2026 Festival Program
2026 Featured Guests
Susan Juby – Keynote Speaker
Susan Juby is a Canadian novelist who teaches Creative Writing at Vancouver Island University…
C.E. Gatchalian (he/him) – Presenter
C.E. Gatchalian is a Filipino-Canadian author, playwright, and editor whose work explores diaspora, identity, memory, and queerness…
Janie Chang – Presenter
Janie Chang is a Globe and Mail bestselling author of historical fiction….
Anne Fleming – Presenter
Anne Fleming is the author of six books of fiction and poetry…
Michael V. Smith (he/him or he/she) – Presenter
Michael V. Smith writes and teaches across many creative genres…
Bill Arnott (he/him) – Presenter
Bill Arnott is the BC Book Prize bestselling author of the Season memoirs, the Perfect Day Walks, and the Gone Viking travelogues…
J.C. (John) Corry (he/him) – Presenter
An army brat, J.C. (John) Corry studied literature and film then produced TV documentaries about why artists create…
Val R. Caine (any pronouns) – Presenter
Val R. Caine is an author and illustrator, and serves as a board member for WCWF….
Jake Kennedy (he/him/his) – Presenter
Jake is a newcomer/visitor to syilx territory and has taught in the English department at Okanagan College for 21 years…
JM Landels (she/they) – Presenter
JM Landels (she/they), writer and illustrator of the bestselling Allaigna’s Song trilogy and co-founder of Pulp Literature Press wears far too many hats…
Jenny Kong – Presenter
Jenny has been a 3D animator for over 14 years, serving on contracts with studios such as Sony Pictures Imageworks, Sony Playstation, and Moving Picture Company…
Chenise Puchailo – Presenter
Chenise cut her teeth in journalism and newsprint, and through a career in production has served in various roles in marketing and advertising…
Corinna Chong (she/her) – Presenter
Corinna Chong lives on unceded Syilx/Okanagan territory (Kelowna, BC) and teaches creative writing, English literature, and fine arts at Okanagan College…
Faye Arcand – Featured Reader
Faye Arcand is an international award-winning author. She is known for creating stories and personalities that are unique, disturbing and relatable…
Sierra Louie (she/her) – Featured Reader
Sierra Louie is a Chinese-Canadian writer and artist working on unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ land…
Andrea Buck (she/her) – Featured Reader
Andrea Buck is a writer of contemporary fiction…
Sarah Carrington (she/her) – Featured Reader
Sarah Carrington is a BC author and nurse who graduated in 2025 after returning to school later in life…
Angela Douglas (she/her) – Featured Reader
Angela Douglas is an award-winning Okanagan author…
Leigh Macfarlane (she/her) – Featured Reader
Leigh Macfarlane is an author of romance novels, travel memoirs, non-fiction (as L.M. Penner), and education books (as The Backwoods Writer)…
Taylor Williams (they/them) – Featured Reader
Taylor Williams (they/them) is an American-Canadian Poet, born in Los Angeles California…
Julie Wise (she/her) – Featured Reader
Julie Wise (she/her) is an author and activist from Penticton whose previous iterations included being a translator, doula, journalist and flamenco dancer…
