Saturday Night Festival Gala

Join us Saturday, September 14, for an extraordinary evening with John Vaillant

John is a Pulitzer-prize finalist, who won the Governor General's Award for his first book, The Golden Spruce, A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed. He has earned numerous other awards, critical acclaim and accolades for his subsequent work, including Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast, which was published last year. A riveting read, it chronicles the events and aftermath of the 2016 horrific Fort McMurray wildfire, and reflects on the elevated threat of wildfire triggered by climate change. Time Magazine selected Fire Weather as one of the must-read books of 2023, as a chronicle of “the intertwining histories of North America’s oil and gas industries and the study of climate change.” Join us for an unforgettable night as John shares his experiences and insights, offering a rare glimpse into his writing journey and the stories behind his works.

John will be available to sign his books, which can be purchased at the event. His books are also available at Phoenix on Bowen.

About the Author

John Vaillant is an acclaimed, best-selling, award-winning  author who has written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic and The Walrus, among others. Known for his immersive storytelling and ability to weave complex narratives, he has written four books, including the The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival, which won a number of awards before being translated into 16 languages. His writing style is characterized by its vivid descriptions, in-depth reporting, and ability to engage readers with compelling human and environmental stories. John's novel, The Jaguar’s Children,  was longlisted for the Dublin IMPAC Prize and the Kirkus Fiction Prize. It was a finalist for the 2015 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the International Dublin Literary Award. In addition to receiving the Governor General’s Literary Award, Vaillant has been awarded the British Columbia’s National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize, and the Pearson Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction.