For many writers, attending the Imaginairium is more than a brief romance or a one-time fling. Rather, the festival is like a glamorous old friend that welcomes back writers time and time again, serving dry martinis with a twist and talking late into the night until every drop of conversation has been thoroughly wrung out. Two such writers share what makes the literary festival stand out from its contemporaries.
David A. Robertson
“It’s an amazing festival, and I think the literary community agrees that it’s one of the best out there. It is a festival that feels like a community,” says David A. Robertson, who has attended the Imaginairium festival every year since 2016.
He adds that Wordfest very carefully curates writers for the festival. “It’s not only just about the connections between the writers and the readers, artists and the readers, but it’s also a great way to connect with other writers.”
Robertson notes that the Wordfest team instills passion and innovation into how they execute their events. “They’re not typical events, and their youth programming is amazing.”
Indeed, Robertson will be appearing in a number of events during the festival, including “You Were Made for This Steady Brightness,” which celebrates two anthologies — “A Steady Brightness of Being” and the youth anthology “You Were Made for This World” — that are each a collection of letters from outstanding Indigenous voices across Turtle Island, including Robertson.
“I think it’s really great to have these events that have wide, wide participation from different artists,” he says.
What He’s Written
David A. Robertson is a prolific Canadian author and public speaker. Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and a member of the Norway House Cree Nation, he has published more than 25 books across a range of genres. A two-time winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award, Robertson has published four books this year alone, including the children’s book Little Shoes and 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing.
Hart Hanson
“I’m an expat. I moved down to Los Angeles to work as a TV writer and producer in 1998, which was a long time ago,” says Hart Hanson. “You get homesick. You get really homesick, and not just for the weather. You get homesick for Canadian faces and Canadian voices.”
Hanson, who has attended the Imaginairium twice before, says that although literary festivals are under a lot of pressure around the world, attendees get a burst of energy and joy from Wordfest. “It seems to be thriving,” he adds. “It’s super well run — it runs like a clock.”
Along with staying true to its intended purpose as a literary festival focused on sparking ideas amongst readers and the community, Hanson notes that the Imaginairium seamlessly integrates other artists, such as musicians and folks in the broadcast industry.
“Wordfest has this feeling of growth and vitality without losing its original mission,” he says. “I admire that professionally, and I find when you’re there, it’s delightful. It’s a rare and wonderful thing.”
Hanson will be featured in two Imaginairium events, including “The Sh!t No One Tells You About TV” and as the host of “A Celebration of John Candy.”
“All of the Canadians I know down here, we talk to each other. Everybody loves John Candy,” says Hanson. “There’s something tragic [and] comic about him. He was super funny, he died way too young, and he’s so appealing. I only got to meet him once, but I know so many people who knew him, who spent time with him.”
What He’s Written
Hart Hanson is best known as the creator, executive producer and writer of the TV series Bones, which ran from 2005 to 2017. Along with working on a range of other productions, including The Outer Limits and Stargate SG-1, Hanson has written two crime novels: The Driver and The Seminarian.
