Our Origins

The Knowlton Literary Festival, a three to four day festival held each October, involves the community in celebrating English language literature, particularly that written by fellow Canadians.

Initially conceived as Letters from Knowlton, an English version of  Les Correspondances d’Eastman , in 2010 the festival became a unique entity unto itself under the auspices of the Knowlton Literary Association (L’Association Litteraire de Knowlton), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging the literary arts in the town of Brome Lake and surrounding communities.

The Festival includes presentations by published writers from across Canada and beyond, including author interviews, panels, readings, and a brunch. Selected writers are invited into our local schools to interact with our youth and stimulate interest in reading and self-expression. Writing workshops are offered to assist aspiring writers to explore and develop their craft. Each edition also features a dedicated segment to showcase and encourage the works of writers and poets from within the region. 

 With support from the Town of Brome Lake, the Knowlton Lions Club, the Knowlton Players (an amateur theatre company), the Townshippers’ Research & Development Foundation, the  Pacte Rural  of the Brome-Missisquoi MRC, and private and corporate donors, the Festival is now a flourishing literary event drawing participants from across Quebec’s Eastern Townships, the rest of Canada and the United States.

From its inception, the Festival has enjoyed the guidance and support of Honorary Patron Louise Penny, internationally acclaimed writer of crime fiction, much of it set in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Visitors to the Festival can discover the places that have inspired Louise in the creation of her novels.

The bucolic countryside and our village provide the perfect backdrop for the Festival events. Founded in 1802 our picturesque village and region are home to Brome Lake Books and the oldest public library in Quebec, the Pettes Memorial Library . 

Do come and join us, and see for yourself how creative inspiration truly abounds in every direction.