The Whistler Readers and Writers Festival, which began with 20 people in Stella Harveys living room 12 years ago, has now grown to 400 and fills ballrooms at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
The growth might have come from putting attention-grabbing headliners such as Will Ferguson, Patrick DeWitt, Lisa Moore and Jian Ghomeshi in conversation with each other. Or it might be because the festival was built on boosting lesser known artists gaining renown as a place to discover authors in your own backyard.
Either way, it was packed Oct. 18 to 20.
From the sold-out skills workshops to the themed panel discussions, here are some of the most thought-provoking comments to come out of last weekends event:
Social media is a way to not write, but think youre doing something.
Will Ferguson (419) on why he doesnt have Twitter
The book in your mind will always be better than what you write. But its not real until you write it down.
Will Ferguson
I had always been very suspicious of suspense, because it seems like a manipulation, a ploy to grab the reader. But a friend of mine, a poet, said, Dont tell Shakespeare.... And I realized, Yes! Im going to go for it.
Lisa Moore (Caught)
I saw Neil Gaiman speak a while ago, and someone asked him, Does it break your heart to write about heartbreaking things? And he didnt hesitate. He said, No, it heals the heart.
Sue Oakey-Baker (Finding Jim)
When I write non-fiction and memoir, I allow myself to be completely open. I believe when were talking to each other and were telling each other stories, we owe each other the truth. When Im talking to mainstream Canadians, I owe my neighbours the truth about my reality as an aboriginal male in this country.
Richard Wagamese (Indian Horse)
We went to 15 schools in 12 years, so I was the new girl a lot. We ran from social workers; it was a complicated life. A lot of times we had to kill our own food. Ive eaten all kinds of things. Ive eaten dog food; its pretty tasty, the dry stuff. I would be really good in an emergency because I would be able to survive no matter what.
Meg Tilly (A Taste of Heaven)
