FAQs
Here you’ll find answers to some frequently asked questions about the Festival.
Is the Festival wheelchair accessible?
When does the free bus between Eden Mills and Guelph run?
When will the program be announced?
Where does the Festival take place?
Do I need to buy tickets to attend the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival events?
Can I present my work at the Festival?
Can I bring my work to the Festival to show the publishers on Publishers’ Way?
How do I get my work published?
Can you put me in touch with an author on the program?
The big day of author readings take place Sunday, September 15th, noon – 6pm, in the village of Eden Mills. Stay tuned for other event announcements.
Where is Eden Mills?
Eden Mills is a hamlet 15 minutes east of Guelph, Ontario and 5 minutes west of Rockwood. We offer a map and more specific directions on our website: look under Directions.
All ticket information can be found on the Ticket page.
Yes, there’s lots of free parking for Friday evening’s concert and Festival Sunday. On Sunday, the parking areas are a short walk from York Street, where the Festival takes place. There is a shuttle bus from the west parking lot (Wellington County Rd. 29 & Barden St.) to York St.
For events held at the University of Guelph, there is free parking in lots P10/P11/P12
Is the Festival wheelchair accessible?
Yes. There is parking in the centre of the village for cars displaying the wheelchair logo.
All the reading sites are wheelchair accessible.
A short lawn chair, blanket or waterproof ground cover, a hat, an umbrella (just in case!), a water bottle, and an inquisitive mind.
When does the free bus between Eden Mills and Guelph run?
Two free shuttle buses (sponsored by The University of Guelph) run to and fro Eden Mills for the big festival day of readings on Sunday. (Bus service is not available for workshops, seminars and concerts.)
One bus leaves the Sleeman Centre (across from the River Run) at 11:00am and running every 45 minutes thereafter:
11:00 am
11:45 am
12:30 pm
1:15 pm
2:00 pm
2:45 pm
The other bus leaves the University Centre, U of Guelph, at 11:15 am and runs every 45 minutes:
11:15 am
12:00 noon
12:45 pm
1:30 pm
2:15 pm
3:00 pm
Between 4:30 and 6:00 pm, buses will be leaving Eden Mills to return to both locations in Guelph.
When will the schedule be announced?
The reading schedule will be posted in August on our Reading Schedule page.
Where does the Festival take place?
Most events take place in re Eden Mills, Ontario. The Friday Gala is held at the Eden Mills Community Hall on York Street. The big festival day of readings takes place on Sunday from 12:00 to 6:00 at several outdoor sites along York, Chapel and Barden Streets, which are closed to car traffic for the day.
Do I need to buy tickets to attend the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival events?
We recommend that you buy tickets to workshops, seminars, fundraisers and concerts ahead of time, since they often sell out. But you may buy tickets at the gate or in advance at The Bookshelf, Guelph or ticketpro.ca.
Yes, indeed. The Bookshelf has a table on Publishers’ Way from where they sell the work of our guest authors and much more. Publishers also sell their journals and books at the festival.
Yes, new for 2012 there will be an ATM located near the Food Court.
Yes, and it’s free. Bring your own container, please.
Yes, there’s a food court where vendors sell a variety of scrumptious food. You can sit at the food court’s picnic tables to eat or you can take your lunch with you to the sites to hear the authors. Our food court avoids using plastic and Styrofoam, so please help us out by placing your dishes and cutlery in the appropriate containers. We’ll wash and dry them in commercial dishwashers.
Yes, of course! We would welcome your help. Each year, the Festival recruits a team of approximately 100 irreplaceable volunteers. For more information on becoming a volunteer, please visit the Get involved page on our website.
Can I present my work at the Festival?
The Festival is a curated event that brings in writers by invitation only. We receive hundreds of unsolicited submissions from authors wishing to read at the festival and hundreds of recommendations from enthusiasts. Though we are grateful for this interest in our festival, and though we do take time to consider unsolicited proposals, we are often unable to respond to every submission or recommendation or to return material submitted.
Can I recommend an author for the Festival?
Yes, you may recommend a favourite author or present an idea for an event, as many people and organizations do every year. We will not be able to respond to every request or pitch, however, so please do not interpret our silence as negligence. A committee of readers will consider your recommendation.
Can I bring my work to the Festival to show the publishers on Publishers’ Way?
Many publishers attend Sunday’s event, participate in the festival and sell their works along Publishers’ Way, but most are not prepared to receive manuscripts on this day. We suggest that you approach a publisher through the usual channels, finding out first what their submission requirements are.
How do I get my work published?
There’s lots of great advice out there regarding the Canadian publishing market. We list journals and publishers on the Links section of our website (under Contact). The Canadian Authors Association (www.canauthors.org) offers lots of good advice, as does the Association of Canadian Publishers (www.publishers.ca).
Can you put me in touch with an author on the program?
Authors sign their books after the set in which they read (at tables set up along Publishers’ Way), so you can certainly approach them then. To protect their privacy, we do not give out their contact details to anyone, and we cannot pass on messages. The best ways to contact our guests are through their websites, publishers or agents.
