A new kind of 21st Century literary festival combining literature, the arts and interactive programming comes to Stratford next month, giving aspiring writers a chance to share their work with established authors and industry professionals.

MThere are many reasons to visit Stratford - the legendary theatre (of course!), the incredible culinary scene, the arts, the beautiful setting, and the kind and interesting people who live there.

For whatever reasons you're visiting Stratford, there's ONE thing you need to do first. We did, and it informed and influenced our entire visit.

Just up the block from Moo Moo's Ice Cream in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland is Bannerman Park (trust me to base directions on ice cream). A wide, expansive park, with a playground, lush grassy areas, and plenty of trees, a visit earlier in the week showed me just that - a park. But once a year in early August, this park transforms into a world-class music venue, as it hosts the Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival. 

It was a gorgeous August day - the kind you hope for when planning a trip, smile at your good luck with the weather during, and remember fondly for years afterward.

In a simple basement with bare light bulbs and a water heater for company, five gifted musicians are making extraordinary music. In a studio that means business (except for the cheerful teal and silver dots adorning one wall), eight talented dancers are pushing the boundaries of what their bodies can do. On an often isolated journey, a budding composer is hearing whole orchestras. What do they have in common? None of them are older than 25.  

Opening nights are ever an exciting and elegant gala, celebrating months of hard work. This year on May 12 – at SpringWorks indie theatre & arts festival – will be no exception. Though there may be a bit more rocking out as Sharron Matthews takes the stage with her signature irreverent wit and solid gold mash-ups in a comedic tour-de-force concert.

As a writer, I am entranced by words. I love them – writing them, reading them, re-reading them, finding writers that use them in creative, interesting ways. To say that my life is one of writing and reading is not an overstatement, but rather, a joyful way to be in the world. 

When I discover writers that I love, I dig in deeply to their words. They enrich my life, thoughts, reading. And, when I have the ability to share the talents of such writers? Well, this is one of the reasons I started this website.