Amid the rolling fields, red sands, and sea-kissed air of Cavendish, stories have always taken root. This is the very land that sparked the imagination of L.M. Montgomery—and now, it’s your turn to be inspired.
Readers, writers, and storytellers are invited to join us at the Cavendish Literary Festival
The Cavendish Literary Festival returns for its second year! Four days of storytelling, creativity, and community in the charming Cavendish Countryside.
Among intimate venues and the quiet beauty of the land that inspired Anne of Green Gables, we’ll once again celebrate the voices that shape us and inspire the next generation of stories.
Expect thought-provoking panels with renowned authors, inspired conversations, soul-stirring workshops, and moments that remind us of the transformative power of literature.
Voices of 2026
Donna Jones Alward
Donna Jones Alward has enchanted readers with stories of happy endings and homecomings since 2006. Her historical fiction tales blend her love of history with characters who step beyond their biggest fears to claim the lives they desire. Donna currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. Find her online at donnajonesalward.com.
Antonio Michael Downing
Antonio Michael Downing is the author of Saga Boy and Stars in My Crown, and host of CBC’s The Next Chapter, where he interviews authors and columnists. He spends his time writing, making music, and honouring his grandmother’s legacy. Black Cherokee is his powerful and highly anticipated debut novel.
Linden MacIntyre
Linden MacIntyre is a bestselling novelist and award-winning journalist. His novel The Bishop’s Man won the Giller Prize. A former fifth estate co-host, he has authored acclaimed fiction and nonfiction, including The Wake. He lives in Toronto and summers in Cape Breton with his wife, Carol Off.
Your Moderators
Donna Jones Alward
Donna Jones Alward is the author of Ship of Dreams, set aboard Titanic and concluding in Halifax, NS, and When the World Fell Silent, a novel of the Halifax Explosion that spent over 40 weeks on Canadian bestseller lists. While her third historical fiction is scheduled for 2027, in her former life she was a romance novelist with 65 titles to her credit. Her romance titles have won awards, hit bestseller lists, and have been translated into over a dozen languages. She lives in Fall River, NS.
Dr. Laurie Brinklow
Dr. Laurie Brinklow is an Assistant Professor at the University of Prince Edward Island and Chair of the Institute of Island Studies, where she researches, teaches, and supervises graduate students. Laurie was a co-founder of the PEI Writers’ Guild and the PEI Literary Awards, and she founded the Island publisher, The Acorn Press. She is President of the International Small Islands Studies Association (ISISA) and is Iceland’s Honorary Consul to PEI. In addition to editing and contributing chapters to several books focusing on Island Studies, she has three books of poems: Scars (Saturday Morning Chapbooks), Here for the Music (Acorn Press, 2012) and My island’s the house I sleep in at night (Island Studies Press/Walleah Press, 2022), which won the PEI Book Award for Poetry.
Laura Chapin
Laura Chapin is an award-winning journalist who worked with CBC for 30 years, in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Halifax and Charlottetown before retiring last year. Her monologue The Pants was performed in Winnipeg and published by the former feminist theatre company Sarasvati Productions. She has a couple of current writing projects on the go. As an avid reader, Laura is thrilled to be a moderator with the Cavendish Literary Festival.
Dominique Chouinard
Dominique Chouinard has been an Islander by Choice for nearly 25 years. A professional in the provincial civil service and a dedicated volunteer, she has been working with and for the Acadian and Francophone community since 2003. Most recently, Dominique had the opportunity to take the stage during the first edition of the show Veillée acadienne et francophone. As part of this storytelling evening, she performed her monologue about the journey that brought her to Prince Edward Island and her deep connection to her adopted province. A self-described “word nerd” and passionate reader, Dominique has also served as vice-president of the Salon du livre de l’Î.-P.-É.
Dominique Chouinard est une Insulaire par choix depuis près de 25 ans. Professionnelle au sein de la fonction publique provinciale et bénévole engagée, elle travaille avec et pour la communauté acadienne et francophone depuis 2003. Tout récemment, Dominique a eu l’occasion de monter sur scène lors de la première édition du spectacle « Veillée acadienne et francophone. » Dans le cadre de cette soirée de contes et de récits, elle a interprété son monologue au sujet du parcours qui l’a menée à l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard et de la connexion intime avec sa province d’accueil. Passionnée de mots et de lecture, Dominique a d’ailleurs été vice-présidente du Salon du livre de l’Î.-P.-É.
Jenna Harvey
Jenna Harvey was raised in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island and is proud of her Route 10 upbringing. She currently resides in Summerside and teaches Language Arts, Drama, and Social Studies at Summerside Intermediate School. She is a proud member of the Valley Pearl Players and auntie to her nieces Havin and Sage. She is a playwright, director, actress, and author who lives to raise the frequency of laughter in real life, on the stage, and in her writing.
Dr. Trevor Jain
Dr. Trevor Jain is an emergency physician, military veteran, and award‑winning leader in disaster medicine whose career bridges science, service, and storytelling. Raised in Nova Scotia and trained at Dalhousie, he served in the Canadian Armed Forces, earning the Meritorious Service Medal for his pivotal role in the Swissair Disaster response. His experiences in conflict and humanitarian missions shaped his research into virtual‑reality and UAV‑based training, work that has received national recognition including the Order of Military Merit and CAEP’s Emergency Physician of the Year. A frequent voice on CBC and CTV, Dr. Jain is known for translating complex medical challenges into compelling narratives—making him an ideal guide for conversations at the Cavendish Literary Festival.
Keir Lowther
Keir Lowther is the author of Dirty Bird, winner of the 2013 Margaret and John Savage First Novel Award at the Atlantic Book Awards, shortlisted for a Relit Award, a PEI Book Award for Fiction, and the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Prize. He is a former nationally ranked junior tennis player and provincial tennis champion. He lives in Prince Edward Island with his wife, daughter, son and dog.
Karen Mair
Delivered by Dr Stuart MacDonald, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s son, Karen Mair was destined to live on PEI. She moved to work for CBC: Prince Edward Island and stayed, enjoying a productive 35-year broadcasting career. First working as a news and current affairs reporter/reader then moving into host, co-host and producer roles on Island Morning and Mainstreet. Karen’s journalism and community work won multiple awards including a Gold International Gabriel and PEI Writer’s Guild Lifetime Achievement Award. Karen supports community organizations volunteering as a host/emcee, with fundraising and communications. She served on the CBC EAP National Board for 15 years contributing to the organization’s wellness programs. Karen also sat on the FilmPEI Board and is on the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation’s Board of Governors. Karen has no spare time, but spends it with her family and friends and dog.
Jillian O'Halloran
Jillian O’Halloran is a Charlottetown-based marketing and communications entrepreneur holding a BA in English from UPEI. A lifelong reader and devoted fan of LM Montgomery, she has spent the last six years as a member of @a.novel.idea.bookclub.pei, a beloved community of 12 mothers and professionals from all walks of life and all corners of PEI. It is the same community joining her during the Great Big Book Club to help moderate. For Jillian, books have always been a way to connect, reflect, and find common ground, and there is no better place to celebrate that than during the Cavendish Literary Festival.
Theresa Redmond
Theresa Redmond has worked as a senior executive with the Canadian government and consultant on Indigenous rights issues. In 2022, Theresa published her debut novel, Bound, a fictionalized account of a tumultuous year in St. John’s Island, a British North American colony. Bound has received both popular and literary success, garnering a Heritage Recognition Award (P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation), a Silver Medal for Best Fiction in the Canada-East category (Independent Publishers Book Awards), and the 2024 PEI Book Award for Fiction. The Governor’s Granddaughter, Theresa’s second novel, tells a fascinating story of a young woman living under the shadow of her family’s shameful past who becomes determined to atone for their misdeeds. Theresa lives in eastern PEI with her husband, their Golden Retriever and a couple of rescued cats.
Tom Ryan
Tom Ryan is the internationally bestselling author of an adult mystery, The Treasure Hunters Club, in addition to the YA mystery Keep This to Yourself, winner of the 2020 ITW Thriller Award for Best Young Adult Novel, the 2020 Arthur Ellis Award for Best YA Crime Book, and the 2021 Ann Connor Brimer Award. It’s currently being adapted for television. His follow-up YA mystery, I Hope You’re Listening, was the winner of the 2021 Lambda “Lammy” Award for Best LGBTQ Mystery. Tom, his husband, and their dog live in Nova Scotia.
Amy Stuart
Amy Stuart’s fourth novel, A Death at the Party, emerged as a longstanding #1 bestseller. She is the author of three other bestselling novels—Still Mine, Still Water, and Still Here. All of Amy’s novels have been optioned for film and television. Amy’s other love is hockey. She is one of only a handful of women head coaches in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, the world’s largest youth competitive hockey league. In 2024, she co-wrote Hall of Fame NHL player Mats Sundin’s #1 bestselling memoir, Home and Away. Amy was born in Toronto, where she still lives with her husband, their three sons and two dogs. They also spend much of their time on Prince Edward Island, where Amy’s family is originally from.
Musicians
Olivia Blacquiere
Olivia Blacquiere, a Prince Edward Island musician, blends heritage and heart, inspired by generations of storytellers and musicians. Through piano, guitar, and soulful voice, she unites timeless tradition with a vibrant, distinctly personal sound.
Luka Hall & Sydney Thompson
Charlottetown’s Luka Hall & Sydney Thompson are a folk duo whose authentic musicianship and harmonies captivate audiences. Luka’s songwriting, guitar, and fiddle skills blend seamlessly with Sydney’s warm, soulful vocals, creating unforgettable musical moments.
Lawrence Maxwell
Lawrence Maxwell is a Prince Edward Island alt-country artist and 2024 Music PEI Entertainer of the Year. With international shows and acclaimed songs, his music blends raw storytelling with neo-traditional country roots.
Events
For authors, writers, and readers alike
Authors
Share your work, connect with fellow storytellers, and celebrate the power of words in a community that loves literature as much as you do.
Writers
Spark your creativity with seaside workshops, intimate panels, and inspiration around every corner.
Readers
Get lost in stories, meet your favourite authors, and discover new reads in the place that inspired Anne of Green Gables.