Mountain Culture Is Being Heavily Debated At This Years Festival

In addition to the signature events of the Whistler Readers and Writers Festival, this year’s schedule also includes unique sessions that explore the depths of writing and reading from a Whistler perspective. Writers, readers and storytellers of all levels – from emerging to experienced – will be able to further their knowledge of the written word through a combination of development workshops, panel discussions, and reading and spoken word events during the action-packed weekend.

Launch of Local Author: Whistlerite Stella Harvey will be talking about her first published novel, “Nicolai’s Daughters” at the opening night gala event of the festival. Harvey is a fiction writer whose short stories have appeared in The Literary Leanings Anthology, The New Orphic Review, Emerge Magazine and The Dalhousie Review and more locally in the Pique Newsmagazine, The Question and Globe and Mail. Friday, October 12, 6:30pm, FREE at the Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Centre.

“As the founder of The Whistler Writers Group, Stella has been an enthusiastic supporter of the literary arts in Whistler, having devoted countless volunteer hours to creating and organizing the Whistler Writer in Residence Program, the Literary Learning’s reading series and The Whistler Readers and Writers Festival. Our group is thrilled that Signature Editions is publishing her novel, and we hope the community will come out to honour this very special achievement. If you’ve been to a literary workshop or event in Whistler in the last ten years, it’s time to come out and say thank you to a real visionary.” Said Rebecca Wood Barrett, creative writing instructor and member of the group since 2001.

Mountain Culture vs. Culture in the Mountains: Does mountain culture really exist or is it merely the glorification of mountain sports, endless powder porn ski flicks and rad mountain bike movies, or another tale of “finding oneself” in the solitude of the mountains? Join us for a lively discussion with writers and thinkers from a variety of backgrounds, both in and away from the mountains. The question up for debate: Does mountain culture exist, and if so, does it matter to anybody outside of the mountain lifestyle? With Feet Banks, Mike Berard, Margaret Macpherson, and Stephen Vogler. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Saturday, October 13, 12:30pm – 1:30pm, $25 includes lunch.

Writing and Film: We bring together a panel of local filmmakers from

a variety of different backgrounds to discuss how writing impacts the work they produce. Local filmmaker Leslie Anthony will be moderating what will undoubtedly be a lively and opinionated discussion on how they incorporate the written word in their work. Does writing take a prominent role, or is it an after thought to the visuals? Join Jordan Manly, Robin O’Neil, Nicolas Teichrob, Darcy Turenne, and Rebecca Wood Barrett for the discussion on writing and film. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Sunday, October 14,1:00pm – 2:30pm, $15.

Spore Prose: Join Fungus Among Us Mushroom Festival stars Andy MacKinnon and Paul Kroeger as they talk about their writing experiences, mushrooms, and the unlikely link between John Steinbeck and a mushroom book for the Queen Charlotte Islands. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Monday, October 15, 3:00 – 4:00pm, $10.

Pecha Kucha: Drawing its name from the Japanese term for ‘chit-chat’, Pecha Kucha is a mix of show-and-tell, open mic night and happy hour. It has become the forum for ideas on design, architecture and a lot more, sweeping the world and taking place in over 400 cities globally. Poet Jillian Christmas, with the boot thumping vocals, and the guitar melodies of singer Chelsea D. E. Johnson kick off their highly successful “HARD LOVE” tours. Maxx Fish, Sunday, October 14, 8pm, $10 includes a drink.

Over the past eleven years, the Whistler Readers and Writers Festival has grown from a small gathering to a full-blown festival that attracts the very best Canadian and international authors. Last year’s event had over 300 participants and this year’s numbers are expected to rival that. The explosive growth of the home-grown festival is best encapsulated by a quote from Greek philosopher Epicurus from BC 341-270:

Learn more about the festival lineup and secure tickets by visiting theviciouscircle.ca