Throughout the year, the Festival hosts several special events. Subscribe to our email notification service, and we’ll let you know when updates are posted to this site.
An Afternoon with Bob McDonald
PostedA Special Fundraiser for the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts
Join us for an inspiring afternoon with renowned science journalist and beloved broadcaster Bob McDonald, as he shares stories from his remarkable life and career, drawn from his new memoir, Just Say Yes. Bob will reflect on his decades-long journey bringing science to Canadians — and how saying “yes” opened doors to extraordinary adventures.
Date: Sunday, October 5, 2025
Location: Raven’s Cry Theatre, 5555 Sunshine Coast Hwy., Sechelt
Time: 2:00–4:00 p.m. (Doors open for general admission at 1:30 p.m.)
The Event Includes:
- A captivating talk by Bob McDonald
- An audience Q&A
- A book signing session, courtesy of Talewind Books
Ticket Options:
VIP Experience – $75 (limited quantities available)
- Exclusive pre-event Meet & Greet with Bob McDonald
- A signed copy of Bob’s memoir, Just Say Yes (value $35)
- Reserved premium-section seating
General Admission
- $30 for one ticket
- $25 for two or more tickets – bring a friend and save!
Online Auction
You can also support the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts by bidding in our online auction until October 15, 2025. Check out these special items – including original art and exciting experiences – and help raise funds to support Canada’s longest-running summer gathering celebrating Canadian writers and readers! All proceeds will help us continue bringing exceptional literary experiences to our community. Visit 32auctions.com/SCFWA2025.
Special Events at the 2025 Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts
PostedThis year we are pleased to offer special events taking place on August 16 and August 17. Please note that festival and Saturday day passes do not include admission to Event A. For more information, or to reserve a ticket for the fiction workshop (while supplies last), order online or phone our box office at 1-800-565-9631.
Event A – Fiction Workshop: Creating Believable Characters with Caroline Adderson
The aim of this session is to people your stories and novels with characters who might walk right off the page. We will cover the meaning of names, explore techniques to deepen characterization, examine the hidden motivations of your fictional creations, trace their character arcs, and make sure that when they speak (and they will!) effective dialogue comes out of their mouths. Come prepared to write, read and share.
photo Jessica Whitman
Saturday, August 16, 2025 | 11:30 am– 1:00 pm
Location: Rockwood Lodge Art Space (space is limited)
Workshop cost: $25.00
Caroline Adderson is the author of five novels and three collections of short stories as well as many books for young readers. Her awards include three BC Book Prizes, three CBC Literary Awards, the Marian Engel Award for mid-career achievement and a National Magazine Award Gold Medal for Fiction. She teaches in the Writing and Publishing Program at SFU and is the former program director of the Writing Studio at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
Event B – Festival of the Written Arts Coffee Hour
Sunday, August 17, 2025 | 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: Festival site, beside the Book Tent
Cost: Free
Enjoy complimentary coffee and tea and live music while you share stories, talk books and mingle with other festival goers. No registration required!
Sechelt Premiere Screening of Inkwo for When the Starving Return
Posted
The Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts is pleased to be a sponsor of the Sechelt premiere of the award-winning stop motion animated film, Inkwo for When the Starving Return, featuring appearances by local filmmakers Amanda Strong (director/co-producer/co-writer) and Bracken Hanuse Corlett (co-writer), with special guest Richard Van Camp (co-writer) also in attendance.
This special event is May 1st, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.) at the Raven’s Cry Theatre in Sechelt. Admission is by donation, and no pre-registration is needed.
Watch the trailer.
A mesmerizing tale of courage, identity and the enduring power of truth, Inkwo for When the Starving Return is an animated adaptation of an original short story by award-winning Tlicho Dene storyteller Richard Van Camp. Spotted Fawn Productions, led by Michif/Metis director Amanda Strong, carried the story into its innovative film form. This collective vision shines through in tender moments, urgent choices and epic confrontations that blur the boundaries between the physical and the supernatural.
Two lifetimes from now the world hangs in the balance. Dove, a young, enigmatic, gender-shifting warrior, discovers the gifts and burdens of their Inkwo (medicine) to defend against an army of hungry, ferocious monsters. Dove’s courage, resilience and alliance with the Earth culminates in a battle against these flesh-consuming creatures, who become stronger with each body and soul they devour. Inkwo for When the Starving Return is a call to action to fight and protect against the forces of greed around us.
The film features the extraordinary voice talent of Paulina Alexis (Critics Choice Award winner), Tantoo Cardinal (Order of Canada) and versatile television producer, actor and storyteller Art Napoleon.
Please note this film is Unrated and Intended for Mature Audiences.
This event is co-presented by the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts, Raven’s Cry Theatre, The National Film Board of Canada and Spotted Fawn Productions.
—
Guests in Attendance:
Amanda Strong. Amanda is a Michif/Métis artist, writer, producer, director, filmmaker and mother. As the owner and executive producer of Spotted Fawn Productions Inc., her collaborative creations serve to amplify Indigenous storytelling and ideologies. Strong’s work has received Canadian Screen Award and Emmy nominations, and her films—which include Biidaaban and Four Faces of the Moon—have been shown worldwide at venues such as TIFF, the Cannes film market, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and the American Museum of Natural History.
Bracken Hanuse Corlett. Bracken is an interdisciplinary artist hailing from the Wuikinuxv and Klahoose Nations. His practice fuses painting and drawing with digital media, audiovisual performance, animation and narrative. Some of Bracken’s notable exhibitions, performances and screenings have been held at Grunt Gallery, the Vancouver International Film Festival, Urban Shaman, the Mackenzie Art Gallery and the Toronto International Film Festival. Most recently, the script he wrote for Biidaaban (the dawn comes) won the Craft Award for Best Script at the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
Richard Van Camp. A recipient of the Order of the Northwest Territories, Richard Van Camp is a proud Tlicho Dene from Fort Smith, NWT, currently residing in Edmonton, Alberta. Richard is an internationally renowned storyteller and the best-selling author of 30 books and graphic novels, including The Spirit of Denendeh series and Moccasin Square Gardens. His novel The Lesser Blessed was adapted into a movie by First Generation Films. You can visit Richard on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, YouTube and at www.richardvancamp.com.