Plot twist: the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is combining two of its most anticipated events into one unmissable weekend.
This year, the SPARKS Literary Festival will partner with Coast Lines, Memorial’s book club, to offer audiences two days to hear from and engage with a diverse lineup of acclaimed literary voices.
Shared spirit
The Department of English’s creative writing program will be at the forefront of both events.
Long recognized as an incubator for talented writers, the program has also developed a reputation as a hub for community collaboration.
The SPARKS Literary Festival, founded by celebrated poet and professor Mary Dalton (who will be featured at both Coast Lines and SPARKS), developed from a desire to highlight the work of writers produced by Memorial’s creative writing programs.
“I knew during the unfolding of that course that I wanted to be a writer.”
Since its debut in 2009, the festival has become a cornerstone of the local literary calendar, bringing together emerging and established voices to share the stage.
Meanwhile, Coast Lines, Memorial’s book club, has been running since 2020.
The club consistently showcases published works by Memorial alumni, many of whom were first developed in the university’s creative writing classrooms.
Like SPARKS, it maintains a commitment to celebrating literature shaped by the province as well as a desire to connect the community with its storytellers.
Coast Lines
The book club event will take place first, on Saturday, April 26, at the Signal Hill Campus in St. John’s.
It will pay special tribute to the creative writing program’s 40th anniversary.
Supported by Memorial’s 100th Anniversary Fund, the event brings together acclaimed writers and faculty members Mary Dalton, Lisa Moore and Aaron Tucker for a conversation about the program’s history, evolution and ongoing impact.
“I signed up for the first creative writing course at Memorial,” said Prof. Moore. “I knew during the unfolding of that course that I wanted to be a writer. I’ve been writing ever since.”
The event will offer a unique opportunity to learn more about how a creative writing program operates — from the courses offered, to the mentorship opportunities, to the communities and writing groups that formed as a direct result.
“The secret is finding that sweet spot between familiarity and the unknown that really propels early-stage writing.”
Reflecting on the legacy of her own first classes, Prof. Moore credits English professor and author Larry Mathews as “a great teacher.”
“Most of the other people in that class kept writing and most have worked in the arts — theatre, film, editing, all kinds of media,” she said. “Many of us still share our rough drafts with each other. It was such a magnificent stroke of luck that there was a creative writing class to take. Writing thrills me, gives me mega-watts of joy. And if I hadn’t happened upon that class, I never would have known that very particular, great pleasure.”
When asked for a preview of the sorts of advice he typically shares with prospective students, panellist and professor Aaron Tucker says attendees should come with as open a mind as possible, ready to read themes, genres and perspectives that might be very different than your own.
“Be ready to learn from that difference,” he said. “At the same time, also be attuned to your own pleasure and what you enjoy reading and writing. I think the secret is finding that sweet spot between familiarity and the unknown that really propels early-stage writing.”
Writer and broadcaster William Ping, whose own debut novel, Hollow Bamboo, was written for his master’s degree at Memorial and received the Department of English’s Award for Thesis Excellence, will moderate the panel.
Since publication, Hollow Bamboo has also been shortlisted for the Amazon First Novel Award, the Thomas Raddal Atlantic Fiction Award and the BMO Winterset Award.
Coast Lines takes place on Saturday, April 26, at the Emera Innovation Exchange at Signal Hill Campus from 5–7 p.m.
Tickets and complete event details can be found here.
SPARKS
Then on Sunday, April 27, the Department of English will host the annual SPARKS Literary Festival in the Junior Common Room at R. Gushue Hall on the St. John’s campus.
A standout for local readers and writers alike, the festival has built a reputation for showcasing dynamic emerging and established voices from across all genres.
This year, SPARKS will host a series of panels highlighting authors of poetry, short fiction and novels.
And for the first time, the day will begin with a children’s story hour.
Thanks to the support of the A.C. Hunter Children’s Library, the venue will adopt a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere where children of all ages can enjoy stories from local authors while enjoying snacks and colouring sheets.
“This year’s organizing committee is excited about our children’s literature panel,” said Nancy Pedri, head of Memorial’s English department. “It will be great fun for both children and adults who enjoy seeing stories come to life through words and pictures.”
Key to the festival’s success each year is its emphasis on including visiting authors.
One of this year’s featured guests is francesca ekwuyasi.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and now based in Halifax, N.S., Ms. ekwuyasi was awarded the prestigious Writers’ Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers for her debut novel, Butter Honey Pig Bread.
Described as lush, lyrical and deeply moving, the novel has been shortlisted and longlisted for nearly every major Canadian literary prize, including the Governor General’s Award, the Giller Prize and CBC’s Canada Reads, where it was selected as one of five contenders in 2021 for “the one book that all of Canada should read.”
SPARKS also maintains a longstanding partnership with the Irish Newfoundland Association, which has again this year supported the inclusion of a writer from Ireland.
“This year, we’re thrilled to welcome Irish poet Patrick Cotter,” said Dr. Pedri. “His work has been awarded the 2013 Keats-Shelley Prize for Poetry and whose poetry has been published in the Financial Times and the London Review of Books.
The SPARKS Literary Festival takes place on Sunday, April 27, in the Junior Common Room at R. Gushue Hall on the St. John’s campus. The event runs from 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
Attendance is free and open to the public.
A complete list of authors and schedule can be found here.
Community-focused
As an added bonus, the Memorial University bookstore will be on-site at both events with a curated selection of titles for sale.
Think of it as a Scholastic book fair, but for grown-ups, complete with author signings.
Whether you’re a longtime festival goer, an aspiring writer or just curious about the vibrant literary life at Memorial, this weekend is a perfect opportunity to get inspired.
With two days of events, dozens of talented voices and stories that span genres, generations and geographies, this celebration is set to demonstrate storytelling’s unique ability to bring communities together.
