From October 15-19, Victoria Festival of Authors is celebrating its 10th anniversary with 40 luminary guests including 2025 Booker Prize nominee Maria Reva, Booker Prize nominee Madeleine Thien (Do Not Say We Have Nothing), Emma Donoghue, Brian Thomas Issac, Conor Kerr (all Scotiabank Giller Prize nominees), and a wide range of talented and award-winning Canadian and local authors including Joseph Dandurand, Katherena Vermette, Sheri-D Wilson and more.
“This year we have 40 incredible writers coming to share their newest work with us,” said Laura Trunkey, festival producer. “Since 2016, our festival has grown and evolved, and it continues to inspire and connect Victoria residents with some of the best authors and poets in Canada. This year is extra special because it’s our 10th anniversary and we want it to be a festival to remember.”
With very little money and a great deal of trepidation, the first iteration of the Victoria Festival of Authors was in September 2016 and included 21 mostly-local and regional authors who led master classes and took part in panel discussions. Every year since, the VFA has shifted and expanded, responding to requests and suggestions from our audience. This year, there are 17 events including three live-streamed events and three virtual only events. The festival has also partnered with Story Studio to add children’s programming. On top of that, there is a spoken word event, two guest curated events featuring Indigenous voices, a Forest Wonder Walk, workshops, and a plethora of fiction, non-fiction and poetry events to pick from.
“It’s a big year for us because we’re trying new things, including a workshop at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria lead by our board members,” Trunkey said. “We want the audience to feel immersed in the creative spirit in Victoria, and to explore and experience art venues and the natural world in a way that’s linked to the literary arts. The fact we’ve been here for 10 years sharing books and authors is exciting for everyone who comes together to bring the festival back year after year.”
