Feature Authors 2026
Harry Thurston
Harry Thurston
11:15am – 11:50pm, Bissell Park, River John, NS
Harry Thurston is the author of thirty books of poetry, natural history, and memoir. His latest nonfiction is a memoir, Lost River: The Waters of Remembrance (Gaspereau Press, 2020). The Atlantic Coast, A Natural History won the 2012 Lane Anderson Award for science writing in Canada and the Evelyn Richardson Nonfiction Award. His “eco-autobiography,” A Place between the Tides: A Naturalist’s Reflections on the Salt Marsh, was a finalist for the Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize and the BC National Award for Canadian Nonfiction, and winner of the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award in the U.S. His feature journalism has appeared in more than thirty of North America’s leading magazines, including Audubon, Canadian Geographic, and National Geographic. His poetry books include Keeping Watch at the End of the World, which was a finalist for the 2016 ReLit Award for Poetry, a long eco-poem, Icarus, Falling of Birds, which was performed by Gale Force Theatre in 2025, and Ultramarine, a finalist for both the J.M. Abraham Atlantic Poetry Award and the Fred Cogswell Award for Excellence in Poetry. His latest poetry book is I Could See It Spoken, Early Poems, 1969-1985. Thurston lives in Tidnish Bridge, Nova Scotia, and is a Mentor in the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction program at University of King’s College.
Dian Day
11:50am – 12:25pm, Bissell Park, River John, NS
Dian Day is an award-winning writer, with two novels for adults, The Clock of Heaven and The Madrigal, both published by Inanna. Clock was the Silver Medal winner in the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Awards for Literary Fiction. Second Story Press will be publishing two of Dian’s books for younger readers: Shy Cat, a graphic novel for middle-grade readers (forthcoming March 3, 2026) with artist Amanda White, and a picture book, Mama’s Stories (forthcoming fall 2027). Shy Cat is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection for 2026. Dian has a PhD in Cultural Studies from Queen’s University, and is a member of the Hungry Stories Team, a cross-Canada collaboration of food scholars and activists. She was recently awarded funding from ArtsNS to continue work on a new book, Reason, a hybrid project sitting somewhere between a novel and a collection of linked short stories, which explores the many meanings of history, community, isolation, and acceptance. Dian and her partner live in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Find Dian at www.dayletters.ca or www.hungrystories.ca
Jennifer Hatt
1:30pm – 2:05pm, Bissell Park, River John, NS
Jennifer Hatt was born in Halifax and raised in Liverpool, NS, earning her first writing award in high school for her short story of a family living in coal mining’s shadow. Eight years later, she and fellow editorial staff were awarded the 1992 Thomson Newspapers Award of Excellence, North America, for their coverage of the Westray Mine Disaster. In 2010, Jennifer authored her debut novel, Finding Maria, and then became a founding partner in publishing company Marechal Media Inc. Since then, she has authored three more books in the Finding Maria series: A Nova Scotia Love Story and published books for several local authors. She continues to work as a freelance writer, editor, and consultant in publishing and communications, providing services to companies, organizations and self-publishing authors. She is also working on two books for 2026: a non-fiction book on the aftermath of the 1992 Westray mine explosion scheduled for release in June 2026 and her memoir , Book Five in the Finding Maria series, is set for completion later this year. She lives in charmed chaos in Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Find Jennifer at jenniferhatt.ca
“No book event has been more gratifying- than Read By The Sea, in River John in that little country in Nova Scotia where I was born.
Consider the setting. An appreciative, attentive, and inquisitive audience in lawn chairs, summer hats, and picnic baskets finding their own summer sanctuary under the warm sun, or welcome shade beneath the big leafy hardwoods, the gentle cooling breeze and salt air off the Northumberland Strait.
More than “read” by the Sea, it was live, learn, understand, marvel, rejoice, discover and celebrate by the Sea, like wind and waves upon the shore washing away so much of what sets us apart as Canadians and helping us see and hear that which brings us together.
For those of us who like to read words we’ve written, events like Read by the Sea are our greatest rewards.
We read so others can listen,. What struck me the first time I walked onto the River John grounds, several summers ago to hear a dear friend- Giller Prize winner Liz Hay, who I worked with in Yellowknife years ago- was the sound – the crystal-clear sound.
What joy to have been able to attend then. What a joy to have returned to read my own words last summer and what an even greater joy it is to know I was heard.
Thanks to all of you, especially — Ron McNutt the sound man.”
Whit Fraser
Author of True North Rising
https://whitfraser.ca