‘Go-to writer’s festival’
Authors, publishers and readers gathering for Lunenburg Lit Fest
“I can think of no better way to get inside a storyteller’s head than to have them read to you.”
Writers from across Canada are preparing to descend on Lunenburg for the fourth annual Lunenburg Lit Fest.
The festival, which runs from Sept. 26 until 28, will feature a number of readings, tours and workshops led by celebrated authors like Shandi Mitchell, Lesley Crewe and Michael Crummey.
Troy Myers, the chief executie officer for South
Shore Public Libraries (SSPL) , said the festival has only gained momentum since its launch.
“This celebration of storytelling on the South Shore continues to gain more traction as a go-to writer’s festival located in a town steeped in literary history,” he said during an interview with the South Shore Breaker.
“To date, the Lit Fest has proved to be a world class celebration of the written word and we look forward to another great weekend.”
Concerning changes to this year’s format, Myers noted the festival had added an extra evening for a “Pitch the Publisher” event in which Chris Benjamin — the SSPL writer in residence — would help local writers pitch their ideas to Atlantic Publishers.
Some aspiring writers, he said, could end up with a publishing contract if their pitch is good enough.
Myers added that there’s no replacement for hearing the author read their work in a public setting, especially when in a UNESCO World Heritage site.
“I can think of no better way to get inside a storyteller’s head than to have them read to you,” he said.
For his part, author Crummey said he was excited to participate in his first Lunenburg Lit Fest. Author Michael Crummey, who has written books such as Sweetland and Galore, says he’s excited to participate in his first Lunenburg Lit Fest.
“It’s really gratifying after spending most of the time sitting in a room along making things up to get out there in people’s towns and meet people for whom these books are really important,” said Crummey, who currently lives in
St. John’s, NL, and has written books such as Sweetland and Galore.
In fact, Crummey said he’s seen a literary shift over the years in small towns across the country: people, he said, like reading local stories.
This shift is epitomized in events like Lunenburg Lit Fest.
“It has something to do with the size of the community and how involved the community is in the festival,” he said.
Tickets for the festival can be purchased at SSPL branches, Lunenburg Bound or Lexicon Books