National festival for writer
Photo: Contributed
Jay Royston has been selected to participate in the Canada Fiction Fest, in preparation for the release of his fourth novel, Flies.
Vernon fiction writer Jay Royston is taking his stories to the national stage this month as one of just 19 B.C. authors selected to participate in the upcoming Canada Fiction Fest.
Running online from Sunday, June 21 to July 4, the virtual literary event celebrates and promotes Canadian authors across all genres.
The festival features a digital book showcase, an author gallery, live readings, and interactive panels. It’s intended to help home-grown writers gain national exposure without the steep travel expenses traditionally tied to major literary festivals.
“Canada has such a range of voices that are hard to hear over politics, geography, and American cultural influences,” Royston said. “The Canada Fiction Fest aims to rectify that by focusing solely on Canadian talent of all literary genres, be it indie, hybrid, or traditionally published authors.”
Royston is slated for a marquee panel on Monday, June 22, where he will discuss science fiction and dystopian futures.
The festival also marks the official launchpad for Royston’s fourth book, Flies.
The novel is a sharp departure from his usual absurdist, dystopian fare, shifting into much darker territory. Told from three distinct viewpoints over a compressed five-day span, the story follows a serial killer targeting young sex offenders in the fictional city of Kingspit, alongside the three men tasked with protecting and rehabilitating the potential victims.
“Flies is a fresh spin on a murder mystery, akin to Pulp Fiction with differing moral points of view and harsher subject matter than I tend to write,” Royston explained. “I believe it will resonate with those who have experienced the social or judicial system, either from within or without.”
His earlier work leaned into humorous social commentary and achieved cult-like success online. His previous book, Enter A Fistful of Marijuana, tracked a Canadian cult leader who invents a strain of mind-controlling cannabis, leading to global apocalypse after a United Nations legalization effort.
That satirical project caught the eye of the film industry, and the movie rights for it have been optioned by a B.C.-based production company.
“It’s what every writer loves to hear, someone is interested in making their book into a movie,” Royston said. “I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s a long, difficult process, but I trust the producers are doing what they can to move it forward.”
Royston’s path to novel writing has been a varied journey. After attending the Vancouver Film School in the 1990’s, he spent two years working for a Canadian film magazine and produced a children’s television show. He eventually directed his own independent feature film, which unfortunately collapsed during post-production following his diagnosis with kidney cancer.
After recovering from his illness, Royston transitioned into social services. Today, he balances his creative writing with roles as a local community firefighter and a worker within the school district.
All panels and readings for the Canada Fiction Fest are free to the public, though registration is required. Readers can sign up through the official event portal at fictionfest.ca.
Royston’s latest novel, Flies, alongside his back catalogue, is available for purchase online and through his personal website at jayroystonbooks.com.
