Our ever-lively opening event features readings by Dominique Bernier-Cormier, Sig Burwash, Charlene Carr, David Chariandy, Andrea Currie, Anne Koval, Ann-Marie MacDonald and Jesse Thistle (hosted by Alexander MacLeod). This event will be held in the beautiful Great Hall of the Clans, alongside a blazing hearth, at the Gaelic College in St. Ann's.

In this two-hour workshop with poet and translator Dominique Bernier-Cormier, participants will find poetic inspiration in words and concepts not found in English, and will draft poems using alternative translation techniques such as phonetic or associative translation. Previous poetry experience is not required, and participants do not need to speak languages other than English. 

Authors Sig Burwash, Charlene Carr and Andrea Currie will join a panel conversation and audience Q&A with moderator Alexander MacLeod, exploring the writing process and where they find inspiration, sharing stories about their publishing experiences, and offering wisdom and advice for aspiring writers about what they've learned along the way... (Meal is included in ticket price.)

An inspiration walk among the changing colours of the forest surrounding the Gaelic College, featuring Cape Breton writers Trena Christie-MacEachern, Tyra Denny, Verna Feehan, Frank Macdonald & Susan Paddon sharing short readings of work commissioned by the festival exploring the theme of what inspires them. The walk will end in a live musical performance by guitarist Sam Wilson and upright bassist Gabriella Ciurcovich.

***Note: This is a free event, but to help us plan for audience size and to ensure we can reach you in the event of any last-minute chance in location, etc., we appreciate you registering in advance. Thank you!***

Please dress for the weather and meet at the junction of MacKillop Road and the Cabot Trail, just east of the Gaelic College entrance. In case of rain, performances will take place in the Pavillion, a sheltered outdoor performance area at the rear of the Gaelic College campus.

As part of our Writers' Salon exploration of what inspires us, we'll host a half hour shared creative space (amidst gentle live music by guitarist Sam Wilson and upright bassist Gabriella Ciurcovich), inviting people to come together in one room to freewrite and discover what emerges on the page.

***Note: This is a free event, but to help us plan for audience size and to ensure we can reach you in the event of any last-minute chance in location, etc., we appreciate you registering in advance. Thank you!***

Following WordStorm, we'll serve coffee and pastries and invite willing writers in the audience to share a short reading on stage as we gather and listen and learn together.

***Note: This is a free event, but to help us plan for audience size and to ensure we can reach you in the event of any last-minute chance in location, etc., we appreciate you registering in advance. Thank you!***

Anne Koval (art historian and author of Mary Pratt: A Love Affair with Vision) will share a 45-minute presentation and slide show, exploring the life and work of this iconic Maritime painter.

6 p.m. • Pre-Event Reception (optional).
Featuring live music by guitarist Sam Wilson and upright bassist Gabriella Ciurcovich, cash bar (including alcohol-free drinks), hors d'oeuvres, and a chance to browse the bookstore and meet with other audience members, authors and members of the festival team. Ticket holders are invited to come early to take part in this if they wish, or they can simply arrive for the formal programming that begins at 7.

7 p.m. • A Reading & Conversation with David Chariandy
Festival Co-Chair Monika Dutt interviews David Chariandy (award-winning author of books that include Brother and I've Been Meaning to Tell You: A Letter to My Daughter).

8:15 p.m. • A Reading & Conversation with Ann-Marie MacDonald
Author and co-director of Halifax's AfterWords festival Stephanie Domet interviews Ann-Marie MacDonald (playwright, actor and bestselling author of books that include Fall on Your Knees and, most recently, Fayne).

A delicious array of brunch offerings will be served and then Jesse Thistle, author of the 2019 memoir From the Ashes: My Story of Being Indigenous, Homeless, and Finding My Way and 2022 poetry collection Scars & Stars, will share a reading and discussion about his work. (Meal included in ticket price.)

Take a stroll through the woods and crumbled foundation ruins of one of the former communities of Cap-Rouge, an Acadian settlement north of Chéticamp. Ginette Chiasson (author of Cap-Rouge: Former Hamlet of Chéticamp) will share the history of these remote, vibrant communities amidst the highlands, and the families and way of life that were changed forever when Cap-Rouge was expropriated to create the national park in 1936. Mary Louise Bernard (author of Sweetwater Maiden: The Legend of Maple Syrup) will offer an introduction to this region in context as the homeland of the Mi'kmaq and about the historical friendship between the Mi'kmaw and Acadian peoples.

Le Buttereau (loop) is a 1.6-km trail rated an "easy" trail by the national park and estimated to take about 30 to 45 minutes to walk. ***PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS ANOTHER, LONGER, CONNECTING TRAIL CALLED LE CHEMIN DU BUTTEREAU. CONTINUE NORTH PAST THAT ONE UNTIL YOU REACH LE BUTTEREAU (LOOP).

This event is part of a multi-year project called In Our Own Words, exploring the island's Mi'kmaw, Acadian and Gaelic languages and literary cultures. This year's edition of the project is centred on celebrating contemporary and traditional Acadian literature, including story and song.

***IMPORTANT NOTES:***
• Though this event is free, those who do not have a park pass (and are not Mi'kmaq or youths under 18) will need to purchase a national-park day pass at the booth located right on the Cabot Trail at the park entrance. (Day passes are $9 for adults, $7.75 for seniors aged 65+ and $17.50 for a family pass that can cover up to seven people arriving in single car.) And though we aren't charging for tickets, to help us plan for audience size and to ensure we can reach you in the event of any last-minute chance in location, etc., we appreciate you registering in advance. Thank you!

• Please park at the Grande Falaise picnic area 350 m south of Le Buttereau (loop), on the east side of the Cabot Trail, and walk 5 minutes up the Cabot Trail to the trailhead of Le Buttereau (loop). (If mobility or any other concerns make this walk an issue, there is a limited amount of parking right at the trailhead.)

• In the event of high winds or significant rain, we'll host Mary Louise and Ginette's presentations indoors at our Plan B Location, 5 km north on the Cabot Trail: The Interpretive House at the Mkwesaqtuk / Cap-Rouge campground. Any such change will be announced on our website and social media and via email to all event registrants.

• Unless relocated due to rain or wind (see note above) this event will be held entirely outdoors. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable footwear for a gentle hike. (You are also of course welcome to stay only for the initial  presentation by Ginette and Mary Louise and skip the walk.)

1.  5:30 p.m. •  A Conversation with Dominique Bernier-Cormier & Réjean Aucoin (English*)
   Local author Clive Doucet will interview Dominique Bernier-Cormier & Réjean Aucoin about their work, exploring Acadian literary culture, language, dislocation and identity.
   
   

2.  6:20 p.m. • Supper & Chansons et histoires (Bilingual / bilingue*)
   Chef Paula Fortune will prepare a simple and delicious traditional Acadian meal, while on stage, local musicians share Acadian folk songs and stories. (Meal is included in ticket price.)

3. 7:30 p.m. • Reading by Dominique Bernier-Cormier & Réjean Aucoin (Bilingual / bilingue*)
   Author Dominique Bernier-Cormier will read from Entre Rive and Shore, a rich, poetic exploration of Acadian history and identity, illuminating what it means to live "between two identities, two worlds, two languages," while local author and Canadian Senator Réjean Aucoin reads from Le tapis de Grand-Pré ("The Magic Rug of Grand Pré"), a children's story that is a beloved local favourite, published almost 40 years ago, which brings to life the rich heritage and history of the Acadian people.

4. 8:10 p.m. • Une conversation avec Dominique Bernier-Cormier & Réjean Aucoin (française*) 
   L'auteure et historienne locale Dr Barbara Leblanc interviewera Dominique Bernier-Cormier et Réjean Aucoin à propos de leur travail, explorant la culture littéraire acadienne, la langue, le déplacement et l'identité.

*Please note, the evening's program will include both English and French. Tickets are priced to cover the meal, music and reading, so the conversation(s) can be considered an optional free addition.
      Anglophone audience members may wish to attend the first, second and third events and depart before the fourth (an interview that will be conducted in French), while francophone audience members are welcome, if they wish, to skip the first (an interview that will be conducted in English) and attend the second, third and fourth. Bilingual audience members can of course enjoy the entire evening of programming (the different moderators of the two conversations will ensure each conversation is unique, exploring different perspectives and topics with the two guest authors). 

This event is part of a multi-year project called In Our Own Words, exploring the island's Mi'kmaw, Acadian and Gaelic languages and literary cultures. This year's edition of the project is centred on celebrating contemporary and traditional Acadian literature, including story and song.