A Message from Our Executive Director

This year, Word Vancouver was deeply honoured to be named the 2nd Best Literary Arts Festival in Vancouver by The Georgia Straight. We receive this recognition with gratitude and as a reflection of the many voices, hands, and hearts that shape this festival.

Awards mark a moment. But what they hold are the lived experiences behind them, the energy, the encounters, the shared spaces where stories come alive.

If you were there, you may remember it in your own way.

Perhaps it was the joyful surprise of a pop-up marching band, arriving like an unexpected line of poetry. Or the tables alive with colour, where children, and just as often adults, lingered, drawing and listening as stories unfolded around them.

Maybe it was the rhythm of the exhibitor fair: the tactile memory of typewriter keys, conversations sparked between strangers, and small creations exchanged, zines, earrings, books, each carrying a voice outward into the world.

Inside, the festival expanded and overflowed. At Cross & Crows Books, readers reached for works they had just heard aloud, only to encounter authors signing wherever space allowed, hallways, staircases, in-between places that became part of the story. Rooms invited participation: to write, to draw, to imagine, to seek guidance on a manuscript still taking shape. Poetry flickered on screens, wove itself into fabric, and found new forms.

And downstairs, another current of energy. Music, performance, and bold ideas moved through the space. Death Rides a Unicorn brought its wild vitality, while environmental voices shared insight, urgency, and hope. For those who needed stillness, a quiet room held space for words to be gathered, written, and perhaps shared again.

This is what the award recognizes—not one moment, but many. Not one voice, but a chorus.

It is also a collective achievement. Our partners help shape the festival in profound ways, bringing authors, ideas, and communities together to create a program that reflects the richness and diversity of our city.

To all of you—patrons, volunteers, exhibitors, and supporters near and far- thank you. This honour belongs to you as much as it does to us. Your presence, your curiosity, and your engagement with stories are what give Word Vancouver its life.

I extend my deepest gratitude to our Board of Directors for their ongoing commitment and care, and to our exceptional staff, whose creativity and dedication make this festival possible.

We look ahead with gratitude and anticipation, to new voices, new connections, and the many stories still waiting to be told.

Dr. Bonnie Nish

Executive Director, Word Vancouver