Spreading the Word

It’s about reading and writing, books and writers. It’s eclectic, exciting, entertaining and thought provoking. Spreading the Word, the Vancouver International Writers Festival’s schools program, offers K-12 students and teachers the rare opportunity to engage with internationally renowned writers at the Festival and in the classroom.

"I am writing to express my appreciation for the work of the Vancouver International Writers Festival. I have worked for a few years with a dedicated group of students in 'Writer's Workshop'. This year we were inspired by our visit to the festival where we saw John Burns and Carrie Mac. After the festival we had a chance to talk about writing with both writers, and then we invited Carrie to our school as a guest in our workshop. The festival built enthusiasm and was a catalyst for some great student writing. I very much support the work you do to encourage contact between students and real writers by having student programming integral to the Writers Festival."
- Verity Rolfe, Teacher, Windsor House School

Festival School Events

Read about the 34 great events for grades K to 12 that were presented at the 2009 Writers Festival, or download the Spreading the Word brochure (1.5MB PDF).

Study guides for English language events and La Joie de Lire events are available on-line.

Friday daytime events are designed for teachers and senior students as well as for the general public.

School Group Tickets
School group tickets to Spreading the Word school events are $8 each. Click here for more information. 

The VIWF's Spreading the Word program includes:

La Joie de Lire
La Joie de Lire est à la fois le titre et l’objectif des programmes en français du Vancouver International Writers Festival.

Reading with Writers
Authors visit inner-city schools to inspire students. Click here for more information.

YouthWrites
A writing contest for Lower Mainland secondary school students. Click here for more information.

Spreading the Word DVDs
Festival events in your classroom. Click here for more information.

Writer in Residence
Festival authors connect with secondary schools and small communities around BC. Click here for more information.

Spreading the Word is generously supported by our corporate, government and individual supporters.