Cartoonists, novelists, poets, and readers converge at Word Vancouver!

A ton of free events makes Word Vancouver a not-to-be-missed event for readers.

The festival takes place between Sept. 21-25, culminating with a grab-bag of outdoor and indoor festivities on Sunday, Sept. 25, in and around the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library (350 W Georgia St.) from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Throughout the festival, Word Vancouver will host over 100 readings, 150 authors, and 20 workshops, as well as panel discussions, an exhibitor marketplace, colouring stations, and more.

Some of highlights include appearances by cartoonist Lynn Johnston(For Better or Worse), graphic novelist Faith Erin Hicks (The Nameless City), author Joy Kogawa (Obasan), musician/memoirist Bif Naked (I, Bificus), and poet bill bissett. For entertainment, visitors can enjoy the antics of Circus Lab and En Route: All Bodies Dance Project, along with LARP, cosplay, and sword fighting demonstrations.

Other Word Vancouver guests include Anosh Irani, Ujjal Dosanjh, Paul Yee, Ronald Wright, Yasuko Thanh, Jen Sookfong Lee, Carmen Aguirre, Daphne Marlatt, Wayde Compton, Caroline Adderson, Lorelei Bachman, and Renée Sarojini Saklikar.

Since its inception over two decades ago, the festival has expanded from a single-day event to a five-day festival, becoming Western Canada’s largest free celebration of reading and writing for all ages. During the days leading up to the last day, the festival promotes books and authors with a flurry of free exhibits, performances, and hands-on activities for a wide range of ages and interests at various venues throughout the city. These include Banyen Books & Sound (3608 W. 4th), CBC Studio 700 (700 Hamilton St.), and The Emerald (555 Gore St.).

For a full schedule, visit wordvancouver.ca.