Word Feast opens second year with an emphasis on Personal and Cultural Memory — Fredericton, N.B.
Second annual Fredericton Literary Festival launches this week
On September 17, 2018, New Brunswick’s Lieutenant Governor, The Honourable Jocelyne Roy Vienneau will speak to guests as Word Feast kicks off its second year at Government House in Fredericton. At the launch, Ross Leckie, poet and long-time head of UNB’s Creative Writing Program, will be presented with a Community Impact Award, recognizing a substantial contribution to Fredericton’s literary community. The evening will also feature readings by local authors Jo-Anne Elder, Herménégilde Chiasson, Mahammad Al-Digeil, Emily Skov-Nielsen and Nathaniel G. Moore.
“I am excited to open Government House to help launch Word Feast,” says Lt-Gov Roy Vienneau, “because the literary arts have helped to shape who we are as New Brunswickers. In this age of instant connectedness, literature allows us linger, to think, to dream, and to consider greater possibilities. The written word helps us all to be inspired.”
This year’s festival, with a theme of Personal and Cultural Memory, will bring more than 30 authors to Fredericton to share their work and discuss the nature of memory in all its forms. Over the week-long festival, which will run September 17-23, award-winning authors will give workshops and readings in venues across the city, as well as conduct numerous school visits.
“Given how rapidly our culture is changing, our board decided our theme for this year should be memory, and our invited authors really answered that call,” says Fredericton’s Cultural Laureate and Festival Chair Ian LeTourneau. “I hope to see all kinds of people out, celebrating with us, and letting themselves be inspired by the insights, stories, and memories on offer.”
Word Feast events will be held throughout the city at numerous venues, with numerous sponsors and partners offering support. “Once again, we were impressed by the willingness of so many businesses and organizations to embrace this festival,” says LeTourneau. “Fredericton has been through a lot in the past year, and to see the community so willing to offer support and be part of Word Feast means a lot, and our board – comprised entirely of volunteers- has been working very hard to do the city proud and to bring a real splash of inspiration to the public.”
The official launch will begin at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
Word Feast 