Join former Gibsons resident and Edmonton author Theresa Shea to celebrate the launch of her new novel, Dog Days of Planet Earth. Shea is the bestselling author of The Unfinished Child, and the Alberta Book Award and Guernica Prize winning novel The Shade Tree. Her new book weaves together major environmental and political issues of the mid- to late-20th century that remain urgent today, and asks what we’re willing to risk for our personal convictions in a world where powerful and unjust forces often oppose them. Animal lovers, earth lovers, justice lovers, and story lovers alike won’t want to miss this event. Open to the public.
Books will be available to purchase.
The 44th annual Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts will take place August 13-16, 2026, featuring established literary stars and exciting new voices, with opportunities for writers and readers to mingle amidst Rockwood’s heritage gardens.
With 19 events and 3 workshops to choose from, there is an event for everyone! The festival will feature renowned Canadian authors such as Terry Fallis (The Marionette and The Best Laid Plans), Donna Morrissey (Tell It to the Water and Rage the Night), and Michelle Good (Eliza Sunshine and Five Little Indians).
Some of your favourite personalities on stage have now taken to the page; also here to present their new books are Mary Walsh (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), Charles Demers (comedian), and Christopher Gaze (actor and founder of Bard on the Beach).
The Festival is held in Sechelt, BC at the Rockwood Centre.
The open-air pavilion and surrounding garden offers a uniquely beautiful and intimate venue for the events.
The Festival venue also includes drink concession options including a pop-up from Strait Coffee and alcoholic/non-alcoholic soft drinks at our beverage booth, pre-order lunch options from Gourmet Girl, and a book tent hosted by Talewind Books. Following each event, patrons may head up to the Book Tent and have their books signed by the author. Take part in the free festival contests or purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win some amazing prizes!
Visit www.writersfestival.ca for more information, but don’t wait too long – tickets are selling fast!
Tickets can be purchased for $18-$20 (including tax). Workshops (special events) are $25-$40. Passes range from $100 for a day pass to $295 for the full festival. Purchase tickets online at https://writersfestival.tickit.ca or by phoning the Festival Office at 604-885-9631.
Explore how to write a glosa, a courtly form that steals a quatrail from another poet’s work to structure a poem of your own, in the course of which you create a glosa – or gloss on that poet’s work. Tangling with your chosen poet may allow her or his subtle influence to inform your tone and expand your expressive range. Workshop includes a copy of instructor Bonnie Quan Symon’s beautiful chapbook of glosas and handouts.
Use Tarot cards to write your next story with Tarot Cards tapping into your intuition to create:
– Characters
– Conflict
– Plot
A technique used by Stephen King, Italo Calvino, John Steinbeck and others.
No previous experience with Tarot Required. Beginner decks with the meanings written on them to save time, Tarot journal pages and stickers provided.
Bring your own decks with booklets if you wish.
An informal space to share and discuss poems you love, poems that you are currently reading, or poems you have written! Poems can be from any publication or book, as well as from online resources. For teens and adults
This event happens on the first Tuesday of the month, 10:30-11:30am in the Community Room
Call for submissions for “Snippets from a Small Town: Understanding Life on the Sunshine Coast,” sponsored by the Small Neighbourhood Grant program. Send your poetry, fiction, nonfiction, photography, and art to cathalynn@gmail.com by Monday, November 17th. Small honorariums available. Launch at Gibsons & District Public Library Wednesday, December 17th, 11 am. Cover art by Sheri Peters.
Writing Workshop with Fran Bourassa
Practice “free writing” short pieces from “word whip” prompts that elicit memories, emotions, and powerful ideas for poetry and stories. This method is quick, powerful, and everyone can enjoy it.
Fran Bourassa is an award-winning poet and contributing writer to numerous anthologies, including Breaking the Surface, Pacific Poetry Anthology, Force Field: 77 BC Poets.
Free but space is limited (in person only).
Registration opens on the 1st of the month here.
to Mar 31st. Literary Judges Wanted for the Sunshine Coast Book Awards for BC Authors Contest. Genres include Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Childrens/YA, and Youth books.
Award ceremony is Saturday, August 23rd, afternoon, Gibsons Public Market, Coastal Room.
Grief can be a challenging companion. Whether you have recently started experiencing grief or it’s been many years, this series can be helpful. No writing experience is necessary, just an open mind and an open heart. This weekly series on six Tuesdays gives you a way to engage with grief on a daily basis, helping you find and listen your own story. The writing activities also help you connect with one another; helping people who truly understand what it’s like to live within life-changing loss share and support one another. No platitudes, no advice, just a community of fellow grievers, writing alone, together. Offered in partnership with Sunshine Coast Hospice Society, with support from the Town of Gibsons. Free, but space is limited: advance registration for all 6 sessions required.
Grief can be a challenging companion. Whether you have recently started experiencing grief or it’s been many years, this series can be helpful. No writing experience is necessary, just an open mind and an open heart. This weekly series on six Tuesdays gives you a way to engage with grief on a daily basis, helping you find and listen your own story. The writing activities also help you connect with one another; helping people who truly understand what it’s like to live within life-changing loss share and support one another. No platitudes, no advice, just a community of fellow grievers, writing alone, together. Offered in partnership with Sunshine Coast Hospice Society, with support from the Town of Gibsons. Free, but space is limited: advance registration for all 6 sessions required.
Grief can be a challenging companion. Whether you have recently started experiencing grief or it’s been many years, this series can be helpful. No writing experience is necessary, just an open mind and an open heart. This weekly series on six Tuesdays gives you a way to engage with grief on a daily basis, helping you find and listen your own story. The writing activities also help you connect with one another; helping people who truly understand what it’s like to live within life-changing loss share and support one another. No platitudes, no advice, just a community of fellow grievers, writing alone, together. Offered in partnership with Sunshine Coast Hospice Society, with support from the Town of Gibsons. Free, but space is limited: advance registration for all 6 sessions required.
Grief can be a challenging companion. Whether you have recently started experiencing grief or it’s been many years, this series can be helpful. No writing experience is necessary, just an open mind and an open heart. This weekly series on six Tuesdays gives you a way to engage with grief on a daily basis, helping you find and listen your own story. The writing activities also help you connect with one another; helping people who truly understand what it’s like to live within life-changing loss share and support one another. No platitudes, no advice, just a community of fellow grievers, writing alone, together. Offered in partnership with Sunshine Coast Hospice Society, with support from the Town of Gibsons. Free, but space is limited: advance registration for all 6 sessions required.
Grief can be a challenging companion. Whether you have recently started experiencing grief or it’s been many years, this series can be helpful. No writing experience is necessary, just an open mind and an open heart. This weekly series on six Tuesdays gives you a way to engage with grief on a daily basis, helping you find and listen your own story. The writing activities also help you connect with one another; helping people who truly understand what it’s like to live within life-changing loss share and support one another. No platitudes, no advice, just a community of fellow grievers, writing alone, together. Offered in partnership with Sunshine Coast Hospice Society, with support from the Town of Gibsons. Free, but space is limited: advance registration for all 6 sessions required.
