I had an exciting week at the Vancouver Writers Fest — my hometown literary festival!

First up, I organized a fundraiser for the Writers Fest called “Kidlit, Craft Brews & Canapes.” It was headlined by kidlit superstars Mariko Tamaki, Faith Erin Hicks, Ashley Spires, and Cale Atkinson. It was a great opportunity for the local kidlit community to get together, share a few drinks, and hear from four extraordinary kidlit creators.

Here’s Mariko Tamaki:

Faith Erin Hicks:

Ashley Spires:

Cale Atkinson:

Then, I had a mid-week event for kids called “Art Alive” with two amazing kidlit colleagues: Cale Atkinson and Aron Nels Steinke. We had the chance to talk about our work, and Cale and Aron even did some on-the-stage cartooning. Here’s Cale working his magic:

And Aron got in on the fun, too!

I also had the chance to do some on-stage wet felting!

Then it was question and answer time led by the Chair of the Vancouver Writers Fest, Alexia Jones:

Finally, I had my own solo talk on Free Saturday! It was such a pleasure to talk about my work in front of an enthusiastic audience.

Of course, as a book-lover, I also had the chance to attend other events, including an event with all the 2019 Giller Prize nominees:

As a lawyer, it was also a great privilege to hear former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, Beverley McLachlin, in conversation with CBC’s Laura Lynch:

The Vancouver Writers Fest is one of the leading literary festivals in North America and it was such a thrill to be a part of it in 2019! Congratulations to all the staff and volunteers behind the Fest — you all did an amazing job!

See you in 2020!