The Golden Ears Writers and Readers Festival is fast approaching and tickets for the Great Canadian Literature Tea are going fast.
This year the festival will feature keynote author Denise Jaden, who will be holding a free forum, called “Telling Stories That Matter.”
Using her own personal journey in both writing and life as a jumping off place, she will address how stories can not only entertain and educate, but also help people connect with one another, with their emotions, and help them learn about the world around them.
“Often it’s only in hindsight that we realize how much our stories truly affect others and ourselves. I hope to encourage other writers to keep on keeping on with their stories,” said Jaden.
“Even though they may come up against some daunting roadblocks, it is worth pushing through the struggle,” she said.
Jaden writes mainly for young adults.
“I love this age where feelings are so passionate and there are many firsts for characters to undergo,” she explained about the genre.
“I also have always been told by critique partners that my writing voice jives well with this age group,” she said.
Jaden wrote her debut novel, Losing Faith, in twenty-one days during NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, an annual internet-based creative writing project that takes place during the month of November where participants attempt to write a 50,000 word manuscript, in 2007.
Jaden’s other young adult novels include Never Enough, A Christmas Kerril, Foreign Exchange, Avalanche, and the Living Out Loud Series. Her nonfiction books for writers include Writing with a Heavy Heart and the NaNoWriMo-popular guide Fast Fiction. Her latest how-to writing guide is Story Sparks. In her spare time, she home-schools her son, acts in television and movies, and dances with a Polynesian dance troupe.
Jaden loves talking with writers and students alike about drumming up story ideas and her just-get-to-the-end fast-drafting process.
She lives just outside Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband and son.
Other speakers at the festival will include author Jennifer Sommersby on self-publishing for novelists and author Sandra Wickham on health and fitness for creative people.
There will also be a book sale.
All events are free with the exception of the Great Canadian Literature Tea with MC Fred Armstrong that will feature games and a lively discussion about favourite Canadian authors over a cup of afternoon tea. Tickets for this will be $5 each and can be purchased by calling 604-476-2787 or at theactmapleridge.org. They will be available the day of but it may be sold out beforehand.
The Golden Ears Writers and Readers Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 30 at the ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place in Maple Ridge.
A schedule of events can be found on the ACT website.