ABOUT OUR A.D.

Over the past 16 years, Nicola Dufficy has worked with a variety of non-profit organizations across Canada, including: The Word On The Street (Toronto and National Office), The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International, INSPIRE! Toronto International Book Fair, Canadian Stage, the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association, and more. Nicola was appointed as the Artistic Director of the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival in 2019, and feels so privileged to spend her time working on such an important and special literary event!

To contact Nicola, please email: [email protected]

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Nicola Dufficy—Artistic Director

Hi, I’m Nicola Dufficy, and I’m the Artistic Director for the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival. When people ask me what an ‘artistic director’ does, it’s sometimes difficult to explain. My six-year-old daughter says, “My mom gets books delivered to our house.” That about sums it up! My job is “BOOKS”!

Each year EMWF receives more than 400 submissions from authors hoping to be selected to present at our annual event. I have the responsibility of curating a program of approximately 45 authors from this extensive reading list! To do this, I make agonizing decisions about what will be featured, and which books I can’t fit in. It’s a very emotional process when you love Canadian literature as much as I do, and when there are so many high-quality titles being published each year!

Who are my favourite authors? I’ll never tell! My job isn’t just about the books I love, but what I think YOU will love. My hope is that you’ll attend our event with an open mind, and leave with a list of exciting new reads (and perhaps a pile of books for your bedside table). However, I will say that I have a huge soft spot for showcasing debut authors. Discovering an exciting new ‘voice’ is one of the best parts of my job.

The Eden Mills Writers’ Festival is a true gem in the Canadian literary landscape. The storybook village comes to life each September, transforming into a magical, book-lovers paradise. We hope you’ll join us this year to celebrate the power of words – whether written, spoken or signed – to ignite our imaginations and reveal worlds and ideas beyond our own experience.

If you see me power-walking around the festival this September, please offer me a high-five as I speed by! And don’t forget to tell me what’s next on your reading list.