Frye Festival Schedule of Events

Now in its 8th year, this five-day celebration of words officially opens April 25 on a quest to promote the pleasure and discovery of reading. Canada’s only bilingual literary festival boasts appearances by almost 300 award-winning authors to date, an annual economic impact of $2 million plus on the greater Moncton region. This year its school visits will double, with some 8,000 schoolchildren throughout New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to welcome authors into their classrooms. The not-for-profit, volunteer-driven festival attracted 10,000 people to its events, donated $4,000 worth of new books to local schools (increases to $6,000 this year), and gave out $2,800 in prize money to new and young writers (this year’s amount will also more than double).

Frye Festival Schedule

Tuesday, April 24

6-8 pm: Soirée littéraire – An evening to promote the fun of reading for kids and their families (in French). École Marée Montante, 49 College St., Saint-Louis-de-Kent

7-8:30 pm: Frye Symposium: Pop et Frye – “Anxieties of Identity: Popular Potboilers, Gothic Literature and Stories of the Self”. Robert Lapp and Deborah Wills from Mount Allison University discuss popular literature past and present, with a focus on horror, literature of the macabre, and the Gothic (in English). Free admission. Moncton City Hall, 6th floor, 655 Main St

Wednesday, April 25

Writers in Schools – Beginning at 8:30 a.m. and continuing throughout the school day

9:30-10:30 am: Frye Symposium: Lecture by Jean O’Grady – “Revaluing Values”. Simultaneous translation. Free admission. Moncton City Hall, Council Chambers, 655 Main St.

11 am: Official Launch of the Festival, Moncton City Hall, Lobby, 655 Main St.

12:00 noon: YMCA Literacy Luncheon. Proceeds to the YMCA’s Youth Tutor Club. Guest Speaker: Lesley Choyce. Tickets are $25 per person or $200 for a table of 8. To reserve, call the YMCA at 857-0606. Ramada Plaza Hotel, Crystal Palace, 499 Paul St., Dieppe

1:30-3:30 pm: Frye Symposium Roundtable. Authors discuss the topic: “Ways of Understanding Popular Culture”. Moderator: Hélène Destrempes. Panelists: Brecken Rose Hancock, Serge Morin and Tony Tremblay. Simultaneous translation. Free admission. Moncton City Hall, Council Chambers, 655 Main St.

3-5 pm: Workshop for Adults Writing for Children with Lesley Choyce (in English). To register call: 382-3015 or . Registration fee: $10. Moncton Public Library, 644 Main St

5 pm: Entre Nous, Rogers Television Frye Festival Special with Manon Levesque (repeated at 10 pm)

5-7 pm: A Tribute to Jean O’Grady. L’Auberge, Delta Beauséjour Hotel, 750 Main St.

7-9 pm: Reading and Discussion with Lorette Nobécourt, sponsored by Alliance Française and the Consulate General of France. Alliance Française, 241 St. George St.

7-9:30 pm: Aliant Café Underground – Performances by high school students of their own poetry, prose and songwritingMentors: Emily Pohl-Weary and Dano LeBlanc. Free admission. Empress Theatre, Robinson Court (adjoining Capitol Theatre, 811 Main St.)

Thursday, April 26

Writers in Schools – Beginning at 8:30 and continuing throughout the school day

9-11 am: Bilingual Postcard Story Workshop with Jo-Anne Elder – “I’m writing to tell you…”
To register call: 382-3015 or . Registration fee: $10. Moncton Public Library, 644 Main St.

9:30-10:30 am: Frye Symposium Lecture by Robert D. Denham – “Frye’s Magnum Opus: Fifty Years After”. Simultaneous translation. Free admission. Moncton City Hall, Council Chambers, 655 Main St.

12-1 pm: Dialogue – Jean Fugère in conversation with Lorette Nobécourt (in French). Free admission. Moncton Public Library, 644 Main St.

1:30-3:30 pm: Writers Federation of New Brunswick Readings, hosted by Lee Thompson. Readers include Tammy Armstrong, Elizabeth Blanchard, Noeline Bridge, Kelly Cooper, Laurie Glenn Norris and Ed Gates. Admission: $5. Mexicali Rosa’s, 683 Main St.

5 pm: Entre Nous – Rogers Television Frye Festival Special with Manon Levesque (repeated at 10 pm)

6 pm to 7 pm: Dialogue – Patrick Lane in conversation with Bernice Eisenstein (in English). Free admission. Moncton Public Library, 644 Main St.

8 pm: Soirée Frye – Readings by Karen Solie, Georgette LeBlanc, Marilyn Lerch and Bryan Perro
Musical Guests: Isaac & Blewett with Les Païens. Award Presentation to the winners of the State Farm Essay Contest. Admission is $5 at the door. Reception to follow. Capitol Theatre, 811 Main St.

10 pm: Night Howl – Featuring George Fetherling and Brigitte Harrison with musical guest Marc-André Léger. Admission: $5. Kramer’s Corner, 702 Main St.

Friday, April 27

6-8:40 am: CBC Information Morning – Festival Broadcast. CBC Moncton’s Information Morning will air an entire show on the Festival. The program is broadcast on CBC Radio One.

Writers in Schools – Beginning at 8:30 and continuing throughout the school day

9 am-5 pm: Writing for Film and Television Workshop with Randy Pearlstein (in English). Effective techniques for both advanced and beginning film and television writers. To register call 859-4389 by Monday, April 23. Registration fee: $35 – Simultaneous translation. Théâtre l’Escaouette, 170 Botsford St.

9-11 am: Poetry Workshop with Karen Solie (in English). To register call: 382-3015 or . Registration fee: $10. Moncton Public Library, 644 Main St.

9-11 am: Creative Writing Workshop with Georgette LeBlanc (in French). To register call: 382-3015 or . Registration fee: $10. Moncton Public Library, 644 Main St.

12-1:30 pm: Roundtable – Authors discuss the topic: “The Graphic Novel Grows Up”
Moderator: Jean Fugère, with Bernice Eisenstein, Dano LeBlanc, Harvey Pekar and Michel Rabagliati. Simultaneous translation – Admission: $10. Moncton City Hall, Council Chambers, 655 Main St.

1:30-3:30 p.m.: Creative Non-Fiction Workshop with Patrick Lane (The Memoir) (in English). To register call: 382-3015 or . Registration fee: $10. Moncton Public Library, 644 Main St.

5 pm: Entre Nous – Rogers Television Frye Festival Special with Manon Levesque (repeated at 10 pm)

5-6 pm: Book Signing by Harvey Pekar, United Book Store, 347 Mountain Road

5-6:30 pm: Mostly Fiction – Readings by: George Fetherling, Gilles Gougeon, Lorette Nobécourt and Elaine McClusky. Admission: $10. Creek Restaurant, 107 Robinson St.

8-9 pm. Harvey Pekar Live. Admission: $10. Théâtre l’Escaouette, 170 Botsford St.

10 pm: Night Howl – Featuring Emily Pohl-Weary and Serge Patrice Thibodeau with musical guests Urban Café. Admission: $5. Kramer’s Corner, 702 Main St.

Saturday, April 28

9 am-12 pm: State Farm KidsFest for children 2 to 12 and their families. Author readings, book signings, workshops, comic strip writing, contests, etc. Free admission. Moncton Public Library, 644 Main St. KidsFest schedule includes:

9 am: Michèle Laframboise – Reading
9:30 am: Jeremy Tankard – Reading
10 am: Coro Atlantica – Performance of excerpt from Seussical the Musical
10:30 am: Lesley Choyce – Reading
11 am: Marie-France Comeau – Reading
11:30 am: Dano Leblanc – Signing by Acadieman Creator

10-11 am: Comics in the Library Workshop for Students Aged 8 to 10 with Scott Tingley (in English). To register call: 382-3015 or . Free admission (www.comicsintheclassroom.net). Moncton Public Library, 644 Main St.

10-11 am: Writing Workshop for Students Aged 6 to 9 with Marie-France Comeau (in French). ” Sur la trace des sens – avec Diego l’escargot “. To register call: 382-3015 or . Free admission. Moncton Public Library, 644 Main St.

10 am- 12 pm: Special Festival Broadcast: “Anne et compagnie”. Host: Anne Godin. Radio-Canada Atlantique. www.radio-canada.ca/atlantique

9:30-11:30 am: Creative Writing Workshop with Arlette Cousture (in French). To register call: 382-3015 or . Presented by Université de Moncton’s Alumni Association, Moncton Campus. Registration fee: $10. Dieppe Public Library, 333 Acadie Ave.

10-11:30 am: Saturday Brunch and Books. Brunch begins at 9:30, with readings at 10 by Laura Byrne Paquet, Gilles Gougeon, Brigitte Harrison and Elaine McCluskey. Admission: Cost of the meal. Kramer’s Corner, 702 Main St.

11:30 am: The “Association France-Canada Moncton” Hosts Author Lorette Nobécourt. On the menu: Acadian Fricot – Admission: $15 (not included in Festival Pass). Registration: Ronald Cormier, 383-8563 or . Rotary Pavilion – St. Anselme Park, Dieppe

12-1 pm: The Antonine Maillet – Northrop Frye Lecture – Lecture by David Adams Richards entitled “Playing the Inside Out”. Simultaneous translation. Admission: $10. Moncton City Hall, Council Chambers, 655 Main St.

1:30-2:30 pm: Dialogue – Tony Tremblay in conversation with David Adams Richards (in English). Admission: $10. Moncton City Hall, Council Chambers, 655 Main St.

2-4 pm: Comic Book Workshop for Students 12+ with Jeremy Tankard (in English). To register call: 382-3015 or . Registration fee: $10. Sponsored by Read’s (all proceeds to Laubach Literacy). United Book Store, 347 Mountain Road.

2-4 pm: Comic Book Workshop for Students 12+ with Jimmy Beaulieu (in French). To register call: 382-3015 or . Registration fee: $10. Sponsored by Read’s (all proceeds to Laubach Literacy). United Book Store, 347 Mountain Road.

3-3:30 pm: Book Signings with Allan Cooper and Others! Festival Bookstore and Café, Lobby, Delta Beauséjour Hotel, 750 Main St.

3-4 pm: Dialogue – Gilles Gougeon in conversation with (to come) (in French). Admission: $10. Moncton City Hall, Council Chambers, 655 Main St.

3-4:30 pm: Aliant Budding Writers, Grade 5 to 8 students read their own work
Mentors: Emily Pohl-Weary and Paul Roux. Free admission. Riverview Middle School, 45 Devere Road, Riverview.

4-6 pm: The ‘Not Just Another Book Launch’ Event – Goose Lane Editions and Éditions Perce-Neige present their new titles, including works by Laura Byrne Paquet, Lesley Choyce, Tammy Armstrong, Georgette LeBlanc and others. Hosted by Goose Lane Editions’ Susanne Alexander and Éditions Perce-Neige’s Serge Patrice Thibodeau. Free admission. Reception to follow. Moncton City Hall, Lobby, 655 Main St.

8-11 pm: Frye Jam – An extravaganza of readings of all kinds, music and a comic jam.
Hosts: Les Païens. Musical Guests: Suzanne Léger, Sean Booth & ParaNerd, Pascal Lejeune and pAn. Admission: $10. Aberdeen Cultural Centre, 140 Botsford St.

Sunday, April 29

10-11:30 am: Brunch and Books – Readings and musings on the writing life with (to come) and Arlette Cousture. Also includes the Greater Moncton Literacy Advisory Board’s annual “Adult New Writers Contest Awards”. Tickets are $20 and must be purchased by April 27 through the Capitol Theatre Box Office or by telephone at 856-4379 or 1-800-567-1922. Delta Beauséjour Hotel, Mezzanine, 750 Main St.

1-2 pm: Poet flyé Says Bye Bye! Paul Bossé reads his Poet flyé epic creation. Unveiling of the Northrop Frye commemorative plaque. Free admission, food, music and parking. Greater Moncton International Airport, Destinations Lounge, 2nd Floor, 777 Aviation Ave., Dieppe.