Thin Air director closes book on job By: Ben Sigurdson Posted:

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After 23 years at the helm of Thin Air, the Winnipeg International Writers Festival, director Charlene Diehl is stepping away to begin the next chapter in her life.

Jessica Lee / Free Press files Charlene Diehl

Jessica Lee / Free Press files

Charlene Diehl

Diehl has been at the helm of what is now Plume Winnipeg, the organization that oversees Thin Air, since 2003, and will see out her role as director until the end of December.

“Honestly, there’s so much to juggle that I haven’t really had time to think about how I feel about any of it,” Diehl said by email. “I’m mostly ready to hand over the responsibility to someone fresh and to head into my next chapter.”

Diehl says she’s had the move in the works for a few months; for the 2025 festival she had scaled back her responsibilities, dividing them among newer staff members.

“I kept the lid on everything at that point because I had three newbies and I just wanted them to fly through the festival feeling calm and confident. In the last few weeks, I’ve put pedal to the metal,” she said.

Plume Winnipeg has added a job posting for the executive director position on the organization’s website at thinairwinnipeg.ca.

— staff

Ben Sigurdson

Ben Sigurdson
Literary editor, drinks writer

Ben Sigurdson edits the Free Press books section, and also writes about wine, beer and spirits.

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