NorthWords NWT 20th Annual Writers Festival begins tomorrow. Over the last two decades, the festival has seen the likes of many celebrated writers, authors, performers and storytellers. It’s become a place where “the best and the brightest” come together to share their stories and experiences.
Robyn Scott, board president of the non-profit, arts-based organization, told True North FM that the gathering is a time to reflect on the powerful voices shaping northern literary landscapes.
“Richard Van Camp, Judith Drinnan and other Yellowknifers created this organization 20 years ago because they knew and still believe today, that the best writing in this country is coming from our Northern communities,” Scott asserted
Van Camp is Tlicho Dene from Fort Smith and is an internationally celebrated storyteller and best-selling author of over 30 books and graphic novels. Drinnan, like Van Camp, continues to bring books and community together. Drinnan is a driving force behind Northern Quill Publishing, a fierce advocate for Northern writers and storytellers.
Local and internationally acclaimed storytellers, poets, graphic novelists and authors will host panels, workshops, performances and activities at various locations across the city of Yellowknife over the weekend.
The Northwords festival begins Thursday with a community event, a spoken word open mic, at the Yellowknife bookstore. The show will be a “ first introduction” to authors and local writers, it’s a space of many possibilities, where “anybody can take the stage for up to five minutes.”
On Friday, a writer’s retreat will be held at the Explorer hotel. Anybody who considers themselves a writer, whether they are “newly emerging” or ready with a “manuscript in hand,” is invited to attend, exclaimed Scott.
“We’re going to spend the day talking about the writing process, the publishing process and everything in between.”
“There’s really something for everybody this year,” said Scott.
Scott said one of the events she’s most excited about, especially as a mom, is a pyjama party event where young readers can engage with literature in a fun and interactive way together.
“It’s an opportunity for kids to get together. We’re partnered with the Literacy Council, and we’re going to have local authors and performers, activities and musical performances. It’s going to be a lot of fun. So anytime that we can get families in talking about books, makes me really excited,” exclaimed Scott.
And then “on the complete opposite end of that spectrum,” there is an event called Blush, which is probably the festival’s most popular event.
“It’s an evening of erotic poetry and prose. It’s a little spicy.”
The gathering has blossomed into a multi-day tradition drawing a vast, growing audience of local and international participants, a testament to the power of storytelling of Northern and Indigenous voices in the Canadian literary landscape.
There will be a lot of activity unfolding, especially in partnership with Northern Quill, the local Yellowknife publishing House.
“This year, Katłı̨̀ą Lafferty will be back. She’s here to talk about a few of her new projects, including her latest novel,” said Scott.
Katłıà Lafferty is from Dënéndeh, her works include Northern Wildflower, Land-Water-Sky, This House is Not a Home, Firekeeper, and the forthcoming Mother Earth is Our Elde.
She is nominated for the Northwards Book award, which will be announced on Saturday night.
The festival has come a long way since its early days, but even as the initiative grew, the tight community remained at its roots, explained Scoot.
“It started out just as a two-afternoon festival where we would have people gathered in a small room and talk about books,” she said.
Since that time, the initiative has expanded and embraced more people and more ideas and there’s more opportunities for emerging writers to “share their words.”
“It can be a lonely business at times. And so keeping that sort of writing community gathered is really important to us,” added Scott.
Events like the writers’ retreat offer an opportunity for the writing community to gather together and “share words.”
“Unfortunately, it’s hard for us to spread out because of our isolation and to get eyes on us. Northwards takes those writers, we lift them and hold them up into the light, celebrate their success and make sure that everybody gets to hear about these incredible stories. Our life here is so unique, it’s special, it has certain magic to it that I think the rest of the country is really interested in,” said Scott, who explained getting the work of Northern storytellers and writers out there is something the organizers are enthusiastic about.
Finding ways to “amplify” the voices of the North is important for many reasons and for many people, explained Scott.
“We’re so excited to have Niigaan Sinclair here, he just won the Governor General’s award this year for nonfiction,” exclaimed Scott. Sinclair’s Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre is a national bestseller.
Many acclaimed writers, storytellers and authors come every year, travelling from around the country and the world to attend Northwards.
Esi Edugyan, a two-time winner of the Giller prize, will also be at the festival this year. Her most recent books are Out of the Sun, the CBC Massey Lecture, and Garden of Lost Socks, a picture book for children.
NorthWords begins tomorrow and will run to June 1 with activities, forums, workshops and other events taking place at the Explorer Hotel, Yellowknife Books, Northern United Place and the Yellowknife Public Library.
The full schedule of events is available on the Northwords website
