Joe Burke Wolfe Island LitFest: 13 years of good words and great friends
2016 Joe Burke Wolfe Island Litfest poster.
Every year, great poets and writers gather at Wolfe Island for one of my favourite events of the year – the Joe Burke Literary Festival.
Joe Burke was a criminal lawyer from Ottawa who had a real passion for life, but lost his own unexpectedly. The Litfest is a tribute to Joe, and is a rare opportunity to hear the language of "symbolism and imagery” replace the language of "argument and aggression.”
The idea for the festival started with Dave Bidini. I met Dave at the last Toronto Maple Leafs/Boston Bruins game ever played at Maple Leaf Gardens. We were both guests of Gord Downie before the game, and from that moment on Dave and I have been talking about our love of baseball, hockey, horses, water, and Northrup Frye. Out of that, many adventures were born, including the Joe Burke Litfest.
From the very first Litfest readings in May 2004, visiting artists embraced the idea of reading poetry and books out loud to the uninitiated. Prior to the festival, many (if not most of the audience) had never been to a literary festival and some had admittedly never read a novel. But after they attended the Litfest, that soon changed.
Litfest authors often sell out of all the books they bring. And writers like Dave Bidini, Tanis Rideout, and Steven Heighton have never missed a festival. (Joseph Boyden has attended half of them – not bad for a guy from New Orleans.)
And the event’s supporters? Most of the money comes from three criminal lawyers: Hal Mattson, Donald Bayne, and Mark Ertel. The extra help that makes the event special comes from Ed Smith at Windmills, Waterkeeper, the Mosiers, the Mattsons and of course, and most importantly, the attendees.
Left to right: Mark Medley, Mark Mattson, Dave Bidini, and Janet Morassutti at last year's Litfest. (Photo via Lake Ontario Waterkeeper)
It’s been thirteen years and Litfest has grown. This casual gathering of authors has been a cornerstone for Waterkeeper's network for more than a decade.
And if you love reading, you’re welcome to join.
The days are long and the waters are starting to warm up. Surrounded by family and friends – old and new – there’s nothing I’d rather do than spend the day under the sky beside the mighty St. Lawrence.
Hope to see you this weekend.
Check out Swim Guide for directions to Joe Burke Literary Festival Wolfe Island.
Thank you to everyone who has made Litfest the great event that it’s become. Special thanks to:
Writers:
Ken Babstock
Kevin Barry
Jonathan Bennett
Michelle Berry
Dave Bidini
Christian Bök
Joseph Boyden
Dani Couture
Michael Crummey
Ron Deibert
Gord Downie
Bernie Finkelstein
Joe Fiorito
Jane Gowan
Wayne Grady
Helen Guri
Steven Heighton
Liz Howard
Tasneem Jamal
Bill Kennedy
Sonne L'Abbe
Grant Lawrence
Amanda Leduc
Alexandra Leggat
Saleema Nawaz
Andrew Nikiforuk
Brian O'Dea
Alison Pick
Paul Quarrington
Tanis Rideout
Marilyn Simmons
Carmine Starnino
Priscila Uppal
Paul Vermeersch
Darryl Webster
Darren Wershler
Zoe Whittall
Michael Winter
Performers:
Chris Brown
Billie Hollies
Gord Downie
Selina Martin
Speakers:
Donald Bayne
Mark Ertel
Hal Mattson
Mark Mattson
Poster Designers:
Stewart Jones
Jane Gowan
Ruby Pajares
