Some of the country’s most esteemed writers flocked to the village of Eden Mills on Sept. 14, drawing crowds that spread blankets and leaned from bridges to hear the words of their favourite books come to life.
The festival wrapped up just before the long-list for the prestigious Giller Prize was announced on Sept. 16 with guests like Heather O’Neil, Miriam Toews, Sean Michaels and Shani Mootoo all receiving nominations.
After announcing it would raise its top prize to $100,000 this year, the Scotiabank Giller Prize has situated itself as one of the foremost English writing awards.
The Eden Mills Writers’ Festival kicked off on Sept. 11 with readings and live music at the Ebar in Guelph.
Sunday got underway with a parade into Eden Mills, followed by readings at various sites throughout the village. Guests could wander between readings of poetry, non-fiction, young adult fiction, short stories and more.
Other features included a food court with local fare from Bombay Cafe, Bruno’s, Angie’s Kitchen and Mapleton’s Organic.
Visitors could also peruse through the Publisher’s Way and pick out some new books while speaking one on one with independent publishers and the authors themselves.
