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Wellington County Library and Wellington County Museum and Archives want to celebrate writers from our community!
Join us for the second annual Wellington County Writers’ Festival this summer for a day filled with writers' talks, creative workshops, live entertainment, and a book fair!
Applications to participate as a writer at the festival are now open. Preference this year will be given to local writers and writers of books relevant to Wellington County, but submissions are encouraged from the counties of Dufferin, Grey, Huron, Perth, the City of Guelph and the Region of Waterloo.
One festival event will be held on Saturday June 10, 2023 from 10:00 AM-3:00 PM at the Wellington County Museum and Archives.
Upcoming Important Dates:
Submissions are now closed.
Thank you to everyone who applied to participate in the Wellington County Writers' Festival! Submissions are now closed. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by Friday March 17th.
Submissions Open from 1 February 2023 -24 February 2023.
Call for submissions!
Eligibility for inclusion in the WCWF:
- An application form must be completed by each writer / vendor. Submissions will be accepted online or in person (Wellington County Museum and Archives or any Wellington County Library Branch)
- Vendors with related items are welcome to apply (ie. greeting cards, stationary etc.)
- If selected as a writer / vendor a $10 Registration fee will apply. Successful applicants will be notified.
Apply to the Wellington County Writers' Festival
If you need help completing this form or have any questions, please contact the Wellington County Museum and Archives by email or phone at 519.846.0916 ext. 5225.
FAQs for Festival Applicants |
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Past Events:
Festival Closing and Summer Reading Club Launch
Saturday, June 25 at the Hillsburgh Branch
Event Schedule:
| Time | Performer |
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| 10:30 - 11:00 | Olive and Fred Robins Junior Short Story Contest Winners |
| 11:00 - 11:45 | Eric Walters |
| 12:00 - 12:30 | Brad Woods |
| 12:40 - 12:50 | James Nowak |
| 12:50 - 1:00 | Marilyn Helmer |
| 1:00 - 1:10 | Sue Williams |
| 1:10 - 1:20 | Samantha Blair White |
| 1:20 - 1:30 | Jeremy Luke Hill |
| 1:30 - 2:15 | Maureen Jennings |
| 2:30 - 2:40 | Karen Smythe |
| 2:40 - 2:50 | Barbara Kyle |
| 2:50 - 3:00 | Jean Mills |
| 3:00 - 4:00 | Grand River Band |
Join us to celebrate the closing of the Wellington County Writers' Festival and the launch of the annual TD Summer Reading Club! From 10:00 am to 4:00 pm enjoy a range of speakers and activities for the whole family.
Featured Speakers:
Eric Walters
Eric Walters began writing in 1993 as a way to entice his grade 5 students into becoming more interested in reading and writing. At the end of the year – and the end of the novel - one of the students suggested that he try to have this story published. This book, Stand Your Ground, became Eric’s first published novel.
Eric has now published 115 novels and picture books. His novels have all become best-sellers, have won over a hundred awards, including 8 Forest of Reading awards and the 2021 Governor General’s Award. His work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. He is a tireless presenter, speaking to over 100,000 students per years in schools across North America.
Maureen Jennings
Maureen Jennings, now a Canadian citizen, was born in the UK and emigrated to Canada as a teenager. After a long career as a psychotherapist, she is now writing full time and has published one novella, thirteen novels of crime fiction and one book of non-fiction relating to creativity, as well as four professionally produced plays.
Her first series was set in Victorian Toronto and has been adapted for television first as three movies of the week, and now The Murdoch Mysteries TV series which is shown in over 120 territories world wide, and is now in production for its 16th season for CBC television. Since 2011, she has written, and co-written, 11 scripts for the series including the adaption of “Shipwreck”, the novella which deals with the origins of Murdoch’s interest in detection.
Event Highlights:
- The Grand River Band, a classic rock cover band performing at 3:00 pm
- A featured lineup of local writers:
- Brad Woods
- James Nowak
- Marilyn Helmer
- Sue Williams
- Samantha Blair White
- Jeremy Luke Hill
- Karen Smythe
- Barbara Kyle
- Jean Mills
- Delicious food available for purchase from Fraberts Fresh Food
- Summer Reading Club registration
- Hillsburgh Library 100th Anniversary Display
- Kidzone activity space with lawn games for the whole family
- Craft tables for kids and adults, featuring a special edition Gnome of the Day
- Marketplace for local vendors and authors
- Glitter tattoo artists, magician, story walks, and more!
We can't wait to see you in Hillsburgh!
Festival Opening on April 23 at the Wellington County Museum and Archives:
The Writers’ Festival begins Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Wellington County Museum and Archives with our Opening Address and Keynote Speaker featured at 10:45 am in the Archives Reading Room. Author readings and conversations will follow from 11:30 am – 4:00 pm with a noon time intermission.
Festival Programming Schedule pdf
Throughout the day you can also expect to enjoy the following:
| Book Market Vendors |
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| Author Readings and Conversations |
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Author Readings and Conversations will take place in either the Archives Reading Room (AR) or the Exhibit Hall (EH).
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| Family Activities |
Children's AuthorsCalling all kids and kids at heart! Join us for readings from local children's authors:
Children's ProgrammingDabble in creative writing with our programming team during our drop-in style Make Your Own Book programme and self-guided site-wide scavenger hunt!
Children's Story HourJoin us in the Heritage Barn for storytelling sessions at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Puppets EloraSince 1995, Puppets Elora, has used traditional puppetry to bring affordable live theatre to children in Guelph, Waterloo, Orangeville, Wellington County, and beyond. They base dynamic and humorous plays on folk and fairytales from around the world. Members designs and build their own beautifully sculpted hand puppets, props, and scenery. The skilled volunteers have backgrounds in education, community theatre, and the arts.
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| Food and Drink |
Schmuck Truck Gourmet Food Truck
Fergies Fine FoodsWe are also very much looking forward to welcoming Fergies Fine Foods, who will be serving up cozy drinks such as coffee and tea, as well as delightful dessert treats at the Bookworm's Cafe. The cafe is located indoors between the Archives Reading Room and the Aboyne Hall throughout the day. Picnic tables will also be set-up throughout the grounds for picnicking in the sunshine!
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| Musical Entertainment |
 We are delighted to welcome acoustic folksinger, guitarist, and songwriter, Bob Maclean, who will be providing instrumental accompaniment throughout the event.
(right): Bob Maclean performing.
As well, we are excited to welcome pianist Brad Halls to our event to entertain our bookworms with his musical keyboard accompaniment!
(left): Brad Halls.
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We are thrilled to welcome 
Opening Event FAQ:
| Will there be an entry fee or admission fee for this event? |
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No, there is no fee to attend the Writers’ Festival. Admission is by donation. |
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Where is the Wellington County Museum and Archives? |
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The WCMA is located at 536 Wellington Road 18, Fergus Ontario. |
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What are the hours of the event? |
| The Writers’ Festival kicks off at 10:00 am and wraps up at 4:00 pm on Saturday, April 23, 2022. |
| Where do I park? |
| Parking at the WCMA is behind the main building in the back parking lot, adjacent to Aboyne Library. Parking is also available in the west parking lot by the Heritage Barn. Overflow parking is also available at the Children’s Early Year’s Centre parking lot and the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Parking Lot. |
| Is this event family friendly? |
| Absolutely! Families may enjoy engaging reading sessions from local children’s authors, acoustic musical performances, a delicious bite to eat from our café or food truck, Puppets Elora, and bookworm related children’s programming led by our awesome WCMA programming team. |
| Will there be food options available for purchase at this event? |
| We are so glad you asked! Join us in the courtyard for lunch options from our local Schmuck Truck. After lunch be sure to check out the dessert options available at the Writers’ Festival Café. |
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Is the site accessible? |
| Yes. An elevator provides an alternative to the stairs once inside the main entrance of the Museum. |
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Where are the washroom facilities located at the Wellington County Museum and Archives? |
| Washrooms are located on every floor of the WCMA. Accessible washrooms are located on the ground floor of the Museum and near the entrance to the back parking lot. |
| If I wish to purchase a book or other item what type of payment methods will be available to me? |
| Payment preferences vary by authors and vendors. We encourage bringing both cash and card to avoid disappointment. Please note that there is no ATM on site. There are ATMs available in Elora and Fergus, about a 2-minute drive in either direction. |
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Where do I find out more about event programming? |
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Please consult our website in April for more details about our programming schedule and visit our Facebook event page for exciting announcements. |
| Where will opening remarks take place and at what time? |
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The opening remarks will take place in the Archives Reading Room at 10:45 am. |
