Stories to tell

Wild Threads Literary Festival… literary festival? Sounds like a lot of beanies and cardigans—oh, but it was so much more! This was the fifth year of the four-day festival, celebrating all that the written and spoken word bring to our lives—which, if you think about it, is a whole heck of a lot.

Literary works don’t just lend themselves to the creation of books. TV shows, plays, comedy, and music all start with someone jotting an idea down somewhere, then taking the time to expand it into the entertainment we consume daily. It might be the only form of consumption I can really get behind.

The PEI Writers Guild coordinates this event and has been expanding it each year, offering a really great variety of experiences. There were workshops, feasts, interviews, comedy, and music. 

I had to miss the welcome ceremony at the Salvador Dalí Café, which I would have enjoyed for my own nerdy networking purposes—maybe you would have, too. So, the first place I found myself was at a workshop offered by author Trevor Corkum. It was a two-hour interactive session, held in scenic Victoria at the schoolhouse. It was advertised as his signature workshop and I can confidently recommend it. 

Everyone really does have a story to tell, but how do you make it interesting to hear? Well, go to one of Trevor’s workshops and find out, I say. I went in with half an idea of something to write about and came away with the realization that there was a lot more to the story than I had considered. Through his creative engagement and prompts, paired with a quick, well-natured pace, he kept a full room of diverse individuals fully absorbed in the task of writing. 

The Guild hosted a hilarious evening of comedy with both local and international comedians. There were great laughs, few groaners, and an all-female lineup. What’s not to love?

Acorn Publishing offered a free professional development panel with a Q&A at the learning library in Charlottetown, which was enlightening. We have a real variety of aspiring authors on this island, and I think all in attendance appreciated the opportunity. 

I think my favourite part of the weekend’s programming was held at Harmony House in Hunter River. The aptly named Interwoven Voices was—let me check my notes—intensely powerful, genuinely moving, and a beautiful unfiltered look at process. The emotional range I felt during that show is still giving me shivers. The good, tingly kind. The extremely amusing Evelyn Bradley sat as host and questioner to Carlie Howell, Alicia Toner, Joce Reyome, and Brielle Ansems, whom I’m now kind of in love with. The talent of these artists is unquestioned; they are some of our best. However, getting to hear more about the people behind the music and their process was really thought-provoking and surprising in many ways. I really hope this becomes a staple of the festival going forward.