You may have seen it advertised around the city or heard about it in passing and wondered about Lit Fest. Is it some sort of seasonal light display? As you (hopefully) concluded yourself, October is a little early for that. Onto the next conclusion – “Lit” is an abbreviation for literature. Fortunately, over at Pop Print Edmonton Project, a non-fiction literature festival is just as exciting as an elaborate wintery display. The celebration of print culture in Edmonton always puts us in the holiday spirit.

Lit Fest is an 11-day event that ran from Oct 13th to Oct 23rd this in 2016. The event celebrated the diverse work of non-fiction writers in Canada while providing a platform for the discussion and unpacking of various contemporary topics that are of interest to Canadians. From the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Committee) and battles with breast cancer to Connor McDavid and the key to happiness, this year’s featured writers brought a little bit of everything to the table. There were also workshops, master-classes, and audience-based events like the Story Slam, which encouraged the Edmonton writing community to actively take part in Lit Fest.

The event is collectively hosted by an array of venues across Edmonton: CBC Centre Stage, Stanley A. Milner Library Theatre and Centennial hall, Brittany’s Lounge, Muttart Hall (Alberta College), MacEwan University CN Theatre, The Needle Vinyl Tavern, Masawa Café, Metro Cinema Garneau Theatre, The Winspear Centre, The University of Alberta Convocation Hall, Art Gallery of Alberta Ledcor Theatre, Duchess Atelier, and Latitude 53. The diversity of locations was appropriate given the broad range of subject matter featured at each event.

I attended two events that focused specifically on feminist writing: The Femme-moir hour and Body Politics. The Femme-moir Hour took place on Oct 15th at The Needle Vinyl Tavern, with the eclectic setting providing a perfect atmosphere for discussion of cutting edge feminist issues. Four unique non-fiction texts supplied ample substance for an engaging panel discussion, moderated by Elizabeth Whithey. Authors Teva Harrison (In-Between Days: A Memoir about Living with Cancer), Plum Johnson (They Left Us Everything: A Memoir), Alexandra Risen (Unearthed: Love, Acceptance, and Other Lessons from an Abandoned Garden), and Andi Zeisler (We Were Feminists Once), offered their personal experiences as both writers and females. A number of the questions focused on their personal writing process and the reception of their work; however, the anecdotes and messages that these inspiring writers shared also conveyed what it means to be a woman, a daughter, a mother, a feminist, and/or a female body in this world.

Unsurprisingly, the topic of “Feminism” was discussed, as both a widely misunderstood concept and a semantically loaded term. Andi Zeisler described the way contemporary feminism has co-opted the sociopolitical project for personal reasons, which she referred to as “consumer feminism.” According to Andi, individuals who identify with this ineffective form of feminism might apply the label to anything from pro-abortion to strip tease classes. Systemic change is not achievable through this limited approach, thus she refers to feminism as a work in progress.

Beyond the confusion and bandwagon mentality surrounding feminism, the word itself comes loaded with unfortunately limiting connotations. Given that it contains the prefix “fem,” men frequently feel excluded or even threatened by the term. Plum suggested that this fear arises from the mistaken belief that in order for women to be elevated, the male population must suffer some degree of denigration. This of course is not the case; the objective of feminism is to achieve a “zero sum world,” in Andi’s words.

Teva Harrison contributed her perspective on identity as relational to other important individuals in her life, particularly in the context of her writing. To quote her insightful words, “[her] life does not stand alone.” A huge benefit that Teva experienced as a result of writing this memoir was the creation of an ongoing space for the sharing of stories within her family – stories that would otherwise be lost.

Part of Teva's memoir is actually in comic format. She described how the act of drawing allowed her to enter a state of flow, which provided her with the clarity she needed to deliver her story effectively. essentially, she found she could detach from the difficult emotions associated with her fight with Breast Cancer and bravely convey her message to those who share in her isolating experience. Both Teva and Alexandra expressed their joy over receiving emails from readers with whom their writing and experiences had resonated. For Alexandra, this included pictures of reader’s Gardens, a profound symbol established through her memoir. Plum on the other hand was a bit concerned about her book’s reception, because she reflects negatively on her mother in her story. However, she optimistically asserted, “every book will find its audience.” Similarly, Andi worried about her book’s reception, particularly in online venues, considering it’s controversial subject matter.

Towards the end of the discussion, one audience member posed the question of whether or not non-fiction literature is a reliable genre, given how it selectively leaves out details. In response to this, Teva validated the content of her book, sharing that she had approached her husband for consent to share honest details about their mutual sex life, and that she had sought her oncologists expertise to ensure she accurately represented her disease and related concepts.

Teva went on to provide a clarification of the label “memoir,” which she aptly described as a “slice of life.” In essence, it is not supposed to tell the whole story, but rather an important episode within that story; the genre is deliberately incomplete, but no less reliable. I left the panel yearning to acquaint myself further with the topics and to read the books that had inspired such riveting discussion.

The second event I attended, “Body Politics,” was hosted by The Stanley Milner Library Theatre on October 22nd. The featured authors, Betsy Warland and Ruth Daniell, each read from a segment of their work. The audience was moved by their powerful deliveries as well as the deeply felt stories they shared. Betsy’s book, Oscar of Between: A Memoir of Identity and Ideas, was initially published online in 2012 through her digital interactive website. Intriguingly, she had originally considered avoiding print entirely. Her justification for her digital interactive format is that it serves to take down the barrier between author and reader, making the community involvement in the production, reception, and circulation of books, more visible. She even included a “feature reader” function on the site to acknowledge the importance of her readers in this bidirectional relationship. In this modality, she feels there are fewer restrictions compared to the print medium.

Betsy's writing is intricate in that it illustrates episodes across numerous cities and time spans, which she formatted, in her words, like a “spiritual text.” But, the real profundity arises from her take on issues of non-conformity and the female body. Oscar, Betsy’s character, is frequently misidentified as male. Consequently, she adopts and celebrates an identity of "betweenness." This binary-defying motif inhabits the book as a whole. Betsy’s described her process in term of “following the line,” or allowing her work to guide her, rather than asserting control over it.

For many in the room, Ruth Daniell was surely a breath of fresh air. In contrast to the deeply poetic and thought-provoking style invoked by Betsy, Ruth drew her power from relatability. Her anthology, titled “Boobs,” features a diverse collection of stories and poems from an array of writers. The stories range from hilarious to heart wrenching; Ruth’s contribution titled “The Friend with Boobs” falls somewhere in between. In this short story, which she read at the event, Ruth reflects on her teen years during which she was preoccupied with being a late bloomer. Having sunk comfortably into her identity as the boobless, introverted, bookish foil to her ostentatious, busty friend, Ruth’s pubescence was met with utter denial. The story is profoundly relatable for anyone who has ever experienced their identity as defined by their physical proportions. Betsy’s work similarly highlighted the implications of visible gender markers for those who are categorically “in between.”

Both Ruth and Betsey published their work through Caitlin Press, and were incredibly pleased with the service. Even Betsy, who struggled to find a publisher initially and was hesitant to publish in print, ultimately decided to listen to her work’s demand to find tangibility on paper.

At both events, the author’s works were available for purchase; I even had the opportunity to chat with Ruth Daniell while she signed a copy of “Boobs” (a new addition to our Pop Print collection). Overall, my experience at Lit Fest 2016 was incredibly mind-opening and inspiring. Print is still thriving, and it is through events like Lit Fest that the art of writing is instilled with a sense of interconnection and broader relevance for writers and readers alike.

Last Updated: July 4, 2017