Celebrating its fourth anniversary of bringing world-class literary talent to the San Juan Islands, the Orcas Island Lit Fest (OILF) honors the power of words to educate, entertain, and even change lives.
The festival will kick off on Friday night, June 2, with the popular open-to-the-public Lit Walk held at multiple venues around the village of Eastsound. The next day features the OILF Kids’ Fest, a free event on Saturday morning at the Orcas Island Library starring Haitian-born storyteller Ibi Zoboi, whose 2017 book American Street was a National Book Award finalist.
Also on Saturday, the Orcas Center will host a full day of panels and readings featuring Kirstin Valdez Quade, whose book The Five Wounds has been shortlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize and the Carnegie Medal for Excellence; Pulitzer Prize winner Gilbert King; New York Times bestselling author and “5 under 35” honoree Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah; and Garth Stein, whose novel The Art of Racing in the Rain sold six million copies and was made into a feature film. The Saturday evening spoken-word and music celebration is not to be missed!
Detailed information about this year’s artists, events, and tickets can be found at oilf.org. Festival news and updates are available on the OILF Facebook and Instagram pages and by signing up for the OILF newsletter. There’s also a virtual ticket option for those who can’t join the festival in person. Check it out now!
