The much-anticipated list of authors coming to this year's instalment of the Eden Mills Writers' Festival has been revealed.
The event, slated for Sept. 10 in the village, will feature 48 Canadian authors who will share their recently-released books through panel discussions, interviews, readings and more.
The lineup includes: best-selling authors Emma Donoghue (Learned by Heart), Uzma Jalaluddin (Much Ado About Nada), Amy Jones (Pebble and Dove), Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer (Wait Softly Brother), Ken McGoogan (Searching for Franklin), Michelle Porter (A Grandmother Begins the Story), Michelle Min Sterling (Camp Zero), and Katherena Vermette (The Circle).
Award-winning authors Don Gillmor (Breaking and Entering), Larissa Lai (The Lost Century), Jane Munro (False Creek), Zalika Reid-Benta (River Mumma), Thomas Wharton (The Book of Rain), and Alissa York (Far Cry) will also present their books at the festival.
The festival is also an ideal place to discover new voices. Attendees will have the chance to hear from Jamaluddin Aram (Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesday), comedian Ali Hassan (Is There Bacon in Heaven?), Jessica Johns (Bad Cree), Brooke Lockyer (Burr), Janika Oza (A History of Burning), Amanda Peters (The Berry Pickers) and many more.
“Our program features some of the most exciting fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and short stories being published this year. Readers will recognize the names of some of Canada's most beloved writers, but it's also my hope that they will leave the event having discovered some incredible new authors,” says Artistic Director Nicola Dufficy.
The event’s family programming includes poetry from Shannon Bramer, comics with Paul Gilligan, island stories from Michelle Kadarusman, an Indigenous coming of age story from Sandra Laronde, a craft with Gillian Sze, and a chance to embrace “space on earth” with astronaut Dr. Dave Williams.
The festival is supported by a variety of funders and sponsors, including: Access Copyright Foundation, Angel Gabriel Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, Department of Canadian Heritage, Waterloo Region Community Foundation – The Musagetes Fund, Ontario Arts Council, The Government of Ontario, Ontario Trillium Foundation, City of Guelph, and the County of Wellington. Event sponsors include The Village of Arbour Trails, HarperCollins Canada, Cogeco, The Neighbourhood Group, and The League of Canadian Poets.
Advance tickets to the festival are available at a reduced rate until Aug. 31. Admission is free for children and offered at a discount for students. Tickets and further details are available at emwf.ca.
