The stories we tell.
The place we share.
Victoria Conference Centre
April 22-23, 2026
A showcase of creative minds from across the Pacific Northwest—bringing together award-winning authors, designers, photographers, and storytellers for a full day of ideas, conversation, and connection.
Day 1
Connect & Learn
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
10:30 am
Registration opens and Publishers House
An exciting mix of book publishers, magazine publishers, presses, and creative industry partners from across British Columbia, the Yukon, and the Pacific Northwest.
10:45 am
Lekwungen Traditional Dancers
Moving drum, dance, and song performance from a highly sought after group that represents the lək̓ʷəŋən people at significant events throughout the region.
11:15 am
AI and Me: A Panel Discussion
Personal and professional perspectives from community members and industry professionals on the role AI does—or doesn’t—play in our creative production and everyday lives.
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Photography as Meditation: A 90-minute guided workshop using photography as a tool for awareness, with renowned photographer and meditation guide Kristopher Grunert.
Beyond the Book Launch: Drawing from her work as founder and publisher of Rebel Goose Books, Susan Pi shares a practical framework for building turning creative work into a movement.
Pitch Fest: One-on-one pitch sessions with seasoned magazine editors and publishers, including the talented folks from subTerrain, Watershed Sentinel, The Malahat Review, Here Magazine, and FOLKLIKE Magazine
Starting a Merch Revenue Stream: A beginner’s workshop for organizations, small businesses, and publishers thinking about developing merch product lines, with designer and illustrator Samantha Wood-Gaines and Austin Stanley of Print Hole.
3:30 pm
Keynote with Casey Milone: The Last Audience
For 40,000 years, humans have felt each other through the things we create—a handprint on a cave wall, a painting, a song. Now, AI is making art abundant, personalized, and nearly free. But every technology offers a trade: value for value, something gained for something exchanged.
4:30 pm
Optional cultural excursions for Full Summit Experience Pass holders including The Poet Float, Black Routes, Black Roots at the Maritime Museum, Songhees Cultural Tour, and Print Hole.
Day 2
Inspire & Aspire
Thursday, April 23, 2026
8:30 am
Registration opens and Publishers House
An exciting mix of book publishers, magazine publishers, presses, and creative industry partners from across British Columbia, the Yukon, and the Pacific Northwest.
9:00 am
Opening Keynote with Monique Gray Smith
Beloved and best-selling Indigenous author of Speaking Our Truth, My Heart Fills with Happiness, and new children’s release: Kohkum’s First Drum.
10:00 am
On stage with Danny Ramadan
Advocate for LGBTQ+ refugee rights and critically-acclaimed Syrian-Canadian author of The Clothesline Swing. The Foghorn Echoes, and The Salma Books children series.
11:00 am
In Conversation with Esi Edugyan
Bestselling Canadian author of Out of the Sun, Half-Blood Blues, and Washington Black and the first Black woman to be awarded the prestigious Giller Prize—and the third writer ever to win twice.
12:00 pm
Theatre or Authors
Celebrating World Book Day—a meet-and-greet and book signing event open to the public. Authors include Danny Ramadan, Monique Gray Smith, and Esi Edugyan, among others. Opening Remarks from Prem Gill, CEO of Creative BC.
1:45 pm
Our Creative Ecosystem
On-stage presentations bringing together a series of dynamic showcases—from media innovation to visual storytelling to community-powered publishing.
3:00 pm
Youth Poet Laureate Shauntelle Dick-Charleson
City of Victoria’s Youth Poet Laureate is a poet from the Hesquiaht and Songhees First Nations whose work shines a light on Indigenous resilience, intergenerational trauma, and the experiences of Indigenous women.
6:00 pm onwards
Better Together Gala x Fashion Show
The closing celebration of the Pacific Northwest Creatives Summit—an evening that brings our community together through fashion, performance, and shared joy. Open to community members and Full Summit Experience Pass holders.
Monique Gray Smith
Opening Keynote
9:00 AM
An award-winning, best-selling author, storyteller, and sought-after consultant, Monique is Cree and Scottish and has been deeply committed to healing, resilience, and community for over 34 years. Through her books and her presence, Monique shares wisdom, generosity, and hope across generations, inviting us to listen more deeply, care more intentionally, and lead with love.
Danny Ramadan
Speaker
10:00 AM
Danny is a Syrian-Canadian author, storyteller, and LGBTQ+ refugees’ advocate whose work explores identity, migration, queerness, and belonging with honesty, compassion, and humour. From award-winning novels and memoir to beloved children’s books, his writing spans genres while staying deeply rooted in lived experience.
Esi Edugyan
In Conversation
11:00 AM
Two-time Scotiabank Giller Prize winner, two-time Man Booker finalist, and the brilliant mind behind Washington Black and Half-Blood Blues. Esi has a gift for uncovering untold stories from history’s margins and bringing them to vivid life. Based right here in Victoria, Esi will be joining us at the Summit to share insights on storytelling, craft, and the power of centring voices that history tried to sideline.
Theatre of Authors
12:00 PM
A free public event created in celebration of World Book Day. Join us for a meet-and-greet and book signing, where readers, writers, and curious minds can connect directly with the storytellers shaping today’s literary landscape. With Esi Edugyan, Monique Gray Smith, and Danny Ramadan
Opening remarks from Prem Gill, CEO of Creative BC
Our Creative Ecosystem
2:00 PM
What does it take to build something that lasts in today’s creative world?
This on-stage presentation brings together a series of dynamic showcases—from media innovation to visual storytelling to community-powered publishing.
Casey Milone
Closing Keynote
3:00 PM
Casey Milone is an author and creative director who has spent his career at the intersection of technology and human communication. Today, he’s the founder and CEO of Numonic — an organization and compliance tool for AI creators and AI agents. Numonic’s mission centers around building trust to the AI industry and bringing memory to computer imagination.
Shauntelle Dick-Charleson
WORKSHOPS – APRIL 22, 2026
Pitch Fest
Pitch your ideas to BC Magazine Publishers
Beyond the Book Launch
Turning creative work into a movement with Susan Pi
Photography as Meditation
A 90-minute guided workshop with Kristopher Grunert
Starting a Merch Revenue Stream
A workshop on developing merch product lines