Join in on this chat with directors from three of Canada's hottest literary festivals: Wordfest, TIFA, and Vancouver Writers' Fest.
About this event
Attend this LPG webinar with directors from three of Canada's hottest literary festivals: Calgary WordFest, the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA), and Vancouver Writers' Fest. Directors from all three will discuss their unique plans for the 2022 festival season, new and improved offerings they've developed since a certain global health event, and best of all, the kinds of pitches they're looking for when programming a festival season.
Roland Gulliver (TIFA), Leslie Hurtig (Vancouver), and Shelley Youngblut (Calgary) will engage in a panel discussion, and then make time for audience Q&A.
Register via Eventbrite to get the inside scoop and get ready for festival season (it'll be here before we know it!).
Our speakers:
Roland Gulliver is the Director of the Toronto International Festival of Authors, and a leading international figure in the literature sector with over 12 years’ experience at the Edinburgh International Book Festival as Associate Director. His programming explores the potential of live performance, alongside commissions for new multimedia storytelling. Gulliver champions communities by facilitating access and empowerment, and creating spaces for authors and audiences to engage in discussion. He is on the Board of Directors for the Toronto Arts Council and Chair of their Literary Advisory Committee, and is a Member of the Academy for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction.
Leslie Hurtig was born into a house of books and has made her career from various points within Canada’s book industry. She has worked for some of Canada’s best bookstores and acted as a sales representative, publicist and foreign rights manager for some of North America’s great publishers. Leslie has been with the Vancouver Writers Fest for over 20 years; first as a Director on its board, and now as Artistic Director, programming remarkable voices and stories from across Canada and around the world.
Shelley Youngblut connects smart, funny people with life-changing ideas as the CEO & Creative Ringleader of Wordfest. In partnership with the Calgary Public Library, she is transforming Alberta’s oldest library into a vibrant arts and culture hub. Shelley created her first magazine, VOX, while studying English at the University of Calgary, and her 20-year-career culminated in a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 from the Western Magazine Awards. She was the founding editor of the award-winning Swerve magazine and has created magazines for ESPN, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, Nickelodeon and The Globe & Mail. The mother of identical twins and a perfect dog, she wishes she could sing, win more at Texas Hold ’Em and bring Patti Smith to Calgary.
Moderated by LPG Engagement Manager Lauren Perruzza.
