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.
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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.
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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.​
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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
Artistic 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
Anna McCausland
Marketing and Logistics Manager (She/Her)
Anna is currently a fourth year creative writing and graphic design student. She’s currently the Arts in Review editor for UFV’s The Cascade. She has also worked on Louden Singletree UFV’s student-run literary magazine. Her writing has been featured in Louden Singletree as well as local zine, Zapta Zine. When she’s not writing, Anna is usually watching movies with her friends.
Cassie Williams
Event Manager (She/Her)
Cassie is a third year English major with a concentration in creative writing. She is currently the Managing Editor for The Cascade, UFV's autonomous student-run newspaper, and was previously a Copy Editor and Launch Manager for Louden Singletree, UFV'S literary magazine. In her free time, Cassie enjoys coffee dates and exploring new places.
Skylar Janzen
Digital Manager (They/Them)
Skylar is a Bachelor of Fine Arts student with a graphic + digital design major, and creative writing and visual arts double minors. They are the co-founder of the DIY horror literary zine, The Local Crypt, and have previously worked on the board for UFV’s student-run literary and visual arts magazine Louden Singletree. In their limited spare time, Skylar can be found out in nature, listening to the birds, or enjoying a damn fine cup of coffee.
Cindy Castro
Digital Archivist (She/Her)
Cindy is an alumni member of the University of the Fraser Valley. She graduated from UFV with a Bachelor of Arts, a major in English and a minor in philosophy in 2024. She helped get the Fraser Valley Writers' Festival up and running for the 2023 year alongside Rob Taylor, and she is also a published writer in the Louden Singletree student-led magazine with two poems titled I'll See You in the Cosmos, and Mazapanes and Motherhood. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, cooking, and focusing on her curly-hair-driven social media presence.