's Chor Leoni choir singing what I can only hope will be some haunting Maritime fiddle-laced sea shanties.
October 21, 1:30pm at the Waterfront Theatre

Tickets to these and the dozens of other events are available through Ticketmaster on the Writer's Fest website, and range in price from free to around $20.

Photo courtesy of Euan Forrester in the BR Flickr pool.