Abbotsford – Poets, writers, and readers alike will gather at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) to celebrate the 18th annual Fraser Valley Writers Festival (FVWF) on November 7 and 8. The two-day festival will bring 12 celebrated writers to Abbotsford for a free event hosted in the lecture theatre (room B101) at the UFV Abbotsford campus.
Before the festival kicks off, warm up with a pre-event Creative Writing Open Mic on November 6 at 4 pm. In the Makerspace in the Abbotsford library, renowned and emerging talents will share readings of their work in a welcoming, supportive space. Enjoy complimentary coffee and pastries while hearing original creative works.
At 7 pm on November 7, take in keynote addresses from authors Charles Demers and Evelyn Lau. UFV’s 2026 writer-in-residence will also be announced.
Festival attendees can enjoy panels and workshops on Saturday, November 8 from 9:30 am to 4:15 pm. Sessions will be hosted by Literary Award nominee Jen Sookfong Lee, Maritime writers Nick Thran and Brian Bartlett, Victoria poet Kayla Czaga, Vancouver essayist Daniela Elza and local Fraser Valley authors Joseph Dandurand, Taryn Hubbard, Christina Myers, and Heather Ramsay.
The program includes a panel where authors will debut new writing on the theme of “silence,” and another on the theme of “sound,” followed by a Q&A. There will be workshops on poetry, fiction and nonfiction, as well as a live podcast recording of Page Fright, where audience members will join Page Fright host Andrew French for a discussion with poet Nick Thran about his new collection, Existing Music.
When asked about the importance of the Fraser Valley Writers Festival, Thran says, “Watching books change hands, hearing authors read, listening to exchanges between author and audience… these things remind me that the book is a living organism, and that our collective love (and need) for books is real.”
Thanks to the support of UFV’s College of Arts, Community Engagement, and this year’s bookseller, Totally Bookish, the festival continues to inspire and engage creatives in the Fraser Valley.
All FVWF events are free to the public, but with limited availability. Register for events and find more information here.
