Ptarmigan Arts is proud to host our second annual Tapestry of Words: A festival celebrating story, writing, and literature. On the weekend of Friday May 29 to Sunday May 31, 2026 we are delighted to share an eclectic mix of programming for all ages and interests, some free, some ticketed. Take a look below to plan your festival!
To keep up to date on Tapestry and all Ptarmigan events you can follow us on social media: @ptarmiganartsbc
12-1pm • Speakeasy at the Community Gathering - FREE
Facilitator Leslie McBain has curated a special edition of Pender’s Speakeasy, bringing together a sampling of 8 talented Pender writers for an hour wherein each person will share an original piece of work, 5 minutes (or less) in length. It can be poetry, essay, part of a larger work, memoir, short story or comedic monologue…Come prepared to be surprised and inspired!
Leslie McBain, Kate Braid, Yvonne MacKenzie, Gregory Nicholls, Julia Nicholls, Taeven Lopatecki, Zoe landale, Eha Ono, Wendy Lopatecki will be sharing their work.
The Community Gathering takes place every Friday from 12–1pm, offering a warm and welcoming space with live music, homemade soup, and good company. Coffee and tea are available by donation through the community café.
10am Onward • Verse & Vision Exhibit
Downstairs
Local writers and visual artists have come together in collaboration for Tapestry’s Verse & Vision project, pairing the written word with original 2D and 3D artworks.
Join us at Tapestry this Saturday and Sunday to celebrate the results of this creative partnership, with a selection of participating teams sharing readings at Sunday’s Artist & Author Reading Showcase.
9:30am-1pm • Of Words & Wonder
Outside at the Market
Nia Williams creates intuitive poems that capture a memory, a feeling, or an experience…something that can be carried long after the encounter. They are little love letters. This practice is as much about listening as it is about writing…a pause, a noticing, an opening to what stirs beneath the surface. Each poem is typed with care, a simple thread that touches something true, real, and unforgettable. Find a quiet moment, pull up a chair and listen to Nia’s Words & Wonder.
11-12pm • Speakeasy at the Market
Outside at the Market
After a first showcase at Friday’s Community Gathering, Leslie’s group of 8 talented writers returns on Saturday at the market for another round of stories, offering a second chance to listen in or experience something new.
6pm Doors open | 6:30pm • Susin Nielsen • Feature Author
We’ll open the evening with a special presentation from Susin Nielsen, who will share insights from her writing journey across both books and film. Her talk will be followed by a reading from her debut adult novel, “Snap”, along with a Q&A hosted by our wonderful emcee, Chris Wakuluk.
8pm • Pender Reads Literary Contest
Four books, four champions, one winner: Pender Islands’ Battle of the Books
You’ve likely heard of Canada Reads, CBC’s annual “Battle of the Books.” For the first time ever, we’re thrilled to bring that same spirited format to Pender with our very own Pender Reads.
Following an intermission, our dynamic panel, Susin Nielsen, Becky Johnson, Matt Adolf, and Bryce Woollcombe, will each champion a book they believe every Pender Islander should read, making their case in a lively, head-to-head debate.
After each round, the audience will decide which title moves forward, until one standout book is crowned the winner. So get ready to cheer for your favourite novel (the clap-o-meter will measure the audience excitement).
6pm - 9:30pm • Talisman Book Sale
Talisman Books will be set up at the Hall with a selection of novels by Susin Nielsen, including “Snap”, along with the four books our Pender Reads panellists have chosen to champion. Stop by to browse, discover something new, and take home your next favourite Canadian book.
For Tickets to our Saturday Night Feature Presentation - Susin Nielsen & Pender Reads:
$25 Advance Price
$30 at the door
$10 for youth ages 12-18
Under 12 FREE
10am-3pm • Verse & Vision Exhibit - FREE
Downstairs
Tapestry’s Verse & Vision Exhibit will continue to run until 3pm this afternoon. If you missed it on Saturday, or need more time to experience and ruminate on what our local writers and visual artists have created, this will be your last chance so don’t miss out.
10:30am-12pm • Verse & Vision Showcase • Artist & Author Reading - FREE
Downstairs
Some of our author and artist pairs from Verse & Vision have chosen to share their work, bringing their pieces to life through live readings and a series of presentations.
10am - 12pm • Coffee Meet & Greet with Local Authors - FREE
This is a free event to encourage writers and readers to exchange ideas, books and mingle. Come enjoy a coffee and talk books!
If you are an author who would like to RSVP your attendance and whether you’ll be bringing any of your books to sell, please RSVP below. This way we can let the public know you’ll be present and we can help promote your work :)
12:30-2:30pm • Flash Fiction Workshop - TICKETED
A piece of flash fiction is a complete short story told in under 1,500 words. Typically, one might run anywhere from 750 to 1,000 words but in this two-hour long workshop, nobody’s counting. The idea is just to get writing, learn more about crafting a good story, and have fun in an encouraging environment.
Facilitated by Barbara Stowe, this workshop will offer more ways in to crafting (very) short stories, including fun exercises to prime the pump. Participants will pen several short stories and at the end, those who wish to share a piece they’ve just written may read aloud to the group. This is a safe space to come with pen and paper or laptop and enjoy learning more about the craft of creative writing in a structured, supportive environment.
Beginners and experienced writers welcome!
For Tickets to Sunday’s Flash Fiction Workshop:
$20 Price
$10 for youth ages 12-18
Under 12 FREE, must be accompanied by an adult
Susin Nielsen is a multiple award-winning novelist and screenwriter who recently wrapped the fourth season of her critically acclaimed hour-long comedy-drama series, Family Law. She’s written over a hundred hours of television and is also the author of seven best-selling young adult novels. Her books have won the Governor General’s Literary Award, the UKLA award and over a dozen young readers’ choice awards. In 2019, she was awarded the Writers’ Trust Vicki Metcalf Award for a body of work. Her books have been translated around the world.
SNAP is Nielsen’s debut adult novel and we are proud to announce that it has just been nominated for the 2026 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour award!
Please visit Susin’s website to learn more about her work and process.
Pender Reads is a fun take on CBC's Canada Reads “Battle of the Books.” For the first time ever, we’re thrilled to bring that same spirited format to Pender with our dynamic panel, Susin Nielsen, Becky Johnson, Matt Adolf and Bryce Woollcombe. Each will champion a book they believe every Pender Islander should read, making their case in a lively, head-to-head debate. After each round, the panellists vote to decide who to eliminate and who should move on to the next round until one standout book is crowned the winner! Additionally, at the very end of the night we will be calling on the audience to participate and pick who they think should win an audience choice award. This event is meant to be fast paced and fun. You won't want to miss it!
Chris loves of a good contemporary fiction novel or biography, and enjoys folding the corners of the pages... he believes the books love it too.
You can find his work interviewing many of the wonderful people from Pender on YouTube: @thestoriesthatbroughtyouhere
SUSIN NIELSEN is a novelist and screenwriter who has penned seven young adult novels and written over a hundred hours of television. She created the hit TV series Family Law, which is about to air its fourth season in Canada. SNAP is her first “grown-up” novel.
BECKY JOHNSON is an actor, writer and improviser with over thirty years experience in the Canadian and international performance landscapes. She is an alumna of Second City Toronto’s MainStage cast as well as a Canadian Screen Award winning comedy writer (for Baroness von Sketch). You can also see her on TV and movie screens if you look really hard.
MATT ADOLF is a local visual artist. Most recently he won the viewers choice award at the 2025 Saltspring National Arts Prize. When not making art he can get found talking to customers about food at Southridge Country Store.
BRYCE WOOLLCOMBE successfully escaped an idyllic childhood in Trinco only to wash up on the shores of Schooner Way years later. He is an unsuccessful novelist, failed professional bungee jumper, and enthusiastic music enabler who currently inflicts good writing skills and a taste for improvisational chemistry on the students of Pender Island.
For those of you who want to prep beforehand and keep up with the debate, here’s more info about each of the books our panelists chose :
Susin Nielsen - “Nothing but the Truth” by Marie Henein. Learn more HERE.
Becky Johnson - “Fifteen Dogs” by Andre Alixis. Learn more HERE.
Matt Adolf - “Even the Good Girls Will Cry: My 90s Rock Memoir” By Melissa Auf der Maur. Learn more HERE.
Bryce Woollcombe - “This is How You Lose the Time War” by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. Learn More HERE.
Typewriter Poetry with Nia Williams. A typed poem, created in the here and now, brings an intimate touch of artistry to any gathering. It allows memories to linger…gently, personally, and with love. Learn more about Nia’s work by visiting her website.
Images by Kenta Kikuchi
In recent years, short fiction genres like Flash, Sudden, and Microfiction have gained considerable respect. BC author John Gould’s Kilter: 55 Fictions was short-listed for Canada’s prestigious Giller prize. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer, this workshop will offer more ways in to crafting (very) short stories, including fun exercises to prime the pump. Participants will pen several short stories and at the end, those who wish to share a piece they’ve just written may read aloud to the group. This is a safe space to come with pen and paper or laptop and enjoy learning more about the craft of creative writing in a structured, supportive environment.
Who the heck is Barbara Stowe?
Barbara has a master’s degree in creative writing from UBC. Her short fiction and non-fiction have been published in anthologies, literary magazines, and newspapers including The Globe and Mail. One of her stories won the Vancouver International Writers Festival Short Story Contest; another was short-listed for Exile Quarterly’s Best Canadian Short Story prize; and she was mentored in short fiction by Zsuzsi Gartner through the Banff Wired Writing Studio. After moving to Pender in 2013 with her husband Joe Montague, she taught creative writing through Langara College’s continuing education program for several years. She now works from home.
Local writers and visual artists have come together in collaboration for Tapestry’s Verse & Vision project, pairing the written word with original 2D and 3D artworks.
Tapestry's Verse & Vision Exhibit will be showing all weekend. Come experience collaborative work by the following:
Peter Pare, Yvonne MacKenzie, Sarah Smith, Cedar Lopatecki, Terese Kashi, Leslie McBain, Marian Thomson, Joy Llewellyn, Nia Williams, Laura Vilness, Mary Ann Pare, Wendy Lopatecki, Zoe Landale, Tammy Adolf, Robert Dill, William Davies, Sandy Shreve, Taeven Lopatecki and Kate Braid.
Kim Pollard, LeeeAndra Miller, Margaret Alpen, Joe Kashi, Lisa Baile, Shelley Henshaw, Judy Walker, David Chamberland, Gabriella Valeria Kardosi, Christine Elgert, Roz Kempe, Colin Hamilton, Diana Fairclough, Matt Adolf, Dorset Norwich Young, Kristin Voth Davies, and Sandy Shreve.
