October 27, 2008

Writers Festival wraps up with record attendance

(Vancouver – October 27, 2008) More than 14,300 people flocked to Granville Island for the 21st annual Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival which wrapped up yesterday, breaking all previous attendance records.

“We are thrilled by the audience response this year, which was even greater than last year’s,” says Hal Wake, the Festival’s artistic director. “There’s no question that this Festival is a favourite for Vancouver, and is drawing increasing attention among writers and readers everywhere.”

More than 100 national and international authors appeared at the six-day event, coming to Vancouver from Australia, the UK, Ireland, the US, France, Germany, Holland, South Korea, New Zealand, China, South Africa and India. Internationally acclaimed Canadian authors were also in abundance. “We were encouraged by last year’s attendance figures to try new ideas and new locations again this year,” says Wake, “and readers showed us that they wanted that. Our late Saturday night event in a bar on Granville Island was sold out well in advance, just like our traditionally popular events. We held more events than ever before, and people came out in huge numbers.”

The Writers Festival, which ended Sunday evening, October 26, with a discussion by Ronald Wright about American politics, attracted a large number of school groups as well. Thirty-five events for school groups took place over the first four days of the Festival, with school groups coming from throughout the Lower Mainland to see authors talking about writing and reading in both French and English.

One more special event follows in November. Mary Lou Finlay, former host of the popular CBC current affairs show As It Happens, will join Hal Wake to talk about The As It Happens Files on Wednesday, November 26, at the Frederic Wood Theatre at UBC. Tickets for that event are on sale now through VancouverTix.

For further information, contact:
Ann McDonell
Development and Marketing Manager
Vancouver International Writers Festival
p: 604.681.6330
e: dmm@writersfest.bc.ca