There was plenty of laughter from all four guest authors taking part in the opening night panel at the 2021 Saskatchewan Festival of Words, as they talked about literary festival experiences to close out the first day of events.
Guest authors Jael Richardson, Harold Johnson and Guy Vanderhaeghe joined moderator and fellow Festival guest author Angie Abdou for a panel titled “Festivals from an Author’s Perspective.”
Opening with a short reading from the three guest authors, including excerpts from both Vanderhaeghe and Johnson’s not-yet-released books, the foursome jumped right into discussion about the value of literary festivals.
Festivals create a welcome connective space for guests and writers, agreed the panel, and offer a sometimes uncommon opportunity to connect with each other within the literary community.
“It is a solitary profession, so in many ways, the only way you connect with the reader is when you read to them in person [at festivals],” said Vanderhaeghe. “I’ve been doing this long enough to see how festivals have changed. Back in the 8-0s, they were basically readings [and] festivals now are often talk about writing, and that’s not a bad thing.”
There’s also intrinsic value in festivals for first-time writers, said the panel, who often find themselves underexposed until they can use a festival appearance as a platform.
“I know you don’t do it for the accolades but [as a first-time author] there’s this sense of like, ‘does anyone even know that this book exists?’” said Richardson. “So festivals are really a way of not just being affirmed, by being invited, [but] being able to talk to other people who’ve gone through the same thing.
“[And] it's about the wisdom you gain, from being in proximity to other authors.”
All three agreed that although there are benefits to the increased accessibility, seeing recent festivals required to make the change to a virtual format — including the Festival of Words — has shorted all types of festival-goers of the magic that comes with making those personal connections.
“To me, the important part of festivals is [meeting people] and becoming friends, and I can’t do that online,” said Johnson. “I’ve always loved Moose Jaw because it's never had a green room, we went out in the park, under the trees, and genuinely visited.”
But, as the panel later shared, not all festival moments are magic — although, they are memorable.
Abdou got the giggles moving when she asked Johnson, Richardson and Vanderhaeghe to share their most mortifying festival moments — some of which involved meeting literary heroes gone wrong.
The Festival of Words will continue on Friday, with the first virtual events beginning at 11 a.m. with the Kids Ink Workshop and the Teen Read Out.
