We’ve arrived at the season when many of our favourite authors turn from dust-jacket photos into flesh-and-blood beings, taking on three-dimensional form at festivals and events around town to read from and talk about their work. Here’s just some of what’s on the way for the city’s readers in the coming weeks:

The Real Vancouver Writers’ Series returns with a multifaceted event at the ANZA Club (3 West 8th Avenue) on Wednesday (September 24). Series founder and co–creative director Sean Cranbury is bringing together two prominent local indie publishers, Anvil and Arsenal Pulp, for an evening that’ll feature readings by six powerful authors: Angie Abdou, Jackie Bateman, Wayde Compton, Alexandra Leggatt, Vivek Shraya, and Jane Silcott. See the Real Vancouver Writers website for the details.

Then, just three days later (on September 27), international lit star David Mitchell, perhaps most famous for 2004’s towering Cloud Atlas, will take the stage for a special Vancouver Writers Fest event at St. Andrew’s–Wesley United Church (Burrard Street at Nelson), where he’ll discuss his latest world-generating novel, The Bone Clocks, recently praised here in the pages of the Straight for reaching “the perfect equilibrium between fantasy and realism”. We can say from experience that Mitchell is one of the best interviewees out there, and his tour stop here is just one of the events the Straight is sponsoring at this year’s Writers Fest (along with evenings featuring six-string-activism hero Bruce Cockburn [November 10] and Newfoundland singer-songwriter Alan Doyle [November 13], each of whom has a new memoir out). Of course, the Writers Fest proper will run from October 21 to 26, offering many dozens of additional strong choices. You can find all the information you need at the Writers Festival website.

The peak of Word Vancouver, one of the city’s unique and most wide-ranging literary celebrations, takes place on September 28, the day after Mitchell does his thing. As ever, the Vancouver Public Library’s central branch (and environs stretching from West Georgia to Robson, and from Hamilton to Homer) will create the setting for author readings, panel discussions, exhibits, and book sales for everyone from the youngest to the most seasoned book fan, not to mention music, dance, and theatrical performances—every last bit of it free of charge. (On that last point, it’s worth noting that the festival is running a Keeping It Free fundraising campaign on Indiegogo.) And during the four days beforehand, starting September 24, Word Vancouver will hold author events at venues all over town, from bookstores like the Paper Hound downtown and Banyen on West 4th to Historic Joy Kogawa House in Marpole. You can also take advantage of a series of free writing workshops at the VPL central branch on September 27, on such subjects as building an audience for your work and (believe it!) actually getting paid. Go to the Word Vancouver website to take in the sprawling program, and be sure to check out further coverage of Word Vancouver in the next issue of the Straight.

But you’re not done yet, because the fast-rising literASIAN festival of Asian Canadian writing takes place from October 9 to 12 at the UBC Learning Exchange (612 Main Street in Chinatown). Luminaries such as Fred Wah, Kim Fu, and Yasuko Nguyen Thanh will be the focus of readings, signings, launches, publishing workshops, and a celebration dinner. See the Lierasian website for more.