North Island Writers Conference 2026

Lovers of Reading and Writing

The organizers of the North Island Writers Conference are pleased to announce the 9th annual three-day event, from Friday, January 16th to Sunday, January 18th, at the Courtenay North Island College campus. Diana Kolpak opens the conference at 1:00 pm on Friday with a three-hour session on improving public reading and presentation skills.

Susan Juby, the keynote speaker, is a faculty member at Vancouver Island University and is known for her quirky and comedic characters. Her Friday night presentation, “The Importance of Writing Fiction During Revolution,” will address the impact of AI on creative writing. All are welcome. The event is free, and no registration is required. Join her again on Saturday for her character-building workshop.

Other workshops on Saturday include Sonnet L’Abbé presenting Poetry as Resistance—Explore poetry’s role in resisting misinformation. Debbie Anderson from FriesenPress will present a guide to self-publishing and provide one-on-one publishing consultations on Saturday afternoon. Memoir writers will enjoyJudy LeBlanc’s afternoon session, Telling Your Truth—Memoir and personal essay writing.

Consider entering the second annual fiction writing contest held at 3;00 pm on Saturday. There are Youth (15–24) and Adult (25+) categories. It is free to participate.

Sunday's workshops include Claire Mulligan speaking on the structure, style and craft of short fiction, Jessica McDiarmid addressing techniques for research and narrative building, and Trevor McMonagle exploring the editing process and its possibilities.

Bring a bag lunch and join Sylvia Bourgeois to discuss marketing for authors and how to build a loyal readership on Saturday, and James Krause learn about DIY audiobook production on Sunday.

If you love reading and writing, this conference is for you. Bring your lunch, your ideas, and your passion for storytelling. More information and registration details are available on the Comox Valley Writers Society site. https://cvwriterssociety.ca Please join us!