Winterset in Summer Literary Festival

06/23/2026

Amazing host alert!

We are so happy that Noreen Golfman is hosting our Friday evening Irish Connections session with Michael Crummey and Niamh Campbell! Why? Here are just a few reasons:

Noreen has always been a passionate, lifelong, and public lover of literature and film, so she's an immensely skilled interviewer of people who create literature and film. She's up front about her passions, and she's got an extraordinary gift for lifting creative innovation in art to our attention so we can appreciate and love it.

She gives a lot to her communities, including the Winterset in Summer Literary Festival, where she served on the board for many years, so she knows from the inside what makes both our Festival attendees and our guests tick.

And also, she's just plain awesome. And great company. And a great friend. And we love her.

06/22/2026

WHAT MAKES THE BEACHES LIBRARY UNIQUE?

Nestled in the heart of Eastport, The Beaches Library is a true community treasure.

With its dedicated volunteers, rich local collection, and welcoming community spirit, The Beaches Library is truly one of the region's hidden gems.

Unlike most libraries, it is run entirely by dedicated volunteers, and the books in the Library's collection have been, for the most part, donated by residents from across the peninsula and beyond. In addition, the library has a very active book-purchasing programme.

Open in its current form since 2007, The Beaches Library has built an impressive Newfoundland and Labrador collection. A significant contribution to this collection comes from the annual Winterset in Summer Festival, through donations of books by BMO Winterset Award finalists.

Mary MacNab, pictured in the reel alongside Yvonne Powell, is the library's public face. Yvonne coordinates the volunteer schedule, and together with the many volunteers who generously give their time, they form the heart and soul of the library. This community-driven approach gives the library a character and charm all its own.

Beyond lending books, The Beaches Library serves as an important gathering place for the community, hosting crafting groups and a variety of activities throughout the year.

Why not stop by and explore their wonderful collection?

The library is open:

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. starting in July

The Beaches Library - Where Hungry Minds are fed!

06/21/2026

If you’re looking for a rich, chilling, and compulsive read this summer, David Bergen’s Days of Feasting and Rejoicing is for you. For one reviewer, main character Esther is a “monstrous protagonist” who horrifically lets her travelling friend drown then impersonates her. And that’s just the first chapter…

The book is replete with lush descriptions of Thailand’s cities, beaches, and countrysides, with tantalizing feasts of fruit, grilled meats, rice, and champagne, and with exquisitely excruciating encounters between Esther and those around her. There’s a lot of feasting, a lot of beaching, and so, so much gorgeous suspense.

A lover of Tolstoy’s books, Giller Prize winner Bergen observed in 2023 that when he is facing “a surfeit of stories” he returns to his vision: “stick to the details, don’t get emotional, write about insignificant people.” Sounds simple, maybe - but oh, what amazing results! Every beat of Days of Feasting and Rejoicing will enthral and unsettle you.

David Bergen will appear on stage with writer Ann Y.K. Choi and interviewer Ted Blades at the Beaches Theatre and Gallery in Eastport on Saturday August 8. Tickets are available through the link in the comments.

06/20/2026

We asked Heather Barrett, writer of Mill Girls and a long-time supporter, what she thinks of the Winterset in Summer Literary Festival. We love this answer - hope you do too!

"Winterset in Summer on the Eastport Peninsula is like summer camp for bookworms! It is a friendly, welcoming event in a beautiful setting. Where else can you sit in a comfy theatre and take part in a lively discussion with some of your favourite authors and then go for a hike or a swim afterwards?"

Come and join us at the Festival this year and find out how right Heather is! She'll be chatting with Karl Wells of Openly Karl and with host Ramona Dearing on Friday, August 7, on stage at the Beaches Theatre and Gallery in Eastport. Tickets are available here: https://wintersetinsummer.ca/buy-tickets/.

06/19/2026

Welcome to this week’s Flashback Friday!

Winterset in Summer has always been about uniting all kinds of readers, writers, and creatives. Our past festivals have platformed not only novelists, but the breadth of the written word. Nowhere is this more evident than in 2020, when we had the delight to speak with the actor, writer and comedian Andy Jones.

Andy’s children’s picture books capture a timeless magic, weaving folktales that feel both rooted in place and ephemeral. During his interview, Andy Jones did us the honour of reciting one of his most popular picture books, Peg Bearskin, a story about a plucky, hairy, and overall fascinating girl.

What types of media do you hope to see in future festivals? Winterset in Summer has, since it began 25 years ago, aimed to show the wonderful accomplishments of NL and Canadian artists and authors, and this year is no different! Join us in Eastport this August to be inspired by guests and authors alike!

To hear the rest of Peg Bearskin’s tale, watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3MZntFZE5M

06/18/2026

Is there anything the talented Holly Hogan can’t do? This BMO Winterset Award-winning author of Message in a Bottle, wildlife biologist, environmental advocate, and yoga instructor is coming back to us to host our Gala BMO Winterset Award Finalists Session, and we are absolutely delighted that we snagged her.

Holly’s love of exploration in all its forms is a natural fit for posing engaging questions on thought-provoking topics. "You just never know what you might see… It's that possibility that keeps me interested" (2017 CBC interview). Her innate curiosity promises energizing conversations with BMO Winterset winner Angela Antle and finalists Debbie McGee and Mackenzie Nolan.

In a recent 2023 Coastlines interview, Holly said that as a writer she aims to “share my experiences with the reader, to take them with me to these amazing places, and far out to sea on my personal journey of discovery.” We are looking forward to experiencing this literary journey with Holly and the three Award finalists, and we’d love to have you come along too!

Tickets are available at https://wintersetinsummer.ca/buy-tickets/

06/17/2026

Home of the Winterset in Summer Literary Festival, Beaches Theatre and Gallery has a new name. Check out their website to see how you can enhance your experience in the Eastport area!!

We're excited to introduce a new, refreshed brand and website for the Beaches Theatre and Gallery!

It’s an updated expression of who we are and what we continue to celebrate: art, culture, heritage, and community on the Eastport Peninsula.

While our look has evolved, our purpose remains the same. We look forward to welcoming you through our doors this season and for many to come. Visit our new website to see what’s on beachestheatreandgallery.ca

06/17/2026

We asked two-time Giller Award winning writer Souvankham Thammavongsa what she loves about literary festivals, and guess what she said! Here it is:

Souvankham Thammavongsa says she loves literary festivals because "I get to be a fan." Wow - this writer loves to be a fan, just like the rest of us!

Come be a fan with us when Souvankham talks about her amazing book Pick A Colour on stage with writer Ian Williams and host William Ping at the Beaches Theatre and Gallery on Friday, August 7, during the 25th anniversary season of the Winterset in Summer Literary Festival. Click the link in the comment to buy tickets 😄

06/16/2026

I recently finished *Openly Karl* by Karl Wells and found it both engaging and enlightening.

Many of us are familiar with Karl from his years with the CBC, but this memoir reveals the man behind the public persona. What I appreciated most was how vividly he recounts the story of growing up in St John's during a very different era - allowing readers to see that time through the eyes of someone coming to terms with being gay at a time when homosexuality was widely misunderstood and viewed as deviant.

The sections dealing with the AIDS pandemic were especially powerful. Karl takes us back to a period marked by fear, stigma, survivor's guilt and heartbreaking loss. For readers who lived through that time, the book may bring back difficult memories; for younger readers, it offers valuable insight into a chapter of history that should not be forgotten.

Openly Karl is an honest, thoughtful, and often moving memoir that succeeds not only as a personal story but also as a portrait of social change in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We'll be welcoming Karl to the Winterset in Summer Festival stage on Friday, August 7 at 1:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by clicking on the link in the comments.