North Shore Writers Festival: Unsettling Fiction with Sam Wiebe, Linda Cheng, Erica McKeen, & JJ Lee

Horror and thrills can be an effective way for an author to unsettle the reader — but also draw them in and make the story more impactful. Join Sam Wiebe, Linda Cheng, and Erica McKeen, three authors of different genres who weave dark elements into their work. They will discuss writing unsettling fiction with JJ Lee.

Presenter bios:

Sam Wiebe is the author of the Wakeland novels, one of the most authentic and acclaimed detective series in the Pacific Northwest, including Invisible Dead, Cut You Down, Hell and Gone, Sunset and Jericho and The Last Exile. His other work includes the bestselling Ocean Drive and A Lonesome Place for Dying under the pen name Nolan Chase. 

Linda Cheng was born in Taiwan and spent her childhood moving between cultures and continents. She received her BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and worked as an art director across South Carolina and Georgia where she developed a deep love for sweet tea, grits, and Southern Gothic stories. She currently resides in Vancouver.

Erica McKeen is the author of Tear (2022) and Cicada Summer (2024). Her work has won the Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, been chosen as a finalist for the ReLit Awards, and been a Globe and Mail best book. Her stories have been published in numerous literary journals and anthologies, including PRISM international, The Dalhousie Review, and What Draws Us Near. She lives in Vancouver.

JJ Lee is the author of The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a memoir nominated for multiple prestigious awards. He also edited the nonfiction anthologies Better Next Year and Upon A Midnight Clear. JJ teaches creative nonfiction and has written for various magazines, including ELLE Canada and Nuvo.

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The North Shore Writers Festival is presented in partnership by North Vancouver City Library, North Vancouver District Public Library, and West Vancouver Memorial Library. This is one of nine free events happening April 24 – 26 at the Lynn Valley Library. View the full schedule.