The Ottawa International Writers Festival, founded in 1997, has played host to more than 500 writers from all corners of the globe. Featuring the best in fiction, poetry, non-fiction, films and plays, the Festival reaches more than 10,000 people a year. In addition to the annual main event held each October at the Library and Archives of Canada, the Festival programs readings, lectures and workshops throughout the calendar year. As the largest literary presence in the Ottawa region, it has become a focal point for issues directly related to writing, literacy and human rights.