It's a celebration of all things word-related - and it's all happening in New Westminster this weekend.
The Arts Council of New Westminster is presenting LitFest New West 2014.
The fun kicks off on Friday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the New Westminster Public Library, with the opening reception and launch. Bob Robertson and Linda Cullen of Double Exposure will be on hand to entertain with a comedy retrospective.
Space is limited, so call the library at 604-527-4667 to register.
Saturday features a day full of workshops at Douglas College, as well as a marketplace outside the college library where publishers and writers will be on hand with their offerings.
The marketplace runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and three full series of workshops run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The workshops cover a wide range of topics of interest to writers. Among the offerings are the Business Side of Writing, Both Sides Now: Essential Elements of Adaptation, Navigating the Publishing World, What a Character! Humour Writing Workshop, Writing For Children, and Sense, Rhythm and Rhyme.
Cullen and Robertson will lead an Introduction to Comedy Writing session at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and there will be a publisher's panel featuring Richard Olafson, Kitty Lewis and Manolis Aligizakis at 3:15 p.m.
From 5 to 7 p.m., you can meet and mingle with 20 authors at a special Volumes of Authors reception and book-signing, and there will also be an open mike poetry reading at the Amelia Douglas Gallery from 5 to 7 p.m.
The event culminates in the LitFest showcase at the Laura C. Muir Theatre, which will feature a variety of performances including poetry, readings, theatre, music and an awards presentation from the Royal City Literary Arts Society's Write On! contest.
Gary Geddes is the festival's writer-in-residence.
See www.artscouncilnewwest.org/litfest for all the details and registration.
