Event Locations
Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main St
Learning Centre - 3rd Floor
Classroom II - 3rd Floor
Theatre - Main Floor
Oppenheimer Park 400 Powell St
RayCam Co-Operative Centre 920 E Hastings St
Vancouver Public Library
nə́c ̓ aʔmat ct Strathcona Branch 730 E Hastings St
Balmoral Lot 159 E Hastings St
SFU Vancouver Library, SLC Room 515 W Hastings St
Full Program Schedule
Tuesday, May 19 (Pre-Festival Event)
11am – 1pm · RayCam
Join the RayCan Seniors Story Circle for a biligual (Cantonese/English) storytelling workshop.
Wednesday, May 20
6:30pm – 8pm · Carnegie Theatre
A social get-together with fellow DTES writers, storytellers, and literary fans, featuring Elee Kraljii Gardiner and paula luther.
Thursday, May 21
10:30am – 12:30pm · Carnegie Theatre
Interactive workshop on dialogue and character through plays and film.
10:30am – 12pm · Carnegie Learning Centre
Generative workshop using forms and applications as a starting point for memoir-based poetry.
1pm – 3pm · Carnegie Classroom II
Writing session using visual art as prompts in a supportive space.
1pm – 3pm · Carnegie Community Centre (Main Floor Lobby)
Drop-in community story-writing project where everyone can add a line to a shared tale.
2pm – 3:30pm · Carnegie Learning Centre
Workshop on outlining, beginnings, endings, and story structure for all genres and levels.
3:30pm – 5pm · Carnegie Theatre
Gentle movement-based workshop to unlock body-held stories and deepen writing.
6:30pm – 7:30pm · VPL nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona
Reading and workshop on memoir craft and plot devices; contains sensitive adult content.
6:30pm – 8:30pm · Carnegie Theatre
Open mic-style poetry event with 10-minute slots and prizes for all participants.
Friday, May 22
10am – 12pm · Carnegie Theatre
Interactive creative writing workshop using movement, breath, and bodily awareness to unlock storytelling.
10am – 1pm · SFU Library (SLC Room)
Spanish-langauge zine workshop for migrants exploring their migration journeys through fanzines.
10:30am – 12pm · Carnegie Learning Centre
Fiction workshop on writing about social and thematic injustices with nuance and emotional depth.
12pm – 2pm · Balmoral Lot
One-on-one spontaneous poetry sessions that turn brief conversations into poems.
12pm – 2pm · Balmoral Lot
Outdoor chalk writing and drawing session alongside Spontaneous Poetry *weather-permitting*
12:30pm – 2:30pm · Carnegie Theatre
Writing workshop and launch of the chapbook “Write Like a Deer” with stream-of-consciousness exercises and readings.
1pm – 2:30pm · Carnegie Learning Centre
Workshop for self-identified women using everyday speech and voice-inspired writing to spark new work.
1pm – 3pm · Carnegie Classroom II
Mandarin & Cantonese workshop on how to tell the same story across newspapers, websites, and mobile apps.
3pm – 4:30pm · Carnegie Learning Centre
Workshop on how metaphors work, with examples and guided practice to craft your own.
4pm · VPL nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona
Launch of a neighbourhood story walk featuring stories by kids and youth from East Van.
2pm – 4pm · Carnegie Community Centre (Main Floor Lobby)
Drop-in community story-writing project where everyone can add a line to a shared tale.
5:30pm – 7pm · Carnegie Theatre
An evening talk about Angela Sterritt's book Unbroken, followed by an audience Q&A.
8pm · Carnegie Theatre
Feature documentary by Charles Officer about a community facing relocation, centred on a remarkable 12-year-old Black girl; film provided by the National Film Board of Canada.
Saturday, May 23
10:30am – 12pm · Carnegie Learning Centre
Playful poetry and performance workshop using puppets, personas, and humour to take poems to a sillier place.
10:30am – 12pm · Carnegie Classroom II
Intro talk on how traditional publishing works, from finishing your manuscript to querying agents and landing a book deal.
11:30am – 1pm · Carnegie Theatre
Practical workshop on taking messy first drafts to the next level—start with mess, revise without stress.
12:30pm – 2:30pm · Carnegie Community Centre (Main Floor Lobby)
Drop-in community story-writing project where everyone can add a line to a shared tale.
1pm – 2:30pm · Carnegie Classroom II
Hands-on workshop on writing news stories with strong leads, interviews, quotes, and context.
2pm – 3:30pm · VPL nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona
Creative writing class for ESL learners using sensory language and personal stories to practice English.
2pm – 4pm · RayCam
Community reading of Salmon Legend.
2pm – 3:30pm · Carnegie Theatre
Workshop on using speech arts tools to turn poetry readings into confident, engaging performances.
3pm – 4:30pm · Carnegie Learning Centre
Exploration of the Japanese zuihitsu form, blending musings, nonfiction, and poetry into spontaneous, layered texts.
4:30pm – 6pm · Carnegie Classroom II
Prompt-based writing session to spark ideas and introduce Writers’ Exchange’s work with kids and youth.
7pm – 9pm · Carnegie Theatre
High-energy poetry slam with 3-minute performances, open sign-ups, and prizes for top poets.
Sunday, May 24
10:30am – 12pm · Carnegie Learning Centre
Poetry workshop exploring meaningful everyday objects through multiple perspectives and turning the resulting poems into tiny take-home books.
12:30pm – 2:30pm · Carnegie Learning Centre
Hands-on session learning simple pamphlet and Japanese stab stitch bookbinding techniques using provided materials.
3pm – 5pm · Oppenheimer Park
Open mic and featured readings by DTES authors, including a reading from Typewriter Tales, celebrating the close of the festival; everyone welcome.