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Whistler Writers Festival unveils lineup

Arts news: Art Escapes takes artists on adventures; North of Nightfall premieres
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good reads Author Peter Carey will be at the Whistler Writers Festival this year. Photo submitted

The Whistler Writers Festival has unveiled its full lineup of authors for this year's event.

Running from Oct. 11 to 14, the festival will feature two-time winner of the Man Booker Prize Peter Carey; internationally renowned First Nations writer Eden Robinson; Giller Prize-winner Esi Edugyan; award-winning poet Billy-Ray Belcourt; and acclaimed short-story writer and novelist Lisa Moore.

Also on the list: Lorna Crozier, Sharon Bala, Rawi Hage, Ian Hamilton, Kim Thúy and Ali Hassan.

"We have a sweeping range of leading authors and literary guests coming to this year's festival that will excite both readers and writers," says Stella Harvey, director of the festival, in a release. "From emerging talent to literary masters, from fresh voices to established veterans, and from award-winners to boundary-pushers, this year's program is possibly the festival's best ever, and we are looking forward to bringing together some of the finest writers and poets in the country and the world for an outstanding weekend of literary discussion and readings in the mountains."

A long list of confirmed guest presenters includes locals like Leslie Anthony, Feet Banks, Sara Leach, Nicolette Richer, Stephen Vogler and Rebecca Wood Barrett alongside other big names like Dustin Bentall, Dave Bidini and Grant Lawrence, to name just a few.

Tickets for the festival went on sale last Monday, Aug. 13. They're available at whistlerwritersfest.com.

Escape the studio

Combine your passions for the outdoors and art with a new customized creative outdoor workshop.

Art Escapes sessions are running from now through September, bringing artists to picturesque locations with their easels in tow. "Pack a lunch, grab a portable easel and head into the woods or up the mountain," says the program description. "Confident hikers will carry their own gear to a secret location just outside Whistler Village or head up the gondola."

Participants will learn new artistic techniques, how to tap into their self-expression and bring out their inner creativity.

Hiking shoes, lunch, snacks, a backpack and water bottle are required.

Classes are customizable, but generally three hours long. The cost is $99 with a minimum of four people. For more, visit andrealikesart.com or call Andrea Mueller at 604-902-0921.

North of Nightfall premiere

Travel from the Whistler Bike Park to the Arctic Circle with the premiere of Red Bull's North of Nightfall.

The film follows Darren Berrecloth, Carson Storch, Cam Zink and Tom Van Steenbergen as they travel to the top of the world—amongst the glaciers on Axel Heiberg Island—to mountain bike on untouched terrain.

"Harsh temperatures, volatile weather and nine-month winters mean the area is normally devoid of human life," reads the film description. "But each summer, this frozen landscape flourishes under endless daylight, revealing a spectacular ecosystem."

With a dose of adrenaline paired with stunning visuals, the film is screening at Rebagliati Park in Whistler on Friday, Aug. 17 from 8 to 10 p.m. RSVP for the free show on Facebook by searching "Red Bull Ride in Theatre: North of Nightfall Premiere."