I’ll be taking part in two events at the Vancouver Writers Fest:

Friday, October 23rd at 8pm: Dancing on my Own: Lyrics Night

Help! Our Festival authors are stuck on an Island in the Sun! But look on the Mr. Brightside—they’ve each got one Irreplaceable song to keep them Stayin’ Alive. In this year’s edition of our beloved Lyrics Night—featuring dramatic readings of song lyrics that will have you laughing, crying, and everything in between—writers will serenade you with the one song they’d bring to a deserted island. Whether their picks are Rhythms of the Night or Bittersweet Symphonies, they’ll have you feeling like you’re Soaking Up the Sun right there with them. Hosted by Elamin Abdelmahmoud with DJ Ice B. Plus, stick around afterwards to groove with your favourite authors at our celebrated Dance Party.

Sunday, October 25 at 10:30am: The Conversations.

This popular returning event is like witnessing a live recording of your favourite literary podcast—no headphones required. Moderator Marsha Lederman conducts back-to-back interviews with the authors of some of the most talked-about novels of the season. Sharon Bala, the bestselling author of The Boat People, joins us with Good Guys, a page-turning moral drama about the dark side of philanthropy. PP Wong’s Canada Reads-longlisted dystopian thriller, Slice the Water, explores the amplifying impacts of technology in a military dictatorship ruled by a book-burning king. Multi-award-winning author Gary Barwin spins a hilarious and poignant tale of love, death, and sacrifice in The Comedian’s Book of the Dead.