Workforce Language Services

The 1oth Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival just drew to a close in Montreal, where attendance was up nine percent from last year.  Linda Leith, the founder/director of this literary extravaganza attributes the increased attendance to the multilingual offerings.  Authors gave readings in Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic, and the crowds surpassed expectations. 

Leith shared her excitement at the response to the festival’s multicultural flair:

“We’re always trying to look after all our various communities,” Leith said. Over 300 authors participated in 193 events at this year’s festival.

“We’re moving on many fronts here,” said Leith, sounding like a seasoned military strategist. “Young people, different communities, different interests - and we’re reaching them.”

As the U.S. becomes increasingly polarized on issues surrounding providing services in different languages, it’s refreshing to see our northern neighbors excited rather than fearful about creating forums for speakers of languages other than English.

Click here for more details about the event and next year’s plans.