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Inaugural Big Island Book Fest coming to Courtenay

Event will offer exposure to local authors
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The Big Island Book Fest will take place Oct. 22 at the Florence Filberg Centre in Courtenay. (Thorsten Frenzel - Pixabay)

Authors, it’s your time to shine.

The Comox Valley is getting a new readers and writers event, focused on authors from around the Salish Sea!

Local author JP Bailey of H. Wilson Books, concocted this idea on a rainy winter day last year and is bringing Big Island Book Fest to fruition on Oct. 22 at the Florence Filberg Centre in Downtown Courtenay.

Big Island Book Fest is focused on showcasing local authors. This inaugural event will not feature any big-name writers from afar, but the many and prolific authors based right here on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast.

Intended foremost as an opportunity for authors to connect with one another and share their work directly with readers in the Comox Valley, BIBF will be focused around author sales and readings.

Authors who would like to participate and showcase their books — whether trade or self-published — are encouraged to register while early-bird rates are still available.

Authors can have a table to themselves, share a table with another author, or, if they only have a single book and cannot attend in person, can opt to utilize the onsite book shop instead.

Early-bird fees range from $15 to $35, and authors of any and all genres are welcome. Fees include an exclusive author networking event on the evening of Oct. 21.

Bailey hopes to grow this event to include workshops, author talks, publishing clinics and more.

“It’s so necessary,” she says. “We authors often work in isolation (even more so since the pandemic) and that can really slow down progress. The opportunity to meet, connect and share with other writers, and with new fans, is incredibly important to the literary vibrancy of our community.”

Authors can register at bigislandbookfest.com

Early bird registration closes July 17. For more information, visit the website or email specific queries to contact@bigislandbookfest.com