The Word on the Lake Writers乌鸦传媒� Festival returns this spring with a focus on familiar faces, informative workshops and, of course, the written word.
Best of the Fest is how organizer Kay Johnston describes this year乌鸦传媒檚 event, held May 11 to 13 at the Prestige Harbourfront Resort and Okanagan College乌鸦传媒檚 Salmon Arm campus.
Most of this year乌鸦传媒檚 presenters are friends of the festival who have appeared at sometime in the past. They include 2017 festival sensation Sheri-D Wilson, crime lawyer turned crime writer Michael Slade, author and Order of Canada recipient Jacqueline Guest, multiple-award winning playwright, TV producer and novelist Ian Wier, historical fiction writer Jack Whyte, musician, CBC personality and author Grant Lawrence, author, novelist and actor Chris C.C. Humphreys, musician and photographer Victor Anthony, academic and award-winning author Patricia Donahue, former educator and editor Joy Vowles and author and B.C. historian Howard White, whose awards and accolades include a Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, the Order of B.C. an Officer of the Order of Canada. Rounding off the list is Salmon Arm乌鸦传媒檚 own award-winning storyteller and photographer James Murray.
乌鸦传媒淭hey love to come,乌鸦传媒� says Johnston of the high-caliber slate of talented individuals the festival attracts each year.
乌鸦传媒淭hey love to come because first of all they乌鸦传媒檙e well looked after and they乌鸦传媒檙e here and they can get to know people 乌鸦传媒� they feel as though they乌鸦传媒檙e part of the whole thing, they乌鸦传媒檙e not a number.
乌鸦传媒淚t was Chris (Humphreys) actually who said I love this festival, I love the atmosphere, it乌鸦传媒檚 intimate, I feel as though I get to know the people in my workshops.乌鸦传媒�
A highlight of the festival are the workshops headed by the presenters, and this year乌鸦传媒檚 offerings touch on a tantalizing array of topic, including: 乌鸦传媒淭he sex scene: how much is too much? A male novelist乌鸦传媒檚 perspective乌鸦传媒� with Chris Humphreys. There will also be sessions entitled: 乌鸦传媒淩omance novel and its expanding sub-genres乌鸦传媒� with Patricia Donahue, to 乌鸦传媒淐reating villains, conflict and tension乌鸦传媒� with Michael Slade to a special master class with Jack Whyte.
For one-on-one instruction, there乌鸦传媒檚 the Blue Pencil Caf茅, which offers attendees an appointment with an available presenter of their choice.
Johnston says the festival, put on the Shuswap Association of Writers, offers an intimate setting where people can meet the authors, talk with them about their writing, hear them read and learn from them.
乌鸦传媒淚f you just enjoy writing, if you just enjoy doing your blog or you want to write about your family, you乌鸦传媒檒l fit right in,乌鸦传媒� said Johnston. 乌鸦传媒淏ecause writing can be pretty lonely乌鸦传媒� It乌鸦传媒檚 nice to come and talk to other people. It乌鸦传媒檚 a shot in the arm. And they can network, that乌鸦传媒檚 a really important part, that we have to leave them time to talk to each other.乌鸦传媒�
Registration for the festival is already underway at , with an early bird draw prize package up for grabs that includes a two night deluxe stay at the Prestige, a bottle of wine from Larch Hills Winery, gift certificates and, of course, full festival access.
lachlan@saobserver.net
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