If you like to read books, listen to music, or create your own stories and songs, Wild Words North is for you! (full festival schedule here)
From September 26-29th writers from across the country working in genres ranging from poetry, prose, film making, and song writing will converge in Fort St. John to participate in 17 different readings, panel discussions, presentations and workshops. This three-day festival, administered by the Peace Liard Regional Arts Council, will feature writers such as Griffin Poetry Prize winner Billy-Ray Belcourt whose most recent book, NDN Coping Mechanisms, came out the first week of September and sold out in days (fortunately we will have a few copies at the festival!). Also featured are renowned anthropologists Jillian and Robin Ridington who wrote a seminal history of the Dane-zaa First Nation at the request of the Doig River First Nation, singer/songwriter Kym Gouchie, acclaimed storyteller and film maker Richard Van Camp and one of Canada’s most esteemed writers and translators, Erin Moure.
Audience members will have the opportunity to hear these writers and more share their work and their techniques in the craft of writing. The festival is also excited to present a panel discussion, Histories, Presences, Places, where an impressive line up of writers and community members will discuss how we can speak of histories, presences, and places in better ways and what questions we need to ask of history and what history asks of us. This event will be video recorded live.
Words North will also showcase some of the region’s visual artists by displaying work inspired by the words of the festival’s feature writers.
The opening of this art exhibit takes place Thursday, September 26th at 7 pm at Peace Gallery North and will be held in conjunction with the opening of the festival. Admission to the opening is free and will be followed by a coffeehouse (also free) hosted by well known singer/songwriters Naomi Shore and Ryan Naomi Shore (other performers will include Adam Winn, Airik Clark, Joseph Tebulte, Lorissa Scriven, Dori Braun, and Ben Waechter).