On Nov. 1 and 2, UFV’s English department hosted the 17th annual Fraser Valley Writers Festival (FVWF), and brought Canadian writers together in a celebration of literature. The two day festival opened with the keynote addresses, and day two hosted panels and several writing workshops. FVWF provided attendees with plenty of opportunities to improve their writing skills and connect with like-minded people within the community. As Rob Taylor, artistic director and assistant professor at UFV, explained: “Writing and reading are usually solitary acts … events like this make reading or writing a real, living thing.”
Kicking off the event, Heather McAlpine — head of the English department — announced the newest Writer in Residence for Winter 2025. Leanne Dunic, a published author and member of the band The Deep Cove, will be joining us on campus as a mentor for students aspiring to get into writing, publishing, or music.
Setting the tone for the festival were keynote addresses from Billy-Ray Belcourt and Angela Sterritt. Belcourt, author and associate professor at the University of British Columbia, spoke on deconstructing colonial notions of fiction and shaping postcolonial narratives. The second address was given by Sterritt, a journalist, author, and motivational speaker, whose groundbreaking work reporting on Indigenous stories shaped her experience as a journalist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
Day two of the event began with writing workshops, where featured authors spent time in smaller classroom settings teaching various genres, from short fiction and poetry, to non-fiction writing. The small group atmosphere allowed emerging writers to learn and ask questions in a way that felt more personal.
After each workshop, attendees were directed back to Evered Hall for panel discussions. Each author presented newly commissioned work for the festival, fielded questions from the panel host, and took questions from audience members. The first panel, “Revise,” hosted by Adrienne Gruber, brought Carleigh Baker, Richard Kelly Kemick, Anita Lahey, and Abbotsford author Logan Paylor into discussion on the process of revision. The second panel, “Abandon,” was hosted by Logan Paylor and saw authors Kate Black, Adrienne Gruber, Marc Perez, and Onjana Yawnghwe speak on what it looks like to abandon a creative project.
When asked about student participation, Taylor said, “A large portion of our operations was done by students, and we’re hoping to continue to grow that in the future.” The festival was well attended, with a good show out from our student body and members of the community. This year’s FVWF was organized by practicum students Carly Fleming and Kiara Okonkwo, who advertised and ran the event.
A poetry contest for emerging writers at UFV provided the winner, student Annabel Bot, the opportunity to read their piece “Bring Me to a Place” in front of festival goers, furthering student involvement at all levels.
When asked why people should come to next year’s festival, Taylor said: “It makes you feel more a part of the community. That can be the UFV community, it can be your neighbourhood, your city; it makes you feel less alone in the world.”
So next year when the Fraser Valley Writers Festival comes to town, and you’re unsure if you should go or not, come anyway — be a part of the community.
