Jordan Manley photo

Mountain culture. A complete fabrication of self-indulgent pow-chasers, or a representation of a lifestyle and environment envied by many and embraced by a lucky few? This is but one of the questions to be tackled by some of Whistler’s most prolific writers, editors and Mountain Culture Experts, at one of Whistler’s most creative and inspiring festivals; Whistler Readers and Writers Festival, October 12-14, 2012. In not many places are the residents considered experts on their own environments, but being that this is a community that people descend upon in order to fully immerse themselves in the environment itself, then there are justifiable reasons for a ‘culture’ of its own.

Nicolas Teichrob photo

There’s also justifiable reasons for a town of only 10,000 permanent residents to have its own Readers and Writers Festival; because this is a special town. One that oozes creativity, passion, individuality and self-expression. Founded in 2001, and becoming a non-profit organisation in 2005, the Whistler Writers Group (The Vicious Circle) runs the Readers and Writers Festival, along with promoting “literary arts, provided a forum for local writers to develop their craft within the community, and sponsored literary events for readers and writers alike”. The Festival is a chance for budding and established scribes and book worms to learn about new techniques, opportunities and inspirations, as well as share experiences and create new contacts in the reading and writing industry within Whistler.

Robin O'Neill photo

One of the events that intrigued this scribe, was the “Lunch & Panel Discussion” (yes, it was the “lunch” part that caught the eye first..) broaching the subject of the aforementioned “Mountain Culture” and its place in the written world today. You can purchase your tickets to this event HERE.

Jordan Manley photo

Another intriguing topic, and appealing ticket price tag of only $15, is the Panel Discussion of Writing and Film: http://www.theviciouscircle.ca/collections/festival-2012-registration/products/sunday-panel-discussion-writing-and-film. For the first time on the festival’s schedule, Filmmakers have been included, showing that the correlation between written and spoken word has been elevated through the medium of the image, moving and still, and is now a viable option for writers to consider delving into. I will definitely be attending this discussion, as Moderator Leslie Anthony takes us down an intriguing and informative path with Panel members Jordan Manley, Robin O’Neill, Nicolas Teichrob, Darcy Turenne, and Rebecca Wood Barrett. The panel includes speakers from a wide range of industries, from print writers to photographers, scriptwriters to webisode developers, ski athletes to fiction writers, and they will attempt to dissect and explore how the written word plays into the work that they create. Whether they formulate a story prior to shooting, and whether they story is developed along the way? Do they use the written word as inspiration to their work, and how heavily does it play into the outcome of what they create? With “Mountain Culture” placing a solid emphasis on the visual aspects of life, and the proliferation of photography and film within Whistler’s artistic community, there are a number of reasons to check out the Whistler Readers and Writers Festival, and those events are just two of them. Ask questions, get involved, discover, create, be inspired.

As Benjamin Franklin so eloquently put it; “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing”. He couldn’t have been talking about Whistler’s Mountain Culture..could he?

You can get more information, and tickets, about the Whistler Readers and Writers Festival here.