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Our last day, Sunday September 18th was a celebration of poetry, music and the power of community at the Festival. Sponsored by Mawenzi House and Nimbus Publishing, our event Brunchy Sunday Readings featured award-winning Mi’kmaw poet, Rebecca Thomas and RBC’s PEN Canada New Voices Award Winner in 2022, Fareh Malik. Accompanied by the captivating Atlantic Canadian Instrumentalists Inn Echo, this event satisfied both culinary and literary delights.

WILD THREADS OPEN MIC

At the festival, we love to offer a community poetry component, so we can offer a platform and burture our community writers of tomorrow! Many thanks to all the readers who came out 🙂

This year at Wild Threads, we added a new feature to the festival — comedy! It was with a lot of laughs and a few bloopers that we hosted the CBC Debaters’ host, Steve Patterson, who shared a few stories with us in the afternoon at the Trailside Music Hall with local comedian Patrick Ledwell!

The evening also brought even more laughs with PEI Writers’ Guild Executive Director, Shawn Hogan, Meg MacKay, and Steve Patterson.

This event celebrated the talent of Black writers on Prince Edward Island Island. Through R&B, hip-hop, poetry and storytelling, this experience was a rich and cultural for all in attendance, hosted by Tamara Steele, and with a special performance from the Umbrella Collective. The famous green couch from the BCS office even made an appearance!

Guests included Tamara Steele, Elizabeth Iwunwa, Kierrah, Vince the Messenger, and poet Eberechi.

For Immediate Release

SUMMARY – The PEI Writers’ Guild brings Canadian icons Peter Mansbridge and Steve Patterson of CBC’s The Debaters to Charlottetown, offers workshops and events to local writers from September 15-18th.  

(CHARLOTTETOWN, PE) August 19th, 2022—The PEI Writers’ Guild is proud to announce that Wild Threads Literary Festival is in its third edition , presenting four days of signature events, workshops, an open mic, a reception and even the addition of the  Brunchy Sunday Readings. 

To kick-off the festivities on Thursday, September 15th, everyone is welcome to the Wild Threads Literary Festival’s opening reception — a chance to mingle with the artistic team and presenters. Immediately following this, Wild Threads is proud to present an In-Conversation with Peter Mansbridge, hosted by PEI’s own CBC television darling, Louise Martin. Brought to you by Simon & Schuster and PEI’s well loved independent bookstore, the Bookmark, this event will be free for the public to enjoy. 

Celebrating the immense talent of Black writers on the Island, on Friday evening, Wild Threads will be presenting the Black Voices Writers’ Circle at the new Charlottetown Library Learning Centre. Through R&B, Hip-Hop, poetry and storytelling, this experience aims to highlight the many ways in which Black writers express themselves within their own community and the world while celebrating their artistic and literary genius. This event will also showcase musical guest stars the Umbrella Collective, R&B powerhouse Kierrah, and special guest star Vince the Messenger.

The Saturday at Wild Threads is dedicated to comedy writers with appearances by CBC’s The Debaters’  Steve Patterson, local author & comedian Patrick Ledwell, This Hour Has 22 Minutes writer Meg MacKay, all of which will be hosted by the PEI Writers’ Guild’s very own Executive Director, Shawn Hogan. 

Workshops during the weekend will include publishing powerhouse Lesley Choyce of Pottersfield Press, who will give an address “Creating Memorable Characters”, and Genevieve Loughlin of Pownal Street Press, who will speak on “Bringing Your Book to Market”. A third option for workshops will include PEI’s own fisherman and writer Chris Bailey, who will discuss process and production in poetry, whether your medium is the city or the sea. The PEI Writers’ Guild is also happy to host two  Write-In events, for writers who are looking to meet others and to commune with their works-in-progress.  The first will take place on the Thursday and the second will take place on the Friday.

The Wild Threads Festival is presented by The PEI Writers’ Guild and funded in part by  Innovation PEI as well as the  PEI Events Innovation Fund. “We’re very pleased to  have a lot more publishers on board this year,” says Artistic Director, Mo Duffy Cobb, “Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, Mawenzi House, Nimbus Publishing and Pownal Street Press are all making contributions.” Special thanks  to the PEIWG’s Wild Threads Steering Committee and PEI’s independent bookstore, the Bookmark.

Sunday’s events will close with a “Brunchy Sunday Readings”, featuring Palestinian poet Fareh Malik, Nova Scotia’s brilliant indigenous writer, Rebecca Thomas and musical guests Inn Echo. Writers and creators are then invited to sign-up for the Wild Threads Open Mic, hosted by founder and longtime member of the PEI Writers’ Guild, Laurie Brinklow. 

For more information on Wild Threads Literary Festival, and for tickets to events, please visit the Wild Threads Literary Festival website (www.wildthreadsliteraryfestival.com), the PEI Writers’ Guild website (peiwritersguild.com), or find us on Facebook. 

ABOUT THE PEI WRITERS’ GUILD

The Prince Edward Island Writers’ Guild (PEIWG) is a dynamic organization dedicated to promoting the growth and quality of literary arts on PEI.

Contact:

Shawn Hogan 

Executive Director, PEI Writers’ Guild

peiwritersguild@gmail.com

peiwritersguild.com

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Dear Friends,

It is with heavy hearts that we at the PEI Writers’ Guild must announce that Wild Threads will not be presenting a literary festival on Prince Edward Island in 2020. Working with the new public health measures of no mass gatherings, we knew that we would not be able to hold our festival this year.

The good news is that most of our Wild Threads presenters that were booked for this year are still interested in joining us next year, in 2021. Thus at that time, we will be presenting a dynamic and rich pattern of panels, workshops, and community readings for you to enjoy. There will be more news on the rollout of 2021 in the weeks and months to come.

We are so thankful to our funding partners and corporate sponsors, and all friends of Wild Threads who have been contacting us to offer support. We look forward to brighter days when we will see you writing your ways to our shores again.

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that the writing community on Prince Edward Island and around the world is resilient. It has pushed us towards new competency, new life goals, and in some ways, a new normal.

I will close with the words of L.M. Montgomery, “Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it.”

Your truly,

Mo Duffy Cobb
Artistic Director of Wild Threads &
President, PEI Writers’ Guild