For most of the year, Eden Mills is like many a quiet Ontario village that stops passing visitors more by the power of its picturesque beauty, than any intentional attractions.
However, once a year, the tiny community of about 350 comes together for one of the longest running writers’ festivals in Ontario. The combination of open-air readings, workshops, seminars and other presentations at the volunteer-run event also make it one of the most unique.
For the 24th annual Eden Mills Writers’ Festival, from Sept. 14 to 17, organizers are returning to the festival’s roots.
The festival began in 1989 and the first public readings took place outside the old General Store in the centre of Eden Mills. At that time. Leon Rooke, a Governor General’s Award-winning writer, and his wife, Constance, were living in the former stagecoach hotel on the other side of the street.
General Store owners Don and Mark Holman suggested Rooke launch his latest novel, A Good Baby, from the stone platform outside their property. Rooke invited other writers, including Rohinton Mistry, Michael Ondaatje, Jane Urquhart and Linda Spalding to participate.
“An audience of 350 materialized and the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival was born,” states a history of the event posted on the festival website.
Among the most exciting elements of the 2012 festival, says artistic director Kim Lang, will be the return of three of the five original writers, Rooke, Ondaatje and Spalding.
“It will be fairly big, something that would be a bit of a lead-in to the 25th, when we’re hoping we can get them all back,” she said.
While the festival has grown to include seminars, workshops and other presentations, the open-air readings at venues along the banks of the Eramosa River remain the most popular attractions. The variety of outdoor venues are what makes the Eden Mills festival unique, says Lang.
While there are larger writers festivals around the province and across the country, most are held primarily indoors and some have modeled their events around the success of Eden Mills.
“We have a lot of other communities coming to Erin Mills to see how it’s done,” Lang states with obvious pride.
How it’s done, is with an incredible effort from local volunteers. Everyone involved in organizing and operating the festival are volunteers, including the board of directors and executive officers.
As many as 200 altruistic souls pitch in on Sunday, the biggest day at each year’s festival. Lang says that’s what makes the festival work.
“That the volunteers within this little town of Eden Mills pull together and put on this festival that now entering its 24th year – it’s simply amazing,” she said.
In addition to the regular readings and seminars, the festival features a children’s site and readings for young adults. Visitors can also stroll Publishers’ Way and browse offerings from both new and established writers and publishers.
Over 50 exhibitors, including book presses, magazines, trade associations and authors will be set up along the main street and The Bookshelf’s booth will have festival authors’ works for sale. Following readings, authors will be available on Publishers’ Way to sign copies of their work.
This is also where visitors find festival information, a food court and Jenny’s place, the festival hot spot for children’s authors and activities.
Among the highlights of this year’s festival will be an appearance by award-winning writer, broadcaster and musician Jian Ghomeshi, who will hold an advance launch of this first book 1982. Extra copies were run by the publisher, Penguin Canada, to allow festival-goers at Eden Mills to become the first readers in Canada with a chance to buy the book, which takes an autobiographic look at a pivotal year in the life of the emerging artist.
Presenters at this festival include authors of fiction and non-fiction works, journalists and poets. Among those in the line-up are: Angie Abdou, Carmen Aguirre, Roo Borson, Marjorie Celona, George Elliott Clarke, Louise Desjardins, Richard Gwynn, Doug Gibson Michele Landsberg, Alistair MacLeod and Tanis Rideout.
Over the years, says Lang, the festival has featured winners of most of Canada’s top literary awards, including the Stephen Leacock Award, Giller Prize and CBC Canada Reads. Writers from across the nation have made themselves available to take part in the celebration of the written word at Eden Mills.
“We’ve had authors from New Brunswick and Victoria, B.C. and all parts in-between,” said Lang, noting festival visitors also come from all parts of the country.
Lang began her involvement with the festival helping to organize the green room, a tented retreat for festival presenters. Between readings, it’s a spot for writers to gather, relax and mingle.
“I think that’s one of the things that attracts them. It’s a nice forum for them to sit around and chat,” said Lang.
From its not-so-humble beginnings – a crowd of 350 is a pretty fair turnout in a village of 350 – the festival has grown into an event that attracts crowds in the thousands.
“A lot depends on the weather. There might be a thousand, or you might have up to 2,000,” said Lang.
With a high percentage of local volunteers, the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival is very much a part of the community – and visa versa.
As such, Lang says the festival works to blend into the fabric of local life beyond one busy weekend each year. For example, the village is attempting to become the first community in North America to go carbon neutral.
“We try to incorporate that into the festival,” said Lang, explaining that organizers discourage water bottles by providing a tanker to allow people to fill up their own containers, and also avoid the use of plastic plates and utensils.
On a similarly “green” note, shuttle buses pick up visitors in Guelph at both the Sleeman Centre and the university and transport them to the festival.
As the festival gears up for its 25th anniversary in 2013, organizers recently received recognition of its status as a Canadian cultural forum from the federal government. On Aug. 20, the government announced it would provide the festival with a total of $16,000 – $8,000 in 2012-13 and $8,000 in 2013-14 – through the Canada Arts Presentation Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
“Our government is proud to invest in projects that contribute to our collective identity and define who we are as Canadians,” noted heritage Minister James Moore.
Wellington Halton-Hills MP Michael Chong commented that “audiences from near and far will come to the annual Eden Mills Writers’ Festival to enjoy a unique mix of great literature.” Chong added the funds will help the festival, “attract exceptional artists and provide visitors with a greater cultural experience.”
Festival board of directors chair Susan Ratcliffe said the funds specifically will help organizers extend its reach by creating partnerships with libraries, running electronic workshops for aspiring writers, encouraging attendance of new visitors and organizing gatherings for local book clubs.
“Although it takes place on the banks of the Eramosa River in a tiny village in the heart of Ontario’s countryside, the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival reaches out to many local communities,” Ratcliffe stated.
A full list of presenters and further information on the writers, as well as a shuttle bus schedule and other information about the event, can be found on the festival website: edenmillswritersfestival.ca.
