Our beloved Wild Threads Literary Festival IS BACK!
We are so incredibly proud to announce that the Wild Threads Literary Festival is returning with its 3rd edition, presenting four days of signature events, workshops, write-ins, open mics, and even the addition of Brunchy Sunday Readings (featuring local band Inn Echo).
Among some of the featured artists coming to the Island this year will be Canadian icon Peter Mansbridge, CBC’s The Debaters host Steve Patterson, and award winning writers Fareh Malik & Rebecca Thomas (among many others!). This year's Wild Threads Literary Festival will be scattered throughout the Charlottetown area and will be offering workshops and events to local writers and literary fans from September 15-18th.
As a special "welcome back!" to the festival, on Thursday, September 15th, everyone is welcome to the Wild Threads Literary Festival’s opening reception — a chance to mingle with the artistic team and presenters! Immediately following this, Wild Threads is proud to present an In-Conversation with Peter Mansbridge, hosted by PEI’s own CBC television darling, Louise Martin. This event is brought to you by Simon & Schuster and PEI’s well-loved independent bookstore The Bookmark. This event will be FREE for the public to enjoy!
On Friday, September 16th, our featured event will in celebration of the immense talent of Black writers on the Island with the presentation of the Black Voices Writers’ Circle at the new Charlottetown Library Learning Centre. Through R&B, Hip-Hop, poetry and storytelling, this experience aims to highlight the many ways in which Black writers express themselves within their own community and the world while celebrating their artistic and literary genius. This event will be showcasing poet Eberechi Okwuwolu, musical guest stars the Umbrella Collective, local hip-hop star Vince The Messenger, and R&B powerhouse singer Kierrah.
Saturday, September 17th at Wild Threads is dedicated to comedy writing! This day will host events such as a Fireside Chat between CBC’s The Debaters’ host Steve Patterson and local author & comedian Patrick Ledwell about Patterson's most recent book Dad Up! Long-Time Comedian. First Time Father. Saturday's festivities will also feature a comedy show that same evening hosted by the PEI Writer's Guild's own Executive Director Shawn Hogan, a guest appearance by This Hour Has 22 Minutes writer Meg MacKay, with additional performances from Patrick Ledwell and headlined by Steve Patterson.
Workshops during the weekend will include publishing powerhouse Lesley Choyce of Pottersfield Press, who will give an address “Creating Memorable Characters”, and Genevieve Loughlin of Pownal Street Press, who will speak on “Bringing Your Book to Market”. A third option for workshops will include PEI’s own fisherman and writer Chris Bailey, who will discuss process and production in poetry, whether your medium is the city or the sea. The PEI Writers’ Guild is also happy to host two Write-In events, for writers who are looking to meet others and to commune with their works-in-progress. The first will take place on the Thursday and the second will take place on the Friday, both happening at the beautiful Gallery Cafe & Bistro in Charlottetown.
Sunday’s events will close with a “Brunchy Sunday Readings, featuring Palestinian poet Fareh Malik, Nova Scotia’s brilliant indigenous writer, Rebecca Thomas and musical guests Inn Echo. Writers and creators are then invited to sign-up for the Wild Threads Open Mic, hosted by founder and longtime member of the PEI Writers’ Guild, Laurie Brinklow.
The Wild Threads Festival is presented by The PEI Writers’ Guild and funded in part by Innovation PEI as well as the PEI Events Innovation Fund. “We’re very pleased to have a lot more publishers on board this year,” says Artistic Director, Mo Duffy Cobb, “Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, Mawenzi House, Nimbus Publishing and Pownal Street Press.” Special thanks to the PEIWG’s Wild Threads Steering Committee and PEI’s independent bookstore, the Bookmark.
For more information on Wild Threads Literary Festival, and for tickets to events, please visit the Wild Threads Literary Festival website (www.wildthreadsliteraryfestival.com), the PEI Writers’ Guild website (peiwritersguild.com), or find us on Facebook.
