Festival’s first visit

For the first time ever, the International Festival of Authors has left southern Ontario and made its way across the province to Thunder Bay.

The IFOA stopped in at the Prince Arthur Hotel Sunday as part of its 24 day-long tour of Ontario cities. TVO Parents’ Cheryl Jackson hosted the event and presented the three keynote speakers to a packed house of more than 200 people. The audience listened to excerpts from the novels of former Lt.-Gov. of Ontario James Bartleman, award winner Johanna Skibsrud and internationally acclaimed author Jane Urquhart.

Urquhart followed Skibsrud as the last speaker and gave a few passages from her book The Underpainter. Having grown up in what was known as Little Longlac, Ont., Urquhart said she was glad to be back in Thunder Bay and glad the IFOA left southern Ontario so authors could see more of the country.

“I think it is wonderful that the IFOA is doing off site or in other words non Toronto events,” Urquhart said. “It means we can see the rest of Ontario and the rest of Ontario can see some of us. That’s terribly exciting. I come from this part of the world. I was born near Geraldton. Every time that I come back I feel like I’ve come home.”

She said there’s a bit to prepare for when attending one of the festivals. She has to perform a number of passages from her book and then answers questions from readers. Although meeting her readers afterwards is the most exciting part, she said.

“It’s hard to imagine when you’re working alone in a room that there are people out there who are actually going to read your own personal fantasy,” she said. “It’s wonderful to meet the readers.”

Jackson Stone, spokesman for Sleeping Giant Writers Festival, said it was the first time that the festival has come to Thunder Bay. The writing group wasn’t able to host a festival themselves this year but were able to arrange the IFOA to come during its tour.

Stone said he hoped to have both festivals combine next year into a bigger event.

“(The IFOA) have brought in the authors where we couldn’t and gave people the opportunity to meet them,” Stone said. “It’s nice to have three well known Canadian authors here. The threat of losing (the festival) really brought it to the forefront on how lucky we are to get such big names.”