May 23-26, 2023
Events and workshops for new and seasoned writers, storytellers, and literary fans.
DTES Writers Festival is excited to present the 2nd annual edition taking place May 23 to May 26, 2023.
The festival will feature writers and artists of many disciplines who will host workshops, classes and author talks for writers of every level of experience, from emerging to professional.
“The Downtown Eastside has a history of writing that supports activism and presents the voice of many otherwise disenfranchised citizens, voices from the streets, creativity from Indigenous people and people of colour, from SRO’s, from people living with substance use and mental health conditions, and from people recovering from the crap life has thrown at them. Our creativity and writing heals us, brings us to that deep interconnectedness with consciousness within and without that unites us in community. We have more writers per square foot than any other community in Canada. Welcome. Come, listen, participate, learn, share, and grow with us. Whatever journey you're on, may you find sustenance at the DTES Writers Festival.”
Mildred Grace German, Writer Illustrator - Right To Food Zine
Gordon Bird, Writer & Mission Possible Neighbours Lead
Gilles Cyrenne - Coordinator, DTES Writers Collective
Paul Taylor - Editor, Carnegie Newsletter
The DTES Writers Festival is thrilled to offer workshops, presentations, and conversations with Authors and Artists featuring Comics, Zine Creation, Creative Writing, Storytelling, Songwriting, Journalism, Poetry Cabaret, Indigenous Storytelling and more!
All Festival events are free and open to all DTES community members.
2023 DTES WRITERS FESTIVAL EVENT LIST
Meet & Greet – DTES Writers Festival Opening!
Time and Date: Tuesday May 23, 2023 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: 312 Main, 312 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T2
Registration: Drop In
Join us for a social get together with fellow DTES writers, storytellers, and literary fans. Tote Bags, Buttons, and $10 Gift Certificates for Massy Books available. Refreshments provided. Everyone is welcome! Featuring a reading by Vancouver’s Poet Laureate 2022-2024 Fiona Tinwei Lam.
Storyteller in Residence - Workshop
Facilitator: Jim Sands
Time and Date: Tuesday May 23, 2023 11:30 AM-1:30 PMLocation: RayCam Co-operative Centre, 920 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6A 3T1
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/raycam-seniors-story-circle-open-workshop-w-jim-sands-tickets-621259522957
You are invited to participate in an Open Workshop with the RayCam Seniors Story Circle facilitated by Storyteller in Residence Jim Sands. Each week we meet to share stories and experiences and to develop our storytelling skills. For this event, we are opening the doors for people of all ages with an interest in telling stories. Lunch will be provided.
PLEASE PRE-REGISTER TO ENSURE YOUR LUNCH ORDER. Have questions? Contact RayCam (604) 257-6949
https://www.facebook.com/CharlieAHockeyStory/
Memoir Writing - Workshop
Facilitator: Nicole Luongo
Time and Date: Tuesday May 23, 2023 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: The Learning Centre, 3 rd Floor Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T7
Registration: Drop In
How do we tell our stories when we are unreliable narrators? Moreover, what is ours to tell, and how do we navigate tensions between the right to write and the consequences our writing could have for those we love? This workshop will address these and related questions. Participants will be
led through a facilitated process of thinking through their motivations for memoir writing. They will also be prompted to consider the unintended or unforeseen implications that memoir writing could have in theirs and others’ lives, and be provided with tools for translating faulty or incomplete
memories into coherent narratives. They will leave having considered the meaning of “authenticity,” and the extent to which it matters.
https://twitter.com/nicolemluongo
Comics Zine Making - Workshop
Facilitator: Cole Pauls
Time and Date: Tuesday May 23, 2023 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: The Learning Centre, 3 rd Floor Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T7
Registration: Drop In
Join for an introduction to Mini Zine making workshop with Cole Pauls!
https://tundrawizard.com/
An evening with Tsleil-Waututh storyteller Les George
Time and Date: Tuesday May 23, 2023 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: The Learning Centre, 3rd Floor Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T7
Registration: Drop In
2023 Indigenous Storyteller in Residence at Vancouver Public Library Les George will be sharing traditional stories and songs from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Les will begin with a traditional song and drumming, speak about the cultural identity and traditional homelands of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, share a legend or story, and conclude with the Coast Salish Anthem, created by his great-grandfather the late Chief Dan George.
https://www.vpl.ca/storyteller
Women Only Storytelling
Facilitator: Grace Howse
Time and Date: Tuesday May 23, 2023 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: WISH Drop In Centre 334 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1C3
Registration: Drop In, for WISH Participants only
Join Grace Howse for a welcoming introduction to storytelling.
https://wish-vancouver.net/
Right to Food Zine - Workshop
Facilitator: Jennifer Cooley
Time and Date: Wednesday May 24, 2023 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Carnegie Theatre, Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T7
Registration: Drop In
Everyone is welcome at the Right To Food Zine Workshop on steps in writing articles and poetry and other publishable items on a deadline! :-)
https://www.rtfzine.org/
Writing with Drag Queens – Workshop
Facilitators: Delica Cee and Tara Beladi
Time and Date: Wednesday May 24, 2023 2:00 PM-4:00 PM
Location: Carnegie Theatre, Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T7
Registration: Drop In
Join celebrated local Drag Performers Delica Cee and Tara Beladi to work on writing in own your
unique fabulous voice.
https://www.storytellingwithdragqueens.com/
Creative Writing - Workshop
Facilitators: Surya Govender and Katie Czenczek
Time and Date: Wednesday May 24, 2023 2:00 PM-4:00 PM
Location: 312 Main, 312 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T2
Registration: Drop In
Come participate in a facilitated creative writing workshops on behalf of Megaphone Magazine. With an interdisciplinary and compassionate approach to writing, we can help you with prose, comics, poetry and more in this two-hour workshop. We will bring prompts to get you started and will encourage you to develop your voice. Come write with us! All experience levels welcome :)
https://www.megaphonemagazine.com/
Spontaneous Poetry
Facilitator: Gilles Cyrenne
Time and Date: Wednesday May 24, 2023 3:15 PM-4:30 PM
Location: Hastings St. @ Main St., In front of Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T7
Registration: Drop In
Spontaneous poetry writing is an unplanned connection with someone that results in a poem that captures a feeling, moment, image or essence of their exchange and connection. The goal of spontaneous poetry writing is a meaningful, brief and exploratory dialogue that can prompt writing that mirrors the experience using some of the speaker’s own words.
Reading Dead DTES Writers
Facilitator: Carmela Sison
Time and Date: Wednesday May 24, 2023
Rehearsal - 3:00pm-5:00pm (participants only)
Presentation - 7:00pm-8:30pm
Registration: Drop In
Location: nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona Branch, VPL 730 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1R5
DTES literary fans are invited to participate in a reading of gone but not forgotten DTES Writers. To participate, pick your favourite deceased DTES writer, or stop in to a branch of Vancouver Public Library to get suggestions. Then, come to the reading rehearsal provided by Carmela Sison on Wednesday afternoon 3:00pm-5:00pm to get coaching and support on your delivery. Finally, return for the main event at 7pm to share your selected text with the audience. No previous experience necessary. Space for up to 10 participants.
40th Anniversary Celebration – The Learning Centre
Time and Date: Thursday May 25, 2023 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: The Learning Centre, 3 rd Floor Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T7
Registration: Drop In
Come celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Learning Centre! Refreshments, prizes, and reflections
on four decades of meeting the learning needs of the community at Carnegie Community Centre.
Providing tutoring, survival English class, computer support, photography assistance, writing, and
painting the Learning Centre has been a leader in low barrier education opportunities. Everyone is
welcome!
ASL, Mandarin, and Cantonese interpretation provided.
有普通話和廣東話翻譯
Author Talk - Responsible Reporting in the DTES
Facilitator: Jennifer St. Denis
Time and Date: Thursday May 25, 2023 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Online
Registration: email [email protected] to request the link.
In local new media, the Downtown Eastside is often written about as a problem that needs to be fixed. How can journalists help residents use the power of news media to hold decision-makers to account and provide a full picture of the neighbourhood and its residents?
https://twitter.com/JenStDen https://www.instagram.com/jenstdenis/
Auto-generated captioning available
Create & Share - Workshop and Reading
Facilitators: Fiona Tinwei Lam, Kevin Spenst, Claire Matthews
Time and Date: Thursday May 25, 2023 1:30 PM-4:30 PM
Location: The Field House, Oppenheimer Park 400 Powell St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1G6
Registration: Drop In
Join us for a supportive multi station generative writing session with Fiona Tinwei Lam, Claire Matthews, Kevin Spenst and other authors to create fresh local poetry. Enjoy new techniques in a supportive environment. No previous experience necessary, everyone is welcome. Open mic reading
and sharing at the end of the creation session. Event runs rain or shine!
https://www.facebook.com/VancouverCityPoems
https://kevinspenst.com
https://humanities101.arts.ubc.ca/
ASL, Mandarin, and Cantonese interpretation provided.
有普通話和廣東話翻譯
Poetry Cabaret – Open Mic
Facilitator: Diane Wood
Time and Date: Thursday May 25, 2023 6:30 PM-9:00 PM
Carnegie Theatre, Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T7
Registration: Drop In
Join us for a special edition of the Carnegie Community Centre Poetry Cabaret. This open mic style event invites performers to sign up and then have 10 minutes each on stage. Everyone welcome!
Introduction to Songwriting - Workshop
Facilitator: Matthew Ariaratnam
Time and Date: Friday May 26, 2023 10:00 AM & 11:15 AM
Location: Carnegie Theatre, Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T7
Registration: Drop In
Join Matthew Ariaratnam for Introduction to Songwriting. No previous experience necessary. Guitars provided.
@mattplaysdumbpop
Chinese Calligraphy – Workshop
Time and Date: Friday May 26, 2023 1:30 PM-3:30 PM
Location: Seniors Lounge - Lane Level, Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T7
Registration: Drop In
Come to the Carnegie Seniors Lounge to learn calligraphy or have your name written. Everyone welcome.
Author Talk – Angela Sterritt
Time and Date: Friday May 26, 2023 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: The Learning Centre, 3 rd Floor Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T7
Registration: Drop In
Join award-winning investigative journalist Angela Sterritt to discuss her new memoir Unbroken. Angela Sterritt is from the Gitanmaax community of the Gitxsan Nation on her dad’s side and from Bell Island Newfoundland on her maternal side. She is the host of the CBC original podcast called
Land Back about land theft and land reclamation in Canada. Her latest work is part memoir and part investigation into the murders and disappearances of Indigenous women will be published on May 30, 2023, by Greystone Books.
Twitter @AngelaSterritt
Megaphone - Voices of the Street Launch
Time and Date: Friday May 26, 2023 6:30-8:30 PM
Location: SFU, Goldcorp Centre for the Arts 149 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1H4
Registration: Tickets required. Purchase at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2023-voices-of-the-street-launch-losing-hope-finding-home-tickets-624499985267
Megaphone's 2023 and 13th-annual Voices of the Street literary anthology Losing Hope, Finding Home will be available for purchase from your Megaphone vendor on May 5, 2023! Voices of the Street showcases the literary talents of marginalized writers in Vancouver and is sold by Megaphone vendors to earn a meaningful income.
Megaphone will be hosting the 2023 Voices of the Street Launch Event at the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. This will be an evening of celebrating and hearing poetry readings from the writers published in the 2023 Voices of the Street literary anthology Losing Hope, Finding Home.
Contact Megaphone for more information [email protected] or 604-255-9701
https://www.megaphonemagazine.com/voices_of_the_street
After Words - The DTES Writers Festival Wrap Party
Time and Date: Sunday May 28, 2023 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Location: Rise Up Marketplace 704 Vernon Dr., Vancouver, BC V6A 3N9
Registration: Drop In
Join us to celebrate the end of the 2nd Annual DTES Writers Festival. Refreshments provided. Everyone is welcome! Feature readings by favourite DTES authors. We look forward to seeing you then.
MORE INFORMATION
Pick up the program guide at any of the DTES Writers Festival locations. The DTES Writers Festival was created by a Volunteer Advisory Committee of representatives from Megaphone Magazine, The Learning Centre and Carnegie Community Centre writing programs. Committee work was supported by Carnegie Community Centre and The Learning Centre. Get in touch with the DTES Writers Festival Volunteer Advisory Committee via [email protected] 604-665-2220.
https://www.megaphonemagazine.com/dteswritersfestival
All photos by Yvonne Chew.