Authors' Festivals

'Tis the season to be jolly ... at least, if you have a new book out. It is festival season! I didn't get invited to many festivals - actually, I got invited to TWO - but dang, I got invited to the best. Festivals for writers are like a trip to Switzerland for chocolate lovers. It is such a relief to get out of one's little cave, and away from the computer screen, and mingle with other people who spend far too much time a) alone and b) in their own heads. 

My festival season started at Winnipeg's Thin Air, in September. This is such a great event. The organizers - Charlene Diehl (boss lady), Tavia Palmer, Perry Grosshans - are phenomenal, interesting, funny human beings. Sadly I don't have ANY PHOTOS from my time there! Bad me. But I got to see the likes of David Bergen and Richard Ford (yes - THE Richard Ford) on-stage and buy their books, as well as do school stage events to packed houses of enthusiastic kids and their teachers.

I also got to pick up the MYRCA Award for "Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom" on the same trip. What a blast. I do have a couple of photos from that. 

 
And now on to the Vancouver International Writers' Festival, which is going on all this week ... Oh my stars, what fun. I did a panel with the beautiful and talented Susan Juby, and one today with the handsome and debonair Arthur Slade. Both terrific fun. This is me, Art and our wonderful moderator, Shannon Ozirny, she of the amazing blog "George's Favorite Tooth."


On the opening night, Susan and I were both invited to the Literati Gala Dinner, where they had a photo booth. It was a very, very serious event, as you can tell ...
 
I hope the people at our table weren't wishing for someone, shall we say, less juvenile ...

Speaking of Susan: She somehow managed to wrangle me, Arthur and Sheree Fitch into being in her next edition of "A Writer's Life."  If you have not seen these videos, for heaven's sake click on the link and watch! They're hilarious. I won't tell you anything about our involvement, but I will offer a sneak preview in photo-form ...

Also, it was while in our pajamas that we ran into, I kid you not, both Lawrence Hill (yes - "The Book of Negroes" Lawrence Hill) and Rawi Hage (yes, of "DeNiro's Game" and "Cockroach").

So, that's the festival so far. I am hoping to have the chance tonight to hang out with some of the above, as well as Richard Scrimger, Shane Peacock, and Kenneth Oppel. Fingers crossed, I'll keep you posted!