A Literary Kitchen Party Flourishes in Woody Point

“Is that Lawrence Hill?” I whisper to my seatmate. She nods in the affirmative that indeed, the author of the bestselling “The Book of Negroes” is a few rows up, and adds that the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is seated directly behind us.

I shouldn’t be surprised. In a place where many are connected by much less than six degrees of separation, the Writers at Woody Point Festival (WAWP) attracts a diverse and devoted following, all drawn by a love of Canadian literature and culture to the small town on the scenic shores of Bonne Bay in Western Newfoundland.

For fans of reading and writing, and especially of Canadian literature, the WAWP is like hotboxing the essence of CanLit, breathing in the presence of its many talented personas to the tune of lively, toe-tapping Newfoundland music, enveloped in the warm embrace of the province’s legendary kitchen-party hospitality.

The Writers at Woody Point Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023, lauding the best of Canadian culture over the course of five days and nights. As guest authors like Jesse Thistle, Suzette Mayr, and Michael Crummey sit on the stage in overstuffed armchairs, reading from their latest works, I feel the spirit of Canadian literati and cultural figures who’ve appeared in the historic Woody Point Heritage Theatre over the years, including Margaret Atwood, Pulitzer prize-winner Annie Proulx and the patron saint of the festival, the late Gordon Pinsent, who gazes down from a large colourful painting mounted on the theatre’s clapboard walls.

Sitting in the packed theatre on a hard black folding chair as a festival newbie (note to self: next time, bring a pillow), the goings-on can feel a little inside baseball. It seems everyone knows everyone else and has attended the festival many times.

But as I’ve learned in my short time exploring the stunning west coast of Canada’s most eastern province, no one is a stranger for long in The Rock. I quickly bond with my seatmates over which Elizabeth Hay books we love most or how often we’ve read Proulx’s “The Shipping News”, the movie version of which was filmed on Newfoundland’s eastern shore.

WAWP also attracts writers from abroad. During the festival, writers and musicians do readings and performances, connecting with their audience in intimate venues, on waterfront patios, or in a forested dell in Gros Morne National Park. Attendees soak up the area’s creative talent at exhibits of art and crafts, musical performances and after-hours celebrations that combine jam sessions, dancing, laughter, and highly affordable pints at the local Legion.

The festival began in 2004, after a small group of volunteers pitched in to help resident Charlie Payne in his restoration efforts to transform the historic Orange Lodge into what would become the Woody Point Heritage Theatre. Then they brainstormed ways to find uses for the facility.

The Friends of Writers at Woody Point, a non-profit community organization, formed and produced the festival’s inaugural season. According to Stephen Brunt, a founding member and the festival’s Artistic Director, “We didn’t know what we were doing. We had no money, paper tickets, no idea how many we’d actually sold.”

But they did have “a beautiful, historic venue, a bright idea, a group of hard-working volunteers, a magnificent host, a single private donation of $1,000, and not a penny of government funding.” They also had Pinsent, which greatly increased their odds of success.

Since that auspicious start, the WAWP has sold out the theatre in each year. In 2023, 80% of festival tickets were snapped up in eight minutes. Other cultural events have been added throughout the year, including Comedy at Woody Point, Sonic Harvest, the Spring Thaw Concert Series, and more.

Celebrate Canadian Literature in Newfoundland

A likely key to the festival’s success and longevity is its fabulous mix of literary and cultural events. In addition to author readings, the 2023 festival hosted musical concerts, a screening of Sarah Polley’s Oscar-winning film “Women Talking”, evening shows at the Heritage Theatre, on-stage interviews and the “Coffee with…” series, lively parties at the Legion, and the unique Writers in the Wild, in partnership with Parks Canada.

Writers in the Wild invites attendees to gather in a grassy glen at the Lomond River Trail Head in Gros Morne National Park, and connect with words, music, and nature in the wild. During the August event, poet and writer Jesse Thistle and novelists Shelly Kawaja and Elizabeth Hay read stories, while St.John’s-based musician Nico Paulo strummed an acoustic guitar and encouraged a soft, sweet sing-a-long of “Wild Mountain Thyme”.

Sitting on the dewy meadow in the park, the collective sound of our voices rising into the air felt like a gentle offering to Gros Morne, which is celebrating its own anniversary in 2023 — 50 years as a national park. I can’t imagine a more appropriate fête in recognition of this spectacular park..

As for the next 20 years, Brunt hopes that the festival will continue, telling CBC Newfoundland that “it’s a great town, and a great thing for the town.” As the passenger ferry takes me away from Woody Point for the last time, I look back at its colourful waterfront and historic lighthouse perched on Curzon Head overlooking the bay, and couldn’t agree more.

MORE ABOUT VISITING WOODY POINT

Where to Stay: Accommodation at Woody Point is limited, and often sells out a year in advance of the writers’ festival. I stayed in Norris Point, at the comfortable and well-appointed Neddie’s Harbour Inn, across Bonne Bay. BonTours operates the Bonne Bay Water Shuttle, a passenger ferry between Woody and Norris points that crosses the bay several times a day. The ferry takes about 15 minutes and is a magnificent little trip. If you choose to drive, the journey takes about 55 minutes.

Disclosure: Vacay.ca Contributor Claudia Laroye was hosted by Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism.