When it opens with a Saturday (February 8) event featuring renowned New York City author Gary Shteyngart, the Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival will officially turn 35. Celebration of this milestone is set to continue throughout the fest’s six-day run, with a program every bit as fresh and thought-provoking as ever, ranging from fiction and essays to poetry, graphic novels, and stories for young readers. Here are just a few of the highlights:

Terry Kurgan

February 9 at the Polygon Gallery

The South African artist’s debut work of creative nonfiction, Everyone Is Present, has won international praise for its groundbreaking mix of photography and text, mapping out the flight of her Polish family from Nazi occupation.

Alejandro Frid

February 10 at the Jewish Community Centre

With his new book Changing Tides, the University of Victoria professor argues that fusing scientific perspectives with deep Indigenous knowledge of resource management may open a path out of our planet’s ecological crisis.

Jamie Bernstein

February 13 at the Jewish Community Centre

Joined by UBC–trained singers and pianists, the eldest daughter of Leonard Bernstein discusses Famous Father Girl, her memoir of one of the towering figures in 20th-century music.