Wakefield Writers Fête 2024 celebrates resilience and the power of storytelling

Tashi Farmilo

The Wakefield Writers Fête 2024 will bring together an impressive array of authors, artists, and storytellers for a series of engaging events celebrating literature, culture, and resilience. The festival, taking place in October at the Centre Wakefield La Pêche Cooperative, will feature a diverse lineup of speakers, including notable authors such as Waubgeshig Rice, Kai Thomas, Jane Urquhart, and Heather O’Neill, as well as multidisciplinary artists like Chloé Sainte-Marie and Marc Séguin.

Kicking off on October 16, the event, titled Stories of Resilience, will have Waubgeshig Rice and Kai Thomas in conversation with Adrian Harewood, exploring themes of identity, survival, and cultural renewal. Rice’s much-anticipated sequel, “Moon of the Turning Leaves,” builds on his exploration of Indigenous life in post-apocalyptic settings, while Thomas’s In the Upper Country delves into the history and legacies of Black and Indigenous communities in Canada. Both authors highlight the enduring strength of marginalized peoples and the beauty of their cultural roots.

On October 17, “Stories of Discovery” will feature Jane Urquhart and Heather O’Neill, hosted by Lucy van Oldenbarneveld, in a discussion about how storytelling brings visibility to the invisible. Urquhart’s newest novel In Winter I Get Up at Night touches on colonial expansion and scientific progress, while O’Neill’s dark fairytale The Capital of Dreams provides a poignant reflection on life, death, and betrayal.

The festival’s bilingual programming will be on full display on October 18 with “Passion et Création,” featuring Chloé Sainte-Marie and Marc Séguin. Sainte-Marie, known for her advocacy for caregivers and her work in music, will share her latest multilingual album Maudit Silence, while Séguin, a renowned painter and novelist, will discuss his passion for art and creation.

October 19 will feature “Stories of Courage” with Sally Armstrong and R.H. Thomson, examining the impact of war on individuals and society. Armstrong, a veteran journalist known for her focus on women’s rights, will discuss her work in Afghanistan, while Thomson will offer insights from his memoir By the Ghost Light, which intertwines personal and historical narratives around the human cost of war.

The festival concludes on October 20 with “Stories of Fortitude & Renewal,” hosted by Frances Itani. The event will feature Jamal Saeed, Souvankham Thammavongsa, and Lawrence Scanlan in a discussion about resilience, migration, and finding hope in adversity.

Thammavongsa’s How to Pronounce Knife portrays the immigrant experience through tender and humorous stories, while Saeed’s memoir My Road from Damascus recounts his harrowing experience as a prisoner of conscience in Syria. Scanlan’s writing on philanthropy and compassion further emphasizes the importance of generosity and human connection in difficult times.

The Wakefield Writers Fête promises to be an enriching celebration of storytelling in its many forms, with each event offering a unique exploration of resilience, identity, and the human spirit. Tickets are available for individual events, and the festival is committed to making its programming accessible, offering reduced-price tickets for anglophone events. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the festival's official website at writersfete.com.