About Us
Our History
The Fraser Valley Writers Festival has a rich history that traces back to its origins as the Mission Writers & Readers Festival in 2007. Founded by the Lifetime Learning Centre Society, the festival was dedicated to celebrating local literature and fostering connections between writers and readers through workshops, readings, and networking opportunities. The festival ran annually in Mission, British Columbia, for a decade before the Lifetime Learning Centre Society closed its doors in 2017; the operation was passed to the University of the Fraser Valley’s (UFV) English Department.
In 2018, UFV revitalized the event as the Fraser Valley Literary Festival, featuring previous writers-in-residence and continuing the tradition of supporting literature in the Fraser Valley. In 2023, the festival was rebranded the Fraser Valley Writers Festival. The rebranding also marked the return of writing workshops to the festival, restoring a tradition from the Mission days. Each year, new additions are made, including adding live podcast recordings, a student poetry contest, and more.
Unique in Canada, the Fraser Valley Writers Festival commissions new writing from both established and emerging authors. Past participants include Jordan Abel, Gurjinder Basran, Carleigh Baker, Billy-Ray Belcourt, Shashi Bhat, Lorna Crozier, Alicia Elliott, Marsha Lederman, Jen Sookfong Lee, Darrel J. McLeod, Harrison Mooney, Danny Ramadan, Waubgeshig Rice, David A. Robertson, and Angela Sterritt. You can read some of their contributions in our Festival Magazine.
The festival has been made possible thanks to the dedication of numerous coordinators and volunteers over the years. Key contributors in the festival's history include Mission Writers & Readers Festival organizers Diana Muntigl, Shelley Haggard, Helene Littmann and Teresa MacLeod, and Fraser Valley Literary Festival artistic director Andrea MacPherson, among many others.
Our Team
Rob Taylor
Director (He/Him)
Rob Taylor is the author of five poetry collections, including Weather and The News, which was a finalist for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. Rob is also the editor of What the Poets Are Doing: Canadian Poets in Conversation and Best Canadian Poetry 2019. He teaches creative writing at the University of the Fraser Valley, and lives with his family in Port Moody, BC, on the unceded territories of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. roblucastaylor.com
Caitlyn Carr
Marketing and Logistics Manager (She/Her)
Caitlyn is a fourth year English major with a concentration in creative writing. She currently works as the Features Editor for UFV’s student press, The Cascade, and she previously worked as the Social Media Manager and Event Manager for UFV’s literary magazine, Louden Singletree. Her published work can be found in EVENT, The Cascade, Louden Singletree, and The Woodlot. Caitlyn can usually be found outside reading horror novels, and she currently resides on the unceded territory of the Stó:lō peoples.
Heather Holland
Event Manager (She/Her)
Heather is a fourth-year English major with an extended minor in geography. She is grateful to call Stó:lō Téméxw home and lives on the unceded ancestral territories of the Semá:th and Máthxwi. Heather currently serves as the President of UFV’s English Students’ Association, and was previously the Project Manager of Louden Singletree, UFV’s literary and visual arts magazine. Her writing has been published in Louden Singletree. In her sparse periods of leisure, Heather can be found reading, busking at local events, and enjoying her daily dose of orange pekoe.
Marlies Dubois
Digital Manager (She/Her)
Marlies is a fourth year Bachelor of Arts student who is majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing and minoring in Theatre. She has previously worked on the board for UFV’s student-run literary and visual arts magazine Louden Singletree as the Events and Promotions Manager and Copy Editor. Her written work has been published in The Woodlot. Her latest short film, OASIS, was funded by Telus Storyhive and CreativeBC. Marlies loves horror films, reading, live music and travelling.
Jack Keating
Fundraising Manager (He/Him)
Jack is a Bachelor of Arts student in his final semester, majoring in English with a Creative Writing concentration. The Fraser Valley Writers Festival has been a yearly highlight throughout his time at UFV. His written work has been published in Louden Singletree, The Cascade, Pearls, and The Miramichi Reader. When he isn’t writing for school or for pleasure, Jack likes being in a room full of friends watching movies, playing cards or boardgames, and laughing.