October 7, 2008

Three Giller Prize nominees to appear at this month’s Writers Festival

(October 7, 2008, Vancouver, BC)—Three of the five authors shortlisted today for the Scotiabank Giller Prize will be attending the Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival, set for October 21 to 26 on Granville Island. Rawi Hage, Joseph Boyden and Mary Swan are all among the authors featured at this month’s Writers Festival.

Hage, nominated for the $50,000 annual prize for his second novel, Cockroach, is featured at the Festival’s opening night event as well as a second event on Wednesday, October 22. Hage’s first novel won the prestigious IMPAC Dublin award earlier this year.

Joseph Boyden, on the shortlist for his new novel Through Black Spruce, is also at the Festival for two events. Although his first event is sold out, tickets are available for his Friday, October 24 appearance. Boyden’s debut novel Three Day Road was nominated for the Governor General’s award and won the Roger’s Writers Trust Fiction Prize.

Mary Swan, who will appear in events on the final three days of the Festival, is nominated for her debut novel The Boys in the Trees. Swan is participating in events on Friday morning, October 24, as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Now in its 21st year, the six-day Writers Festival will host 100 international writers and thousands of readers this month, with a lineup of authors who have won most of the English-speaking world’s prestigious literary awards.

Tickets for the Festival are on sale through VancouverTix by calling 604-629-VTIX (604-629-8849). Tickets are also available at the Writers Festival box office, 1398 Cartwright Street. Complete program details are available at www.writersfest.bc.ca.

NOTE to editor: Hi-res headshots cleared for publication of Hage, Boyden and Swan are available on our website.

For more information on the Festival, contact:
Judith Walker, Media Relations Manager – (604) 921-4029
media@writersfest.bc.ca
Vancouver International Writers Festival – October 21-26, 2008
www.writersfest.bc.ca