Special Event Sold out
Rachel Reid: Heated Rivalry
Rachel Reid with Sophie Lui
Date:October 5 2026 7:30PM – 9:00PM St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church
The 39th annual Vancouver Writers Fest
Read.Resist.Repair.Rejoice.
A scintillating lineup of 150+ local and international authors in over 90 events.
October 18–25, 2026 Granville Island and venues across the city
Upcoming Events
What’s on
Special events year-round, and the Festival every October.
Special Event
Barbara Kingsolver in Conversation
Barbara Kingsolver with Marsha Lederman · piano by Allen Ding
Date:October 18 2026 7:30PM – 9:00PM Orpheum Theatre
Festival
2026 Festival
150+ local and international authors in over 90 events
Date:October 18 – October 25 2026 10:00AM – 10:00PM In-Person and Online
Special Event Sold out
Malcolm Gladwell in Conversation
Malcolm Gladwell with Stephen Quinn
Date:November 24 2026 7:30PM – 9:00PM Vancouver Playhouse
Our Programs
Books all year round
Throughout the year we offer free and paid events with established and emerging authors, in addition to youth education opportunities.
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Our flagship October Festival on Granville Island.
The highlight of our year, our week-long Festival welcomes more than 20,000 attendees to Granville Island and thousands more from around the globe.
Explore Festival -
Free events in collaboration with Vancouver Public Library.
Our free reading series offers conversations between authors four times a year.
Explore Incite -
Books, events and resources to spark students’ imaginations.
Our Youth Education Programming connects students with celebrated writers from across the globe.
Explore Youth -
A writing workshop for new immigrants to explore their craft
Writers develop and share their stories of place, mentored by an award-winning writer and teacher.
Explore My Roots
Who we are
Words shape our worlds.
They can delight, inspire, provoke, comfort and unite—as do the authors, journalists and poets who wield them.
- local and international authors at the 2026 Festival
- 150+
- local and international authors at the 2026 Festival
- events in Festival Week, October 18–25
- 90+
- events in Festival Week, October 18–25
- Festival attendees on Granville Island
- 20,000+
- Festival attendees on Granville Island
- students reached across the province each year
- 12,000+
- students reached across the province each year
Watch & Listen
Books & Ideas Podcast
Exhilarating conversations and ideas from the world’s greatest storytellers and luminaries. From the esteemed vaults of the Vancouver Writers Fest, located in beautiful British Columbia.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Anchor.
- Episode 61: Indigenous Voices Latest episode · Books & Ideas Podcast
- Incite: Maggie Helwig on Encampment Watch · Incite recording
- Incite: BC and Yukon Book Prizes Watch · Incite recording
- Incite: Garth Mullins on Surviving the War on Drugs Watch · Incite recording
Membership
Join Vancouver’s Biggest Book Club
Annual Membership: $45
Members receive early access to Festival tickets and Festival lineup announcements, a mailed print copy of our Program Guide, and a 10% discount to standard October Festival events.
Title sponsor and government sponsors
- Title Sponsor
- Government Sponsors
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