No longer will Roberts Creek resident Jane David-son leave her house in the early morning darkness and commute to her job in Vancouver, only to return in the darkness.
"Commuting is a weird life," she said. "You're always one step removed from the Coast," even though she has lived here for 14 years. But she was doing a job she loved; she spent six years as the general manager of the Vancouver International Writers Fes-tival. This month, Davidson has taken up the reins of a different festival - she's the new producer of the Festival of the Written Arts (FOWA), the Sechelt summer love affair with Canadian authors.
She takes over from former producer Gail Bull at an interesting time in the festival's life - the 25th year. The line up of authors is already chosen; she's excited by the selection.
Wayne Johnston is one of her favourite storytellers and she's now reading another Newfoundland author who will be appearing: Michael Crummey. New writer Ami McKay will be there with her breakout book, The Birth House.
"It's one of the best books I've ever read," says Davidson.
Wayson Choy returns with his latest work, All That Matters. Two local authors have been added to the list: Michael Poole, who released Rain Before Morning last fall, and Governor General award-winner John Pass.
Davidson loved her previous job at the Vancouver festival, an October event that draws on hundreds of authors from all over the world. In her job, she met everyone from Solman Rushdie to Margaret Atwood.
"With Alice Munro you knew you were in the presence of someone great," she recalls. One of her all-time favourites was an author who appeared at last year's FOWA, Sheree Fitch, the children's writer who is also a champion of literacy.
"Her energy is contagious and she was generous to the new author, Alayna Munce." The Coast audience is so committed, she points out, and their response to younger or innovative writers has been really good. Last year, when Ivan E. Coyote, a young woman writer, presented her storytelling abilities with boyish charm, the audience could immediately respond to her.
"They're open hearted, and open minded," she said.
Davidson has had a long career as an arts administrator; she has worked at the Vancouver Playhouse, the Arts Umbrella and Emily Carr. She once managed the Raven's Cry Theatre before its present team came on board. Back in those days, she became pals with musician Michelle Bruce who got her started fiddling, like many others on the Coast, and she taught violin to beginners. When she started her commute, the violin went away in the case. She thinks maybe it's time now to get back to the Community Orchestra and also to spend time with her eight-year-old twins and 14- and 15-year-old kids.
It's too soon to say if Davidson's management style will create changes at the festival. "I just want to slip into Gail's shoes as easily as possible for this festival," she says. "I want to see where we fit into the community."
But there are challenges: number one is the leaky roof on the rustic cedar pavilion. Fundraising from public and private sources has already been done, but as the rainy weather drags on, the price of roofing materials goes up.
"It will be done," she says confidently. "We just need a dry spell."
Though sitting under a leaky roof will not add to the charm, there's lots of feedback that the festival has been doing something right all these years. The fan mail, particularly from the writers who attend, cites the organization as being superb and the volunteers (about 200 of them) as great. Most people enjoy being at the scenic Rockwood gardens. The setting is suited to the summer, she says, though she is keen on the potential for stand-alone special events at other times of the year.
More about this year's program, taking place Aug. 9 to 12, can be found on www.writersfestival.ca.
