Meet the Writers

Journalist Adriana Barton explores music’s profound effects on the human body and brain in her pitch-perfect book, Wired for Music. This event is a special collaboration with Sunshine Coast musician Simon Paradis.

Delving into issues of women working in “non-traditional” fields, this event with Tamar Glouberman and Hilary Peach will be entertaining, fascinating and inspirational. Moderated by Kate Braid.

Carrie Mac’s latest novel is the #1 bestselling Last Winter (Random House Canada), a story of one family’s collapse and a community’s grief in the face of tragedy.

Bestselling author John Vaillant takes us on a riveting journey in Fire Weather (Knopf Canada), his account of a colossal wildfire and a panoramic investigation of the rapidly changing relationship between fire and humankind.

JD Derbyshire is a Vancouver-based comedian, theatre maker, writer, and mad activist whose work examines mental health, neurodiversity, queerness, and gender exploration.

Our short fiction showcase features the work of two accomplished and unique writers, Corinna Chong and Andrea Routley. Expect to be illuminated by their readings and discussion on the craft of writing. Moderated by Megan Cole.

Angela Sterritt is an award-winning journalist, writer, and artist. Sterritt has worked as a journalist for close to twenty years and has been with the CBC since 2003.

Bob McDonald has been the host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks since 1992. He is a regular science commentator on CBC’s News Network and a science correspondent for CBC TV’s The National.

Jack Knox is the author of four bestselling books, based on his popular column in the Victoria Times Colonist.

Danny Ramadan is a Syrian-Canadian author and LGBTQ-refugees advocate. His novels The Clothesline Swing (Nightwood Editions) and The Foghorn Echoes (Viking) were both finalists for the Lambda Literary Awards and continue to receive accolades.

Tara McGuire is a former broadcaster turned writer. Her first book, Holden After & Before: Love Letter for a Son Lost to Overdose, was published in fall 2022.

Jen Currin, Conor Kerr and Cecily Nicholson are award-winning writers and truthtellers who use imagery, landscape and a sense of place to form unexpected poems that call for change and help forge connection and compassion.

The Sunshine Coast is known for its excellent writers. Case in point: J. Edward Chamberlin and Theresa Kishkan. Both will read from their new books and speak to the power of storytelling.

Tom Rachman is the author of five works of fiction. His bestselling debut, The Imperfectionists (Anchor Canada), was translated into 25 languages and longlisted for the Giller Prize.

The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, PC, OBC, KC, served as the Independent Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence until her resignation in 2019.

Spend time off the beaten track with Amanda Lewis recounting misadventures in the forest; Ellen Schwartz sharing stories as a hippie homesteader; and Caroll Simpson describing remarkable experiences in northwestern BC.

Janie Chang writes historical fiction, often with a personal connection, drawing from a family history with 36 generations of recorded genealogy.

This year’s New Voices event shines a light on writers Jessica Johns and Sheila Murray, both of whom have created complex, captivating worlds with their debut novels. Moderated by Megan Cole.

Laura Trethewey is an ocean journalist and the author of The Imperiled Ocean: Human Stories from a Changing Sea and The Deepest Map: The High-Stakes Race to Chart the World’s Oceans.

Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson have combined their considerable talents to create I Only Read Murder (HarperCollins) the first volume in a comedic crime series featuring Miranda Abbot, a once-beloved television sleuth.

Tom and Kalissa Landa will be performing a selection of original material, sung in both English and Spanish to represent their respective Mexican and Chilean heritages. Joining them will be their longtime friend and musical collaborator Steve Mitchell.