Downtown BIA, Collingwood Public Library and Town of Collingwood
Have Joined Together To Create New Festival

The new Collingwood Public Library in Downtown Collingwood will be one of the host venues of a new literary festival to be held in downtown Collingwood next fall. Wordstock: Collingwood Literary Festival will be held in locations throughout the downtown core on September 10th and 11th, 2010.

Literary Festival Chair Harry Posner of Zencha Tea Bar says the new festival will celebrate contemporary literature and poetry, newer forms of literacy, music, art and performance. Posner is looking forward to launching the new event with hopes of making the Collingwood Literary Festival an annual fall festival.

Wordstock Co-Chair Marg Scheben-Edey says that the idea has grown from what she calls a chance dinner conversation with a publishing house publicist last summer. "With a new and noteworthy public library facility and with the newly revitalized downtown complete, 2010 is a perfect time to showcase these wonderful amenities to all members of our community" Scheben-Edey said.

Sue Nicholson, General Manager of the Downtown Collingwood Business Improvement Association, said that BIA members will be given a chance to take part in events at their downtown locations. "The schedule is expected to include readings by both local and national authors, writers' workshops, poetry events and a children's series" Nicholson said.

Kerri Robinson is Collingwood's Director of Library Services and Wordstock Co-Chair. Robinson is looking forward to the March 2010 opening of the new downtown library that is being built to a Gold LEED standard for environmental efficiency and design.

Anyone interested in volunteering their time to help create Collingwood's new literary festival can contact the Collingwood Municipal Event Office at 705-445-9463.