Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts

The Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts is a Canadian nonprofit organization distinguished as Canada's longest running summer gathering of Canadian writers and readers. Established with a mission to promote literary arts, it annually brings together renowned and emerging Canadian writers to share their works and engage with audiences.

History and Objective

Since its inception, the festival has aimed to celebrate Canadian literature by providing a platform for authors to read, discuss their works, and interact with readers. The event is designed to foster a deeper appreciation of written arts among attendees, which includes readers and writers of all ages.

Programming and Events

The festival typically takes place during the third weekend of August and features around 20-25 writers, each selected based on a variety of criteria including gender, age, cultural diversity, regional representation, and genre. The selection process for participating writers begins in September and concludes by February of each year. The events are structured to allow each writer an hour for reading, discussing their work, and answering audience questions.

Venue and Attendance

All festival events are conducted in a 400-seat Festival Pavilion, which emphasizes the importance of audience engagement and the ability of writers to captivate their audience. The festival primarily invites writers with traditionally published works, although it also seeks opportunities to present emerging writers.

Community Outreach

In addition to the main festival activities, the organization is involved in educational outreach programs. One notable initiative is the "Celebration of Authors, Books and Community" (CABC), a joint project with School District 46-Sunshine Coast that annually reaches approximately 1,000 elementary and secondary school students. This program aims to support student development as readers, writers, and tellers of their own stories.

Sustainability and Development

To ensure long-term sustainability and continue delivering educational and community programs, the festival relies on donations and support from the community. The organization values the power of stories in building community and fostering literary appreciation among diverse age groups.