Word Vancouver Festival
September 19th 2026
Online and offsite events
September 10th - 28th 2026
Meet the 2026 Guest Curators
Nicola Harwood
2026 Queer Curator
Frances Koncan
2026 Indigenous Curator
PHISHING OR SPAM EMAIL WARNING
There have been a few concerns from the community about emails they have recently received.
These emails have used the Subject line: Invitation to Join Word Vancouver —[Your Name] coming from an "Olivia Bennett" with the email address olivia.bennett.wordvancouver [at] gmail.com.
Please note these emails are NOT from Word Vancouver. Please don't reply or click any links, report as Spam, and if you are at all concerned about a new Word Team member reaching out, Executive Director Bonnie Nish or a Word Board Member would be happy to confirm.
Protect yourself and your information.
The current Word Vancouver team is on the website to reference.
Volunteer for Word Vancouver 2026
UBC Library Announces Kevin Spenst as
Writer-in-Residence
What are people saying about Word Vancouver?
“Congratulations! Bonnie Nish, the hard-working volunteers, and all exhibitors at Word Vancouver on Saturday at UBC Robson Square. A well-attended venue in Beautiful British Columbia, what a fantastic way to end the Summer of 2025.”
“Bonnie, just a quick note to say that yesterday was the most fun I’ve ever had at Word. I’m so grateful to be a part of it. Thank you so much! A million cheers”
“I ventured out of the West End to the annual literary festival — Word Vancouver.... at the UBC Robson Square campus on Saturday... and came away with FOUR books... big shout out to Word and Bonnie Nish, it was so much fun...we also saw Kedrick James at the amazing SeeThruZoo ‘experience’!”
“Thank you so much for having me aboard again this year. I really appreciated being a part of it again. I had a great time and I think the panel I moderated as well as the one I was presenting my book went over very well.”
2026 Official Booksellers
This is Why Word Vancouver Matters
Michelle Cyca on why Word Vancouver is so important.
Kevin Spenst on why Word Vancouver is so important.
Kevin Chong on why Word Vancouver is so important.
A Message from Our Executive Director
At Word Vancouver, we recognize that this year has been difficult for many people. More than ever, we need to listen, to connect, and to tell stories. Stories have always helped us navigate uncertainty. They remind us that we are not alone in our fears, our hopes, or our dreams. Through poetry, fiction, memoir, and conversation, we discover new ways of seeing one another and ourselves. We find comfort, challenge assumptions, celebrate our differences and recognize the threads of humanity that connect us all. In many ways, stories help us find light in dark days.
This year’s festival brings together remarkable writers, poets, storytellers, artists, publishers and readers from across British Columbia. Their voices invite us to pause, reflect, laugh, question, imagine and celebrate the power of literature to foster empathy, understanding and connection.
It is our hope that you leave Word Vancouver inspired by the voices you encounter and the conversations you share. Even for a moment, we hope you are reminded that you are not alone and that stories can continue to light the way forward.
On behalf of our staff, board of directors, volunteers, partners, and the many writers and artists who make this festival possible, welcome to Word Vancouver 2026. Thank you for joining us in celebrating the written word and the communities it brings together.
- Dr. Bonnie Nish, Executive Director, Word Vancouver
A Message from the Board President
A Message from the Board President
What a privilege it is to serve on the Word Vancouver board with wonderful fellow board members, our ED Extraordinaire Bonnie Nish, and an amazing team of staff and volunteers. Putting on this free, inclusive, and engaging literary festival in downtown Vancouver continues to be so much fun every year. I want to send a huge thank you to everyone who comes to our festival - our attendees, exhibitors, readers, performers, and moderators - you're all part of something very special. Now more than ever, we need events that connect us and give us hope and I'm so proud that this is what we're doing at Word Vancouver.
Mary-Ann Yazedjian
