Fest2Fest is back! Once again, we're bringing some of Canada's best literary festivals straight to you, helping to extend their reach across the country. Stay tuned for the coverage you've come to expect from Julie Wilson, plus reports from our field correspondents, contests and giveaways, and some extra-special surprises along the way. Be sure to check in regularly at our Festival Page to find out what's going on! 

What's happening right now? September is one of the most exciting months on the Canadian literary festival scene. Your best bet for a weekend roadtrip in the next while is to one of the following fantastic events.

The Eden Mills Writers Festival turns 25 this September 15, and the beautiful, bucolic (and carbon-neutral!) village of Eden Mills is planning a fantastic event as always. The Sunday schedule has been announced, though how are we supposed to choose between "Food for Thought" with Sarah Elton, Marcello di Cintio and Rose Murray; Young Writers to Watch with Iain Reid, Grace O'Connell, and Saleema Nawaz; Hat Trick 3 Stars with Tom King, Richard Wagamese, and Wayne Johnson; or Books for Breakfast with Andrew Hood, Catherine Bush, Mary Swan and Elizabeth Ruth? And that's just what's going on in the first session of the day! There are also great events for YA readers, and kids' authors featured include Sheree Fitch, Jennifer Lanthier, Aubrey Davis, and Frank Viva. 

Telling Tales is another great event for kids, also taking place on September 15 in Rockton, Ontario, near Hamilton. Presenters include Robin Baird Lewis (of CanLit classic Red is Best!), Marie Louise Gay, Andrew Larsen, Loris Lesynski, Evan Munday, Kenneth Oppal, Kevin Sylvester, and Meg Tilley. 

Westward, Winnipeg's Thin Air International Writers' Festival takes place  September 20–28. A great mix of writers will be attending, including Wayne Grady, Leacock-winner Cassie Stocks, Jon Paul Fiorentino, Andrew Kaufman, Souvankham Thammavongsa, Elisabeth De Mariaffi, Andrew Pyper, Susan Delacourt, Marie Louise Gay, and many more. How can you miss a literary festival that has managed to come up with 100 reasons to attend? (Reason #1 is that they're waiting for you!)

During the weekend of September 21, The Word on the Street Book and Magazine Festival once again takes over cities across the country: Lethbridge, Saskatoon, Kitchener, Toronto, and Halifax. Celebrating reading, advocating literacy, and featuring readings by authors of some of the season's hottest books, WOTs offers something going for readers of all ages. Check local programming to find out what's happening at a WOTS near you, and make sure you leave with a giant pile of books purchased from the festival marketplaces, because there is no other arduous load that feels so good to carry. 

Kingston's waterfront is the place to be from September 25 to 29th for Kingston WritersFest. Their "Writing Zombies" event is already sold out, but you've still got a chance to catch authors featured in their stellar programming including Thomas King, Sally Armstrong, Margaret Atwood, Charlotte Gray, Joseph Boyden, Helen Humphreys, Joy Fielding, Jowita Bydlowksa, Barbara Reid, Michael Winter, and Alberto Manguel. We are particularly intrigued by Alison Wearing's event, "How I Failed High School English But Became a Writer Anyway."

This year, an old fest has morphed into a new one with Vancouver's Word on the Street rebranding as Word Vancouver, a festival running from September 25 to 29. A huge list of featured authors includes Caroline Adderson, Amber Dawn, Rawi Hage, Shaena Lambert, Nancy Lee, Annabel Lyon, and Billeh Nickerson. The festival's tag line is "inspiring Words," which is both the subject and objective of this great new extended celebration of all things bookish.  

And while Ottawa's Writers' Festival isn't on until October, they're hosting events this month with Margaret Atwood and Wayne Johnston.