Fraser Valley Writers Festival features B.C. journalist and former attorney general
Published 4:00 pm Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Writers and bookworms alike will be flocking to the University of the Fraser Valley in November to participate in the 19th annual Fraser Valley Writers Festival.
This three-day event features dozens of notable guests, with the weekend including readings, panels, live podcasts, and much more.
The excitement begins on Thursday (Nov. 5) during the community open mic session at 4 p.m.
Poets, novelists, short story writers, and other literary creatives can take to the stage to share their works with the public, regardless of their experience levels or genre of choice.
On Friday (Nov. 6), the UFV Abbotsford campus will host keynote speakers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Justin McElroy at 7 p.m.
Wilson-Raybould was the minister of justice and attorney general from 2015 to 2019 before resigning amid the SNC-Lavalin controversy and becoming the first female MP elected as an independent.
She has also written multiple books, with the latest being The Inbetween Leader, which she co-authored with Roshan Danesh and released earlier this year.
McElroy has been covering B.C. politics for CBC News for more than a decade, winning numerous journalism awards throughout the years.
His most recent project involved travelling to 52 countries in 52 weeks to determine what qualities make a city great. The results of his travels were documented in his debut novel Searching for the Best Place on Earth, which was published on Oct. 20.
Both of these speakers will deliver keynote speeches, followed by the announcement of the new UFV writer in residence.
Saturday (Nov. 7) is when most of the action takes place, starting with three workshops and a live podcast at 10 a.m.
A second set of workshops and another live podcast will take place later in the day at 1:30 p.m.
Two panel conversations are also scheduled that day, each featuring four speakers and a discussion chair.
The first of these panels takes place at 11:15 a.m. and covers the topic of lies. At 2:45 p.m., the second panel discussion wraps up the entire festival with a detailed conversation centred around the concept of truth.
The authors participating in this year’s workshops and panels include Elizabeth Bachinsky, Adrick Brock, Dina Del Bucchia, Keiko Honda, Jonina Kirton, Renee Sarojini Saklikar, Kevin Spenst, Daniel Zomparelli, Andrew French, and Kamyar Razavi.
Bachinsky is a New Westminster writer who has authored six poetry books, with her latest one being Real Grownup, which is her first collection of poetry in over a decade.
Vancouver-based author Brock released his debut novel Islanders in October. It tells the story of a small community dealing with an influential death.
Del Bucchia has created a wide range of literary works, including poetry and short stories. She was also a host of the Can’t Lit podcast for 10 years, which covered Canadian literature and culture.
Honda comes from a scientific background, with her writing largely concentrated in non-fiction. She was longlisted for the 2026 CBC non-fiction prize.
Icelandic and Red River Metis poet Kirton has been publishing her unique brand of poetry for more than a decade.
Saklikar has written six books ranging from short fiction to poetry collections. Included among her works are the Braham Books, which feature a time-travelling locksmith.
Spenst’s work takes many forms, including collections of poetry and more than a dozen chapbooks. He even helped create the chapbook review column Dead Poets Reading Series, which focuses on the small literary booklets.
Also a poet is Zomparelli, who has collaborated with Del Bucchia on multiple past projects. He was the founder of the Poetry is Dead magazine, which covered contemporary Canadian poetry and visual arts.
Hosting the live podcasts is French, who is returning to the Fraser Valley Writers Festival for the third year. He regularly converses with authors about how they started their careers and developed their unique styles. For the festival, French will be talking with Del Bucchia and Zomparelli.
Razavi is going to be in familiar territory, with the former journalist currently working as a UFV assistant professor. His areas of interest include environmental and climate issues.
Attending any of the Fraser Valley Writers Festival events is free, but registration is required through fvwritersfestival.com.