Visiting Writers: George Bowering, Stephen Collis, Ivan E. Coyote, Marcello Di Cintio, Gary Geddes, Daphne Marlatt, Ruth Ozeki, Alan Twigg, Rex Weyler, Carol Windley
Moderator/Hosts: Des Kennedy, Sheryl MacKay
Local Writers: Janey Bennett, Graham Brazier, Sheila Carnegie, Bill Engleson, Dennis Forsyth, Jane Masutani, Megan, Jeronimo Miller, Del Phillips, The Raging Grannies, Ron Sakolsky
Musicians & Other Performers: Gretchen Elsner, Carla Hallett, Robert Minden
2007 Denman Island Readers & Writers Festival
2006 Denman Island Readers & Writers Festival
2005 Denman Island Readers & Writers Festival
Visiting Writers: Marilyn Bowering, Baba Brinkman, Deborah Campbell, JB MacKinnon, John Pass, Brian Payton, Alisa Smith, Chris Tenove, and Richard Van Camp.
Moderator/Hosts: Juan Barker, Des Kennedy
Local Writers: Graham Brazier, Hersh Chernovsky, Ro DeDoming, Bill Engleson, Jan Florian, Elaine Martin, John Millen, Jerry Miller, Sheila Nopper, Del Phillips, Ron Sakolsky, Glen Snook, and Shaun Woods.
Visiting Writers: Bill Gaston, Christian Bök, M.A.C. Farrant, Daniel Francis, Terry Glavin, D.J. Hauka, Susan Musgrave
Moderator/Hosts: Keith Keller, Des Kennedy
Local Writers: Alison Bibby, Graham Brazier, Ro DeDoming, Bill Engelson, Jan Florian, Dennis Forsyth, Amanda Hale, Tim Hicks, Paul LeBaron, Elaine Martin, John Millen, Ana Miriam, Del Phillips, Gillian Rambold, Sheila Simpson, Norah Wright
2004 Denman Island Readers & Writers Festival
Visiting Writers: Emmajoy Crone, Amanda Hale, Julie Lawson, Jocelyn Reekie, Chris Robertson, Tom Wayman
Moderator/Hosts:
Local Writers:
2003 Denman Island Readers & Writers Festival
Visiting Writers: Arthur Black, Anne Cameron, Gail Anderson-Dargatz, Sheryl McFarlane, Wendy Morton
Moderator/Hosts:
Local Writers: Tricia Andrews, Graham Brazier, Giselle Charlebois, Hersh Chernovsky, Maddy Christe, Diane Davis, Roberta De Doming Jan Florian, Deborah Graham, Amanda Hale, Hans Jungman, Linda Kadlec-Diver, Madeleine Keller, Jos Kollee, Bentley LeBaron, Ana Miriam Leigh, Lorraine Martinuik, Jane Masutani, John Millen, Del Phillips, Sandra Puga, Joy Reeves, Annie Russell, Jessie Russell, Kian Slobodin, Ruth Terry, Theo Terry, Lea Trepanier
2002 Denman Island Festival of the Arts
Young Writers: Maya Christie, Annie-Rose Lessard Kirwin, Emily Lonsdale, Madeline S. Keller MacLeod, Jesse Russell, Kian Slobodin, Theo Terry, Merle Therrien, Alec Wright
Fiction: Graham Brazier (w/Cynthia Minden & slides by Dennis Forsyth), Diane Davis, Jos Kollee, Hans Jungman, Janet Simpson-Cooke
Non-fiction: Jane Masutani, Maxine Matilpi, Rolf Ludvigsen
Poetry: Roberta DeDoming, Ana Miriam Leigh, Roxanne Cowles-McPhail, Del Phillips, Neysa Turner
Past Festivals
Denman Island Readers & Writers Festival
Photos on this page by Andrew Fyson
2008 Denman Island Readers & Writers Festival
Visiting Writers: Eliziabeth Bachinsky, bill bissett, Sharon Butala, Maggie de Vries, Dennis Foon, Shaena Lambert, Jen Sookfong Lee, Brian Payton, Calvin Sandborn, and Howard White
Writer In Residence: Jack Hodgins
Host: Sheryl MacKay
Local Writers: Juan Barker, Jennifer Le Baron, Graham Brazier,
Hersh Chernovsky, Bill Engleson, Dennis Forsyth, Jennifer Lee, Jane Masutani, John Millen, Jerry Miller, Del Phillips, Ron Sakolsky, and Jackie Ward.
Local children read their writing: Kassie Warner, Moshe Little-Guient, Maia Stanton, Lucy Dabbs (also reading work by Livia Gibson), Amelia Candy, Grace Rempel, Laura Schmidt-Schweda (also reading work by Faith Dunnett), Max Dabbs, Fiona Le Baron (also reading work by Vail Zerr), and Amy Stewart.
Visiting Writers: Deborah Campbell, Afua Cooper, William Deverell, Sarah Dunant, Steve Galloway, Heidi Greco, Gabor Maté, Mary Novik, Matt Rader, Harold Rhenisch, Eden Robinson, and Ronald Wright.
Writer In Residence: Jack Hodgins
Host: Mark Forsythe
Local Writers: Jan Florian, Jennifer Lee, Jim Kirk, Ana Miriam Leigh, John Millen, Bill Engleson, Graham Brazier, Ron Sakolsky, Sheila Nopper, Dennis Forsyth, Karl Goodwin, and Del Phillips.
Local children read their writing: Amelia Candy, Liam Cronin, Lucy Dabbs, Max Dabbs, Louise Eriksson, Livia Gibson, Odessa Gibson, Elishka Hajek, Liam Harrington, Noah Hicks, Kinana LeBaron, Tai McGillivray, Sandra Puga, Kassie Warner, Robin Zerr, and Vail Zerr.
Festival 2009
This year’s wonderful line-up of authors left us with plenty of ideas and readings to work on for at least the coming year. The many powerful solo sessions, provocative panel discussions and in-depth workshops made for a fantastically stimulating and engaging weekend.
Denman Island hospitality, once again, was highlighted through contributions from local billeting hosts, an on-island catering crew, volunteer helpers, the organizing committee and local community librarians. We had record numbers for attendance at many events thanks to our eager and appreciative audience members. And finally, many generous sponsors made it all possible. Thanks to all of you!
Who wasn’t spellbound by Sarah Dunant’s presentation, Afua Cooper’s dub poetry, or Matt Rader’s poetry? Or provoked by the ideas and research of Deborah Campbell, Ronald Wright, and Gabor Maté? Or delighted by Eden Robinson’s laugh, Harold Rhenisch’s tales or Heidi Greco’s poems? Or transported by the work of Mary Novik and Steven Galloway? Or awed by the insight of writers such as Jack Hodgins and William Deverell?
Over the few days of the festival, we all traveled vicariously to 17 century London, Mayan Mexico, Iraqi refugee camps in Syria, Canadian-Caribbean communities, downtown eastside Vancouver, 15 century Italy, futuristic Britain, Sarajevo under siege, Cariboo grasslands, and then zoomed back into our own landscape here on the west coast.
What a trip – in every sense of the word! And CBC’s Mark Forsythe, our panel moderator, brought it all together with his skilled handling of the Main Stage events and his many inclusions of details from the Denman community.
Visiting Writers: Brian Brett, Robert Bringhurst, Zsuzsi Gartner, Des Kennedy, Joy Kogawa, Richard Mackie, Emily St. John Mandel, Philip Kevin Paul, Nancy Turner, Deborah Willis, and Jan Zwicky.
Writer In Residence: Sharon Butala
Manuscript Assesment Program: Charlotte Gill
Host: Bill Richardson
Local Writers: Sheila Carnegie, Bill Engleson, Karla Florian, Karl Goodwin, Ana Miriam Leigh, Jane Masutani, Sheila Nopper, Del Phillips, Annette Reinhart, and Ron Sokolsky.
Local children read their writing: Lucy Dabbs, Louise Eriksson, Sandra Puga, and Kassandra Warner.
Festival 2010