Meet our Hosts
As anyone who has attended Writers at Woody Point knows, our hosts are the festival's heart and soul. They’re the ones who set the tone for the audience and for the authors and musicians on stage.
Ask anyone in our audience what’s unique about those nights and days at the Heritage Theatre and they’ll talk about the feeling the room, the goodwill, the sense that we are all so happy to be there, together.
That all started with Shelagh Rogers, who returns to the Heritage Theatre stage for our – and her – 21st year. Shelagh was the long-time host of The Next Chapter on CBC Radio, from which she retired last year, but her resume extends far beyond her stellar broadcasting career. It includes her foundational work on Truth and Reconciliation and her term as the Chancellor of the University of Victoria.
In addition to her hosting duties, Shelagh's Saturday afternoon on-stage interview will feature her good friend Louise Penny, one of the most beloved mystery writers on the planet. Penny is best known for creating a classic character of the genre, Chief Inspector Gamache.
Next up is Tom Power, the host of q on CBC Radio and the driving force behind the power-trad band the Dardanelles, who are playing at the festival this year on Thursday evening. Tom will interview Kate Beaton and Rick Mercer on-stage Friday afternoon, preside again over the traditional—and not-so-traditional—music session on Friday night following our regular program at the Heritage Theatre, and then host our show of readings and music on Saturday night.
Angela Antle is a broadcaster, visual artist, filmmaker, and writer who first came to the festival as a journalist and soon became part of the Woody Point family, taking on a variety of roles. For the past two years, Angela has helped us launch our "Coffee With…" series of informal, morning on-stage conversations, allowing our audience to ask questions about some of their favourite writers. This year, "Coffee with…" features Ann-Marie MacDonald, Waub Rice, and Donna Morrissey. Bring a mug – or buy one as a souvenir – and enjoy a cup of Gros Morne Coffee Roasters brews for us.
Festival tickets go on sale on May 11 at 12:30pm NDT at Ticketpro.
