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.
Volunteer for the 2026 Festival of the Written Arts
PostedHave you ever thought about volunteering for the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts? It’s a great way to get to know other book lovers on the coast, and to be a part of the festival weekend. There are many volunteer roles available, from taking tickets at the door, to selling raffle tickets, to serving drinks at our beverage booth, to providing important accessibility assistance to festival patrons. Whether you are a past volunteer, or someone who is interested in volunteering for the first time, you’re invited to attend a drop-in volunteer orientation meeting this May. We would love to hear feedback about your experiences volunteering at the festival, share with you some changes for our volunteer roles, and answer questions about volunteering at Festival 2026.
At the orientation you can meet other volunteers, help yourself to drinks and snacks, browse for some free books and magazines, and enter a draw for a prize basket with local goods and gift certificates for Sunshine Coast businesses. Folks are welcome to stay for the whole two hours, or just ten minutes!
- Wednesday, May 27 | 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Rockwood Lodge Living Room and Dining Room, Rockwood Centre, Sechelt.
Attending a volunteer orientation meeting is not mandatory if you want to volunteer this year, but if you can come, please drop by. You are also welcome to fill out the volunteer contact form on our website.
A new generation of storytellers: school writer-in-residence program launched on the Sunshine Coast
PostedThe Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts and School District 46 – Sunshine Coast are pleased to announce the Celebration of Authors, Books and Community (CABC) 2026 Writer-in-Residence program.
Funded in part by a generous Responsive Community Grant from the Sunshine Coast Foundation, the program aims to support a new generation of storytellers on the Sunshine Coast by offering students in-depth, week-long workshops with professional writers that will inspire them and help develop their skills and storytelling/writing abilities.
Kathleen Gros, a cartoonist and graphic novelist from Vancouver, was selected as the 2026 CABC secondary writer-in-residence. Gros travelled between Chatelech Secondary and Elphinstone Secondary from February 23-27 to deliver workshops on making zines (short magazines), publishing graphic novels and creating comics. She worked with approximately 50 creative writing, art and English students at each high school.
Gros’s most recent graphic novels include Carousel Summer, Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of), and Jo: An Adaptation of Little Women (Sort Of). She graduated with a BFA in Illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design and currently teaches students of all ages at Place des Arts in Coquitlam, and teen students at Emily Carr University of Art and Design.
The CABC elementary writer-in-residence is Tanya Lloyd Kyi, who is excited to be working with grade 5, 6 and 7 students at Roberts Creek Elementary during the week of April 20-24.
Tanya Lloyd Kyi is the author of more than 30 books for children and young adults and is an instructor at the UBC School of Creative Writing. Her most recent titles include The City of Lost Cats, Feeling Your Feelings, What Will I Discover; Our Green City, Better Connected (written with her daughter, Julia Kyi); and The Best Way to Get Your Way.
The Roberts Creek Elementary Writer-in-Residence program will culminate with a celebratory public event featuring Kyi and some of the student participants reading from their work. The event will take place on Friday, April 24 at 1:30 pm at the Roberts Creek Legacy Garden (or, in the case of inclement weather, the Roberts Creek Elementary School Library).
CABC is a joint initiative of School District 46—Sunshine Coast and the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts that brings writers into Sunshine Coast classrooms to talk about books and writing and encourage students to express themselves through both the written and spoken word. Each year CABC also publishes Coastal Voices, an annual anthology of student writing.
An Evening of Stories and Songs with Grant Lawrence and Friends
Posted
The Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts is thrilled to be presenting An Evening of Stories and Songs with Grant Lawrence and Friends on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at the Pender Harbour School of Music.
Author, broadcaster and Sunshine Coast raconteur Grant Lawrence has created an outstanding evening of storytelling and songs. Grant will share stories from his bestselling books Adventures in Solitude and Return to Solitude, as well as his upcoming new book, Whale Tale. Between stories, songs will be performed by special musical guests Jeremy Fisher (Ottawa), Desiree Dawson (Vancouver) and Louise Burns (Vancouver Island).
Tickets are very limited! Doors will open at 6:30pm, showtime is 7:00pm. Tickets are $41.80 ($38.00 plus $3.80 in fees). Book sales courtesy of EarthFair Store.
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 special raffle, featuring great prizes! Tickets will be for sale at the event only.
- 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!
Virtual Ticket
- $25.00 for one ticket (link will be valid for 2 weeks after October 5, 2025)
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 thanks to our generous event sponsors and raffle and auction donors…
Arts Club Theatre, BC Ferries, Canadian Tire (Sechelt), Coast Academy of Dance, Claytons Heritage Market, Douglas & McIntyre, Driftwood Players, Fred’s Sechelt, Gigi Hoeller Art, London Drugs (Gibsons), Painted Boat Resort Spa & Marina, Raven’s Cry Theatre, Rockwater Secret Cove Resort, Sechelt Inn, Starbucks (Sechelt), Sunshine Coast Foundation, Talewind Books, Kirsty Tosczak – PREC, Talaysay Tours, Troller Ale House
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!