The Georgia Straight proudly sponsors the Word on the Street festival

The 18th annual Word on the Street festival takes place in Vancouver from Friday to Sunday (September 28 to 30). The weekend festival celebrating literacy and the written word takes place in six cities across Canada.

In Vancouver, the free festival takes place at venues across the city, starting at Banyen Books & Sound (3608 West 4th Avenue) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday. Authors Peter Zuckerman and Amanda Padoan will read from and sign copies of their book Buried in the Sky, which reveals the story of two Sherpas who survived a deadly climb in the Himalaya. This will be followed by a preview of Marcus Youssef’s plays Winners and Losers and How Has My Love Affected You? beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Historic Joy Kogawa House (1450 West 64th Avenue).

The following day, Carnagie Centre (401 Main Street) will host a day of workshops, readings, and talks, including a poetry workshop with Christine Leclerc and a Downtown Eastside poets’ open mic poetry night. Meanwhile, the Central Library (350 West Georgia Street) will host its own full-day translation workshop from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Alma Van Dusen Room.

On the final day of the festival, many events will take place at the main festival site at Library Square and the CBC from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., including an authors’ tent, where readers will be able to meet and greet some of the West Coast’s biggest literary stars; a magazine tent, where those interested can learn more about magazine publishing in Canada; a kids’ tent filled with fun for the entire family; and a performance mainstage.

Check out the Word on the Street official program guide for more details.