The Saskatchewan Festival of Words began Thursday with workshops at venues throughout the downtown, mostly targeted at prospective writers who want to learn from industry professionals.
There was also a 10 a.m. Storytime for Little Ones reading in Crescent Park, just in front of the Moose Jaw Public Library.
Author Candace Savage, the author of more than two dozen books (including multiple Saskatchewan Book of the Year awards), read from her recent children’s books Always Beginning and How to Know a Crow.
“This is one of my favourite events in the whole world,” Savage said. “It’s such a privilege to be here. … It always creates wonderful memories, everyone is so friendly, it’s well organized.
“It’s just exciting to be with other writers, and especially with readers and book lovers, in this friendly environment.”
The morning events included:
In the afternoon, festival attendees joined sci-fi author Robert Sawyer for a workshop on developing themes for the science fiction genre, attended a Great Big Book Club about Moon of the Turning Leaves with the author Waubgeshig Rice, and watched a showing of 2023’s Cafe Daughter in the Mae Wilson Theatre.
“We travelled from Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, where we own Yellow Canary Books and Stationery. We’re a small independent bookstore,” said Cole Girodat, who attended Premee Mohamed’s workshop.
“We decided to come today to learn more about publishing in Saskatchewan, (and to discover) different authors to bring into our store, because we really believe that local authors, Saskatchewan authors, are important to bring into the community.”
Girodat said he really enjoyed the ‘Outlining Novels’ workshop, because as a writer and publisher himself he knows what a struggle writing a good outline can be.
“Having a professional that has published several novels teach this subject really encourages people that they can write a novel with these steps that she has taken.”
Premee Mohamed workshop at the Saskatchewan Festival of Words (photo by Gordon Edgar)It’s the first time in Moose Jaw for Mohamed, who hails from Alberta and is making a LitFest circuit this summer. In April, she went to a literary festival in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago called ‘Bocas Lit Fest.’
“Next month, I’m going to be at ‘When Worlds Collide’ in Calgary, very excited for that one,” she said. “It’s been a very, very busy year! I’ve also had four books out.
“I was absolutely thrilled to be invited (to the Saskatchewan Festival of Words). … Everything’s been great, so far, very organized and I’m having a blast.”
At 8:30 p.m., the first day of Festival of Words wrapped up with the popular READception in the Mae Wilson, featuring sample mini-readings from authors Vivian Darroch-Lozowski, katherena vermette, Zalika Reid-Benta, Timothy Taylor, and Holly Hogan.
The full schedule is at festivalofwords.com/schedule.
