An annual celebration of authors is returning to the South Shore.

The Lunenburg Literary Festival, or Lunenburg Lit as it has come to be known, is preparing to welcome some of the country’s top authors in their genres to Lunenburg for the seventh year in a row.

South Shore Public Libraries CEO Ashley Nunn-Smith says bringing these authors into smaller venues allows attendees to get up close and personal.

“I think the beauty of Lunenburg Lit Fest it’s quite an intimate setting. You are going to get a chance to walk up and say hello to the author, ask them to sign your book. They’re going to have a chance to have some pretty informal chit-chat. They’ll also be able to ask some questions from the audience,” said Nunn-Smith.

Lunenburg Lit was fortunate to be one of the events that continued throughout the pandemic by following protocols and cutting the number of attendees in half.

The library’s Communication and Engagement Coordinator Christina Pottie says the events held over those two years were special for the audience but especially so for the authors.

“Many of the authors, this was their only public speaking event in two years,” said Pottie. “They were just so thrilled to have that live audience and have that audience participation and just the feel that you get when you read in front of people instead of reading from a screen.”

Lunenburg Lit is back to full capacity for all events this year and is offering a full schedule over the weekend of Sept. 22-24.

The festival kicks off Thursday, Sept. 22 with two free events: poet and novelist Gloria Ann Wesley leads a youth event at the Heritage Bandstand to discuss her novels, Chasing Freedom and If This Is Freedom.

Author Lyndsey Ruck gives copies of her books to Bluenose Academy students Charlie Francis and Vivian Halverson at 2021 Lunenburg Lit. Photo courtesy of South Shore Public Libraries.

That’s followed by a panel at St. John’s parish hall on Thursday evening, where writers and publishers answer audience questions about first steps in literary publishing.

Friday, the Lunenburg School of the Arts will host readings from novelist and short-story writer David Bergen, poet and journalist El Jones, and multiple-genre writer Heather O’Neill.

The festival offers a full slate of events Saturday with a Literary Walking Tour of Lunenburg at midday, journalist and University of Kings instructor Trina Roache will interview writer and politician Charlie Angus in the afternoon and the festival wraps up that evening with novelist and screenplay writer Shyam Selvadurai, Newfoundland author Megan Gail Coles, and Halifax novelist Jane Doucet.

Tickets are available at all South Shore Public Libraries in person or by phone and information is available on their website.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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