Exploring the Vancouver Writers Fest: Deborah Ellis

I had the great pleasure of attending an event at the Vancouver Writers Fest yesterday. The speaker was Deborah Ellis, who has written a number of books based on interviews with children and youth in Canada and around the world. It was fascinating and moving to hear the stories of these young people, many of them subject to war, extreme poverty, sexual abuse and other atrocities.

It was also refreshing to hear Deborah speak so candidly about her failed attempts in writing. She referenced, a couple times, the many “awful” fiction books she had written in her early writing years that did not find a publisher.

Which demonstrates the benefits of perseverance and exploring new directions as they present themselves.

The Writers Fest continues this week and tickets are still available for several events. Whether you’ve tried your hand at writing or simply enjoy a good read, the Fest has many wonderful authors and topics.