The Federation of BC Writers has assembled a panel that spans the publishing industry to discuss changes that have impacted writers and readers since the onset of the pandemic. Join us for an engaging chat about where we are, what has changed, and what we might expect over the coming years.

Oppression can take the form of erasure. Turbulent times can leave their mark on the languages of those who live them. Ayaka Yoshimizu will discuss the work of Tamura Toshiko, a feminist writer from Tokyo known primarily for her work produced in Japan.

Playwright Yolanda Bonnell, graphic fiction author Sami Alwani, and poet Carellin Brooks read from their acclaimed books, each of which takes “directness of expression” to new levels.

Using a blend of traditional and modern art, graphic novelist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas brings to life the tumultuous history of first contact between Europeans and Indigenous peoples and the early colonization by the Europeans of the northern West Coast. Join him in discussing the storytelling process through graphic novel, and the importance of drawing out histories from an Indigenous perspective.

As webcomics surge with more popularity year after year, the format has become a venue for a wide breadth of genres. Join comic artist Jaki King and writer Tara Avery as they discuss King’s sapphic DnD Webtoon, Lady Killers, and her science fiction drama, Kismet.

Indigenous Literatures span many different nations, cultures, and literary traditions that have a long history dating back to a time long before Canada and colonization. These writers are working in genres and traditions that encompass a long history of language, artistic expression, and storytelling traditions that are far older than CanLit. Come hear three Indigenous wordsmiths share their work spanning the different genres of poetry, fiction, and spoken word, as well as discussion of their creative process and practice.

Editors will read and assess the first pages of submissions from authors, offering commentary and options for each. Authors will see in real time how to make the most of those initial paragraphs that can either hook or lose the reader.

Celebrate the synergy of poetry and film with a screening of imaginative and evocative poetry videos by the finalists of the Vancouver Poet Laureate’s City Poems Contest!

Death Rides a Unicorn Events is proud to début our new show The Head to Head Haiku Challenge at Word this year. The event will feature head-to-head haiku battles where five random members of the audience decide the winner. Contestants can sign up onsite, and the top four poets will split a $200 cash prize!

Arno Kopecky and Anjali Appadurai unpack some of our environmentalist dilemmas and discuss what needs to change in our conversations on climate to really shift us away from our current patch towards extinction, and into climate action.

One is a gripping tale of misidentification and murder, the other a thrilling look at Vancouver’s criminal underworld. With striking examinations of wealth and class against urban noir backdrops, S.C. Lalli and Sam Wiebe present their exciting new thriller novels.

Whether it’s our relationships to pop culture, religion, or race (or sometimes all three), the world we grow in impacts how we understand ourselves. These three memoirs examine the social environments we grow up in, how they shape our sense of belonging, and how through these routes of reflection we can discover ourselves.

From Japanese internment to France in WWI to mythological landscapes of ancient China, these three authors contend with the depiction of difficult circumstances. Join them in a discussion around developing complex characters and relationships through the challenging environments they find themselves in.

Are the personal and the political ever truly separate? How can literature affect change in the world? Tawahum Bige, Nelson Augustin and Daniel Gawthrop wrestle with these questions as they read from and discuss their provocative new works.

What is Indigenous Poetics? How does Indigeneity intersect with language, history, resilience and belonging in contemporary and traditional poetic forms? Showcasing a stellar lineup of Indigenous literary brilliance, join us for a reading and literary panel discussion centered around Indigenous Poetics, creative process, inspirations, and the legacy of Cree, Métis, and Saulteaux poetic voice in storytelling traditions.

Magdaragat: An Anthology of Filipino-Canadian Writing (Cormorant Books) is the first anthology of Filipino-Canadian writing published by a mainstream press, coming out at a time when the Filipino diasporic population in Canada is fast approaching one million. Join Teodoro Alcuitas, Patria Rivera, and Leah Ranada as they read from their contributions to this landmark project.

'Handsome Molly' is a podcast series for younger teens based on the novel Restoring Harmony by fiction writer Joelle Anthony. 15-year-old Molly Masamoto lives on an isolated island in a "near future" era, where the negative effects of global warming dictate reality. When her mom needs urgent medical attention, Molly must leave the safety of her island and embark on a perilous journey to find help — armed only with her trusty fiddle, "Jewels." Along the way she navigates organized crime, sketchy thieves, and the fallout of a world in collapse. Join us as we share the first episode followed by a panel conversation with the makers and performers.

When facing the death of a loved one, we all struggle to work through the pain and grief. Whether poetic, meditative, or introspective, these three authors discuss the ways we process loss and how we may come through to a place of peace.

What could reconciliation look like in your business? How can we make a positive difference in the workplace while supporting a culture shift in the country at large? With rich expertise in culturally sensitive data storytelling, policy analysis, and program development, Alison Tedford Seaweed shares her insights on improving Indigenous relations through practical and concrete actions.

What does it take to understand another person’s work and translate all the subtleties into another format? Join acclaimed playwright Hiro Kanagawa and award-winning author Mark Sakamoto as they discuss the process of bringing written word to life on-stage, and successfully depicting the fragile complexities of finding forgiveness.

Writers from across genres will talk about moments in their manuscripts when their writing faltered, fizzled, and then…stopped. What made that chapter or poem difficult to write? What thinking, learning, imagining, or reimagining was needed to move forward? Join us for a conversation about banging your head against a metaphorical wall, hard-won writing victories, and all the strange and beautiful things we learn along the way.

UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections, in partnership with Word Vancouver, is proud to facilitate a session with two poets whose work responds to archival materials in our holdings.

Canadian physician Maureen Mayhew presents Hand on My Heart, a memoir of her time spent working in Taliban-occupied Afghanistan. Her work is an honest and introspective examination of her Western cultural assumptions around gender, tradition, and belief, and of how her experiences challenged and shifted her perspectives.

All over the world, millions of people wrestle with a wide range of mental health issues – depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and more. Their voices should be heard. Through the Labyrinths of the Mind features 11 comics about mental health by a diverse selection of creators from British Columbia and beyond. Their comics range from starkly honest memoirs to symbolic slice-of-life fiction and even fairy tales, but whatever the genre, all the stories speak truth to their creator’s struggles. Take a walk through their labyrinths and experience both pain and triumph. We honour these people’s courage in confronting their inner demons and remind all of you dealing with mental health issues that you are not alone.

Two editors edit and discuss new work by a local author, live in front of the audience. This intimate look at the editing process showcases how different editors’ contributions are as individual as each author’s style. Peek behind the curtain to witness how the creative and technical sides of the editing process interweave to bring out the best in an author’s words.

Come hear Christine Miskonoodinkwe Smith in conversation discussing the writing life, writing practice, her work in memoir, journalism, fiction, and more. Christine is the author of These are the Stories: Memories of a 60s Scoop Survivor and editor of Silence to Strength: Writings and Reflections of a Sixties Scoop Survivor, she is also a journalist, and has written for many media outlets, including: Chiefs of Ontario, Anishinabek News, First Nations House Magazine, New Tribe Magazine, Muskrat Magazine, and the Native Canadian. She is also co-editor of Bawaajigan: Stories of Power, an anthology of dream-themed stories by Indigenous writers.

Join Cicely Belle Blain, JD Derbyshire and Michael V Smith as they read from their recent titles, each of which transmutes queer memory into startling and poignant new word-worlds.

A CWC Awards of Excellence prize-winning short story; a riveting psychological thriller involving a dissociative identity; a dangerous Cambodian investigation with a gutsy heroine; a mysterious text that’s a prelude to murder. Please join these outstanding Crime Writers of Canada authors as they read from a delicious assortment of their criminally-inclined work.

Children’s non-fiction has been surging in popularity and BC authors are at the forefront of exciting STEM, history, nature, sustainability/ecology, and social justice books for young readers. Get inspired by their accessible storytelling on topics as diverse as swimming with sharks, growing greener cities, and celebrating IBPOC environmental defenders. Learn how these award-winning authors got their start, explore the ins-and-outs of adapting complex topics for different age groups and reading levels, and take home tips on how to incorporate non-fiction kidlit into lesson plans and/or break into writing it yourself! This event is open to all ages and encourages teachers, librarians, students, nature-lovers, and aspiring writers to join us for a fast-paced panel discussion with Q&A.

Bookstagram, Goodreads, and BookTok are huge social media platforms that bring the literary community together. Have you ever wondered how influencers produce engaging content to share? Join local creators Sunni Chen, Tina May, and Rachel Sargeant for a candid conversation around marketing trends in the book industry and how they hype up writers and publishers by creating stories, recs, and reviews.