Buzz

What people are saying about the North Shore Writers Festival:

“It was very inclusive, engaging, instructive, and inspiring. I especially appreciated the grace
and wit of the workshop leaders.” – 2022 Survey Response

“Thank you organizers for your generosity. I’m a senior on the Sunshine Coast, recovering from
Covid. I would never have made the trip into the city. The online offerings were so perfect.” – 2022 Survey Response

“I really appreciated that the North Shore Writers Festival could be delivered virtually this year. With so many community events cancelled due to COVID I feel that this festival was really enjoyed by people living on the North Shore.” – 2021 Survey Response

“Libraries are a life-saver and however you can link up our community is wonderful.” – 2021 Survey Response

“It was all done so well. The speakers were delightful. Thank you so much for doing this!! And the best thing is I’m from Calgary and have never gotten to come to the festival and this year I did!!!” – 2021 Survey Response

“This event was so well organized and thought out. Every one of the speakers were so very
interesting. It was exciting.” – 2019 Survey Response

“The North Shore Writers Festival is a wonderful opportunity to speak with like-minded people who are passionate about literature writing and reading. Amazing. Diverse. Excellent!” – 2018 Survey Response

“As a writer I look forward and appreciate this festival and the opportunity to share with the community such talent and association.” – 2017 Survey Response

“Wonderful, meaningful, inspirational event! Writing & reading so so important moving forward – connects & creates community!!! Thank you.” – 2016 Survey Response

“Excellent event! Thanks so much for organizing. I’m very impressed that it’s free. Thank you to the sponsors.” – 2015 Survey Response

“The festival features Vincent Lam, who won the Scotiabank Giller Prize for his collection of short stories, Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures. Also featured are writers Roberta Rich, and Jen Sook-Fong Lee, who are panelists for discussions around writing and getting published. Plus you can test your knowledge of literature at the Literary Trivia Quiz on Friday.” – From the CBC’s On the Coast’sTop 5 Weekend Picks on April 11, 2014

“Located in the Atrium across the street from the North Vancouver Public Library, the quiz was held in very comfortable confines – a reserved table for each of the 20 teams, a bowl of pretzels, a paper table cloth to doodle on with attendant pencil crayons, and friendly beer and wine prices. CBC personality Grant Lawrence, hot on the heels of a reading from his new book, did an fantastic job of hosting … And did I mention the trophy? No? Well, there was a trophy. Easily the most impressive trophy I’ve seen at a quiz night. 2 and a half feet of glory, wrought in imitation gold.” — From the Vancouver Pub Quiz/Trivia Night Blog, April 14, 2014

“Black Bond Books display their three-foot-high-shiny-blue trophy at the authors’ kiosk the next day.  They are impressive.  For me, it’s a humbling but humorous happening…” — Joan Boxall on the winners of the Literary Trivia event at the 2014 festival

“Now in its 13th year, the North Shore Writers’ Festival (Sat., April 21) is taking that library-patron relationship even further into the non-traditional with the inclusion of a blogging panel and even an e-reader raffle prize.” — From “A Fresh Face for the North Shore Writers’ Fest” article in the North Shore Outlook, April 18, 2012

“It was beautifully organized, and the day seemed to be a real pleasure for the audiences I saw, as well as for the writers… (The organizers’) graceful help both before and during the festival was exactly what makes writers comfortable at these things: thorough, kind, thoughtful and calm.” Giller Prize Finalist Marina Endicott, June 19, 2012

“… it was standing room only with people sitting on the floor and leaning against the walls this last weekend at the West Vancouver Memorial library. It was a literal hub of activity. ‘Literal’ – get it? I think Daniel Kalla (best-selling author of seven books and part-time ER doctor!?) summed it up best when he said it felt like an international airport … all the bodies milling about and excitement in the air. Stuff was happening.” — Lynn Crymble, author of It Could Happen to You, on her blog, April 23, 2012

“Deep inside the bustling West Vancouver Memorial Library, perhaps 100 people crowded into a conference room and listened in wrapt (sic) silence to a wonderful and diverse line up of presentations and readings.” — Local writer Michele Fogal on her blog, April 23, 2012

“Even though I’ve been blogging on and off for four years now, I’m always interested to learn tips from other bloggers. So I was excited that the North Shore Writer’s Festival had a Secrets of Successful Bloggers panel made up of some of the city’s top bloggers.” — Karra Barron on her blog, April 25, 2012