The Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts
Writing Life: 6
I’ve had the privilege and honour of appearing at the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts three times, 2011, 2014, and 2019. There are many wonderful writers festivals in this country—and I’ve been to most of them over the years from the Writers at Woody Point festival in Newfoundland to Northwords NWT in Yellowknife. In fact, I can’t think of a festival I’ve attended that I haven’t enjoyed. I mean, what’s not to like? You visit a new city or part of the country, hang out with fellow writers, give a talk and/or lead a workshop, and commune with readers. It’s not exactly a hardship assignment. But some festivals do stand out in my memory. The Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts is one of them.
The festival is held annually in August in Sechelt on BC’s Sunshine Coast. Hundreds of festival-goers plan their holidays around this festival to take in the natural beauty of the coastal setting and the amazing writers it attracts (notwithstanding my participation in three festivals). One of the coolest parts of being invited to present at the Sunshine Coast Festival is how you get there. For each of my three visits, I’ve flown to Vancouver and then caught a quick flight in a De Havilland Beaver floatplane for the final 20-minute hop to Sechelt. Very cool.
On my first trip in 2011, I was standing on the dock as the pilot said something like: “There are five of you, so I’ll need a volunteer to sit in the co-pilot’s seat up front for the flight.” As I recall, I knocked one of my fellow writers into the water to make sure the pilot picked me for the coveted co-pilot role. Okay, nobody ended up in the water, but I jumped up and down, and pumped my hand in the air until I landed the gig. It was amazing to be flying about 1,000 feet off the water and take in the incredible views. For a Toronto boy, I felt like I was on a different planet.
Jane Davidson, the artistic and executive director for the last fifteen years, is the festival’s very own force of nature. She has just retired and deserves all the praise that is currently being heaped upon her. She leads from the heart, and her kindness, generosity, and dedication shine through every moment of the festival, enriching the experience for writers, readers, and volunteers. With so many unpredictable and uncontrollable factors (you know, like the weather, float planes, and writers), events of this festival’s size and scope are seldom glitch-free exercises. But as a writer or reader, you’d never know it. Through it all, Jane has a smile on her face, an open heart, and a passel of creative solutions—a potent combination, a rare gift.
Congratulations on your well-earned retirement, Jane. You’ve earned it! And all the best to Marisa Alps, the accomplished veteran who has the unenviable task of filling Jane’s shoes.
I remember back in 2014, when I was presenting my fourth novel, No Relation, I met the Mayor of Sechelt, John Henderson, at the opening authors reception. It turned out he also drove one of the first Teslas in Canada and was, and I assume remains, an ardent advocate for electric vehicles. He saw me fawning over his car in the parking lot and insisted on taking me for a ride after the reception. I’ll never forget when we reached a stretch of highway that was straight and free of other cars, he turned to me and said, “lean your head back so it’s against the headrest.” I did as I was told and he stepped on the accelerator. The G-forces pressed me back into the seat and in no time at all, we were approaching the sound barrier.
One of the best parts of this festival is that each author is given the stage for an hour followed by a signing. This is quite an unusual approach for writers festivals, but it really works well in Sechelt. The setting is stunning. Writers present in a large wooden pavilion with tiered seating holding nearly 500 people. The sides of the pavilion are open with towering trees just beyond making you feel like you’re sitting in the middle of an old growth forest. It’s pretty close to perfect.
And when your day at the festival is over, there is all that natural beauty in the area to keep you mesmerized until the writers take the stage again the next day. Truly a stunning part of the country.
Check out the festival website and if you’re in the area, or even if you’re not, I urge you to consider attending. It’s one of the jewels of Canadian writers festivals. I’m really hoping I might be invited back some time for a fourth visit. After all, I do have a new novel coming out next August. The timing would be perfect (ha!).
Stay tuned for another post next Sunday. By then we’ll both know what I’ve written about. Hope you can subscribe so you don’t miss future posts. Until next week, happy reading and writing.
I enjoyed Terry Fallis report on the Sunshine Coast Festival. He is a great writer and reporter!
Sounds like a wonderful festival, with all those side-treats, too. That Tesla! Better yet, Pat Carney!!
Fun Fact: My dad worked for DeHavilland his whole career (pre-war to his death in 1979). He was the Parts manager and really knew his planes. He swore the Beaver was the best-designed, safest, most efficient aircraft every designed and built. Lucky you - getting into the co-pilot seat!