KAGAWONG—A take off of the annual literary festival ‘The Word on the Street’ held the last weekend in September in urban centres such as Kitchener, Toronto and Vancouver, ‘Word in the Park’ takes on a local flavour, featuring several writers, some who were born and raised right here on Manitoulin Island.
The word on the street by definition means “what people are talking about now.”
With more and more people turning to e-readers or accessing their news and other sources of information on line, there are still people who prefer to hold a book in their hand, turn the page and take a second look at a previous chapter to remind themselves of a certain character or event in the plot.
The concept for ‘Word in the Park’ came during a Writer’s Circle gathering held at the Gore Bay Harbour Centre last fall where one member was speaking about ‘The Word in the Street’ event held in Toronto. One member thought it would be a fitting addition to ‘Boardwalk Artwalk,’ which had its debut at Summer Fest held in Kagawong last July.
“With the many talented writers on the Island, it seemed like the perfect complement to the artists showcasing their artwork and jewellery along the boardwalk at the Park Centre,” shared ‘Word in the Park’ organizer Sharon Jackson.
The Manitoulin Art Tour on July 18, 19 and 20 (from 10 am to 5 pm) runs the same weekend as Kagawong’s Summer Fest which is a wonderful opportunity for people to visit the local galleries and take in the authors’ readings and view the artists’ offerings at the same time.
Writers featured include Vincente Belenson, Elizabeth Ann Carson, Bonnie Kogos, Paula Mallea, Pamela McLaughlin, Jan McQuay, Marion Seabrook, Kate Thompson, Chuc Willson and Linda Willson. Each will have an hour to share their love of story telling in a forum of their choosing.
4elements Living Arts will also be hosting a gathering at their new studio space located at 91 Main Street in partnership with Word in the Park called ‘Word Play.’ “Knitters, crafters, beaders, painters and all other creative folks are invited to join in and hang out from 10 am to 1 pm,” shared Executive Director Sophie Edwards.
Writers are encouraged to take part in Word in the Park, which runs from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday July 19, by setting up a table to sell their books, magazine or other publications. For more information, call 705-282-6252 after 5 pm.
