There’s a genre for everyone at the fourth annual Downtown Eastside Writers Festival
Gilles Cyrenne
Writer
From open mics to memoirs, typewriters to zines, the fourth annual Downtown Eastside Writers Festival invites everyone to speak, write and listen.
Some of the neighbourhood’s most powerful voices will take the stage at the 2025 Downtown Eastside Writers Festival, running from May 22-25.
Rooted in the rich creative community of the Downtown Eastside (DTES), the festival showcases the talent and resilience of local storytellers.
While the Carnegie Community Centre will host most of the events, the festival will also pop up at venues across the city, including the UBC Learning Exchange, VPL Strathcona Branch, Gathering Place Community Centre, SFU’s Belzberg Library at Harbourfront and Rise Up Marketplace.
Plus, a special Story Walk along Hastings Street will invite participants to experience stories right where they live, work and dream.
The festival kicks off with a Meet-and-Greet Opening featuring Vancouver’s Poet Laureate, Elee Kraljii Gardiner — a longtime friend and champion of the Downtown Eastside writing community. Join us for a social get-together with fellow DTES writers, storytellers, and literary fans. The evening will close with a lively Poetry Cabaret open mic, inviting local voices to take the stage and share their words.
Day two brings a range of interactive and inspiring events, starting with Spontaneous Poetry outside the Carnegie. Later, beloved poet and performer Kevin Spenst will lead a drop-in workshop — his infectious energy and love of language are sure to spark creativity. At 5:30 p.m., there will be a screening of What I Want My Words To Do To You in the Carnegie Theatre: a powerful documentary that follows a writing workshop inside a New York prison. Through the stories of incarcerated women, the film explores grief, resilience and the redemptive power of storytelling. And yes, there will be popcorn.
Saturday’s lineup is packed with literary star power. Don’t miss Evelyn Lau, whose breakout memoir Runaway: Diary of a Street Kid — originally typed at the Carnegie when she was still a teenager — became a national bestseller. Lau will lead a writing workshop and host a Q&A about the craft and process of writing.
Later, acclaimed author Kevin Chong, whose novel The Double Life of Benson Yu was named one of CBC’s Best Books of Canadian Fiction, will guide participants through a creative session exploring the history of memoir and hands-on writing exercises. (Sharing your work is optional).
The day wraps with a high-energy Poetry Slam led by RC Weslowski — an award-winning poet and leader in Vancouver’s poetry scene whose performances often tumble into playful, high-flying feats of linguistic gymnastics.
A couple of pre-festival events will help set the stage. On Wednesday, storyteller Jim Sands will lead a Seniors Storytelling Circle at RayCam, offering space for reflection, laughter and shared experience. Also on Wednesday, the Gathering Place Community Centre will host a combined Writing Workshop and ESL Conversation Circle — an inviting space for practising English through creative expression.
Sunday morning will be busier than ever, with three hands on, drop-in workshops on offer: Zine Making, Bookbinding and Screenwriting. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned maker, all are welcome to come create, explore and connect.
One of the festival’s most unique events will unfold one line at a time — on a typewriter. This community story project, made possible by Paula Luther, invites everyone to contribute a line or two to a collaborative tale written throughout the weekend. The final story will be read aloud at the Festival Wrap Party on Sunday at Rise Up Marketplace. And yes, Roger’s famous Jamaican patties will be waiting!
Community members are also invited to take the mic during the open mic session, which will close with a reading by Angela Gray, master of memoir and fearless truth-teller.
The 2025 Downtown Eastside Writers Festival runs from May 22-25 at the Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main St. Admission is free.
Gilles Cyrenne
Writer
Gilles Cyrenne is a retired journeyman carpenter, now writing full-time. He has a collection of poetry ready for publication, a batch of short stories he is presently editing and a novel in the outline stage. He is the president of the Carnegie Community Centre Association and has been involved at the centre for more than a decade with various writing groups and projects, including the annual Downtown Eastside Writers’ Festival. Gilles is a member of The Shift peer newsroom.
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