Galiano Literary Fest Feast

It's been years since I've hung out with other writers, so the Lit Fest was indeed a feast. The assortment of talent was more than I had expected, but then so, was the quality of much of the work. "Fish Bones," a new piece written for the festival was read on Saturday and I leapt forward onto the open-mic list on Sunday and read "Pier One Promises," a piece written for a public reading in April on the island.

The festival director, Geoff Inverarity brought together three Galiano writers, including award-winning fiction writer Robin McLean, who led a fun-filled, insightful workshop on Sunday morning. If you haven't read her work, do it soon. The "Women Writers in the Trades" was an enjoyable panel and touched on the festival theme of "Home" in the way each writer made a home in their chosen trade. Never easy to do in such male-oriented environments.

My personal edict, which only one other writer followed, was to support each writer. And the best way to do that was to listen. To be there for each and every one of them, which I'm glad I did. The last round of readers was especially moving, as both bill bissett and Stephen Roxborough performed. They are senior fellows in the Canadian lit scene and each too singular and interesting to even try and explain. Performance artists as much as writers. Subversive and eloquent. Shouldn't we all be that way? A weekend to remember.