This year, the Vancouver Writers Fest is back with a complete in-person lineup featuring more than 100 authors from around the world, marking the festival’s return to a full schedule as it celebrates its 35th year.

The festival will take place in venues and schools across Granville Island from October 17 to 23. This year’s events include a number of panels organized by 2021 Giller winning-author Omar El Akkad, the festival’s 2022 guest curator. In a release, El Akkad said his curatorial intent “veered in the direction of home and community — where we anchor ourselves and what we grasp for when these anchors are, through fate or malice, suddenly lifted.”

An Evening with Billy-Ray Belcourt will feature the Giller-longlisted novelist and Griffin Poetry Prize winner. Two special events are planned to honour the era of the festival’s launch: an 80s dance party and an evening where authors will read their favourite lyrics from the 1980s.

Authors slated for this year’s youth events include Kenneth Oppel, Kirstie Hudson and Carey Newman, Tanya Lloyd Kyi, Ashley Spires, S.K. Ali, Johanna Wagstaffe, Kevin Sylvester, and Xiran Jay Zhao.

After holding a completely virtual 2020 event, organizers settled on a hybrid approach last year, with events held both online and in-person.

A complete schedule of events is available on the festival’s website.