KAGAWONG—The Billings Library board is excited to be hosting the first annual NorthWords 2023 Festival.
“We have a really good lineup of authors, speakers, poets, screenwriters, musicians, playwrights and more,” said Jill Ferguson, Billings Library CEO, last week. “This Manitoulin Island-based festival celebrates words: written, spoken, sung, and performed. The library board has chatted for years about holding an event like this. Years ago, maybe 30 years or so all the libraries on the Island would get together and bring authors to speak and do readings.”
“We wanted to recreate a version of that type of literacy festival,” said Ms. Ferguson. “And this year we and the library really got serious about it and applied for and received a wonderful grant (in the amount of $9,933) from the Ontario Arts Council to hold our event.”
The festival will take place July 21-22, and features a wide range of talented individuals including author Shelley Pearen, author and television writer Claire Ross Dunn, poet Sophie Ann Edwards, playwright Kirk Dunn, artist Michael Cywink and author Vera Constantineau.
Ms. Ferguson noted the people who were first on board and enthusiastic about participating in the festival were Kirk and Claire Ross Dunn. Mr. Dunn, an actor, writer and knitter has been knitting since 1988 and designing since 1996. In 1998, he apprenticed at the Kaffe Fassett Studio in London, England. In 2003 he was awarded a significant Ontario Arts Council Chalmers Foundation Fellowship for “Stitched Glass,” an installation of 6’ x 9’ panels hand-knit in the style of stained glass, exploring the commonalities and conflicts amongst Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Knitting the tapestries took him 15 years. His one-man show about that journey, ‘The Knitting Pilgrim,’ has toured for over 50 shows.
“Supported by the Toronto Arts Council, Kirk and his wife Claire Ross Dunn, co-wrote ‘The Knitting Pilgrim,’ a one-man theatre show about Kirk’s experience knitting “Stitched Glass” which will be shown as part of the festival.”
The festival opening ceremonies will take place at 1 pm Friday afternoon at the Kagawong Park Centre featuring the M’Chigeeng Ladies Drum Group.
“The keynote speakers on Friday will be Shelley J. Pearen and Luke Wassegijig,” said Ms. Ferguson. Ms. Pearen “will be talking about her book the ‘Wiikwemkoong Diarium 1844-1873,’ which she transcribed, translated and edited. The Diarium is based on the daily journal written by Jesuit priests who joined the Anishnaabe settlement at Wiikwemkoong starting in 1844.
“Luke (Wassegijig) (of Wiikwemkoong Tourism) will be providing the commentary and discussing the significance of Shelley’s works to the Wiikwemkoong community,” said Ms. Ferguson.
From 8-10 pm Friday evening a Book and Brew event will take place at Split Rail Brewing Company in Gore Bay. There will be author readings, a meet and greet and live music by Nettish.
“We partnered with 4elements Living Arts to bring local authors to the festival, featuring poets Vera Constantineau and Sophie Anne Edwards, and novelist Claire Ross Dunn. Michael Cywink is to do a live-open air painting, and local author showcase Saturday,” said Ms. Ferguson. “And we have tied in our event in with the Billings Library annual used book sale being held at the Kagawong Pavilion.” The library will also be hosting a local author showcase with authors from Manitoulin and the North Shore taking part.
During the day Saturday, there will be several workshops held with poetry with Sophie Edwards at the Riverbend Stage, writing with Clair Ross Dunn at the Billings public Library and Knitting with Kirk Dunn at the Kagawong Park Centre.
The acclaimed one-man show ‘The Knitting Pilgrim’ will take place on Saturday evening at 7:30 pm in the Park Centre. Tickets are $20 and available in advance at Billings Public Library.
For more information and to pre-register for events contact NorthWordsFest@gmail.com.
