2025 Fraser Valley Writers Festival comes to UFV

Poets, writers, and readers alike will gather at the University of the Fraser Valley to celebrate the 18th annual Fraser Valley Writers Festival (FVWF) on November 7 and 8. The festival will bring 12 celebrated writers to Abbotsford for a free, two-day event hosted in the lecture theatre (room B101) at the UFV Abbotsford campus.

Before the festival kicks off, warm up with a pre-event Creative Writing Open Mic on November 6 at 4 pm. In the Makerspace in the Abbotsford library, renowned and emerging talents will share readings of their work in a welcoming, supportive space. Writers of every genre and experience level will convene for an afternoon of inspiration and community; enjoy complimentary coffee and pastries while hearing original creative works.

At 7 pm on November 7, take in keynote addresses from authors Charles Demers and Evelyn Lau. UFV’s 2026 writer-in-residence will also be announced.

Demers, a Juno-nominated stand-up comedian from Vancouver, recently released a new book called The Eh Team, billed as the “ultimate guide to the quirks, charm, and outright hilarity of the Canadian lexicon.”

Demers is a multifaceted creative professional, who in addition to being a published author in several genres, is known for his work in comedy and voice acting. He was nominated for a BC Book Prize for his first essay collection, Vancouver Special.. His fiction books include The Prescription Errors, Property Values, Primary Obsessions, and Noonday Dark.

Evelyn Lau is a prolific author with 15 published books, including 10 volumes of poetry — the first of which was Runaway: Diary of a Street Kid, published at the age of 18. This was made into a movie in 1994, starring Sandra Oh in her first major role. Lau was Poet Laureate for the City of Vancouver from 2011 to 2014, and her work has received the Milton Acorn Award, the Pat Lowther Award, a National Magazine Award, and nominations for the BC Book Prize and the Governor General’s Award. Her most recent book is Parade of Storms, published this year.

Festival attendees can enjoy panels and workshops on Saturday, November 8 from 9:30 am to 4:15 pm. These will be hosted by Literary Award nominee Jen Sookfong Lee, Maritime writers Nick Thran and Brian Bartlett, Victoria poet Kayla Czaga, Vancouver essayist Daniela Elza and local Fraser Valley authors Joseph Dandurand, Taryn Hubbard, Christina Myers, and Heather Ramsay.

The event offerings include a panel where authors will debut new writing on the theme of “silence,” and another on the theme of “sound,” followed by a Q and A. There will be workshops on poetry, fiction and nonfiction, as well as a live podcast recording called Page Fright where audience members will join Page Fright host Andrew French for a discussion with poet Nick Thran about his new collection, Existing Music.

When asked about the importance of the Fraser Valley Writers Festival, Thran says, “Watching books change hands, hearing authors read, listening to exchanges between author and audience… these things remind me that the book is a living organism, and that our collective love (and need) for books is real.”

Thanks to the support of UFV’s College of Arts, Community Engagement, and this year’s bookseller, Totally Bookish, the festival continues to inspire and engage creatives in the Fraser Valley.

All FVWF events are free to the public, but with limited availability. Register for events and find more information here .