Authors in the Hills of Mulmur event sells out, draws strong community reception

Written By JOSHUA DRAKES

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

More than 170 people turned out for Authors in the Hills of Mulmur on Sunday, Aug. 23, braving heavy rain to attend the annual literary event.

Held at the Foley Barn in Mulmur, the event brought together authors Terry Fallis, Heather Marshall and Linwood Barclay for an afternoon of conversation about their books, writing processes and lives as authors. The discussion was moderated by Bernadette Hardaker.

Organizer Nancy Frater said that the event was a huge success, describing a full venue and eager attendees.

“Authors in the Hills was fantastic,” she said. “Despite the rain, 170 people trudged out to attend on Sunday. The atmosphere was great; it's like a group of friends coming together. Everyone looks forward to it. They get to meet everybody and have a chat with everyone, and they love talking to the authors.”

Despite the weather, organizers said the event was sold out more than a month in advance, highlighting the continued interest in the event and its literary programming.

The authors were also able to interact with attendees following the discussion, with questions covering topics ranging from the writing process and finding ideas to artificial intelligence and the authors' individual backgrounds.

A particularly notable part of this year's event was the opportunity for attendees to purchase Linwood Barclay's latest book ahead of its official Canadian release, with organizers receiving permission to offer copies early to those attending the Mulmur event. Frater said this was a special arrangement, which usually is not allowed to happen in Canada. 

“In Canada, you're not supposed to sell the book until the actual release date,” she said. “But we were lucky; we had permission since Linwood was coming, to sell the book two days earlier. So that was kind. It was very neat that people here could get to be the first to read this.”

Frater said the event has grown into a collaborative community effort involving a committee and volunteers responsible for everything from preparing the venue and organizing food to parking and seating.

She praised the team for its hard work, which helped make Sunday a nearly seamless experience. 

“We have a committee of six or seven people, and so it's not just a one person event,” Frater said. “It's a committee working together…it's very collaborative.”

She added, “Someone looks after cleaning the barn, the food, and the volunteers. We have volunteers for Mulmur that set up the chairs and be the parking attendants, so that everything is organized like a fine wheel because you only have three or four hours to pull this event off. It has to be well organized for the people who come, and the authors, and everyone else.”

The annual event continues to draw visitors from across the Headwaters region and beyond, while showcasing Mulmur as a destination for arts and literary events.

Frater credits the event's beginnings to Mulmur Mayor Janet Horner.

“This event really is the brainchild of Janet Horner,” she said. 

“It's based in Mulmur, so we call it that, but it's gone far beyond that. We have people coming from all over Headwaters country, and even from the city for this event.”

Although rain dominated much of the afternoon, the weather eventually cleared around 3 p.m., allowing attendees to head outside and enjoy an ice cream truck.

With such a successful event, from engaged participants to a sold-out venue, organizers are already planning to return with another Authors in the Hills event next year.