What Can You Expect at Calgary's Wordfest?
Every October, Wordfest produces The Imaginairium, Canada’s Liveliest Literary Festival. But wait, we do so much MORE. We also showcase the world’s most intriguing authors (in every genre!) from January through December in our own theatre in Memorial Park Library, as well as at Central Library, Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre, The Bella Concert Hall, and The Jack Singer Concert Hall.
We collaborate creatively with local independent booksellers and community partners to bring you illuminating, invigorating, affordable, life-affirming experiences.
If you missed out on (or would like to re-experience) a sampling of the 2025 shows that were part of our year-round 30th Anniversary Celebration, you can listen via this link to audio episodes. Thanks to our generous supporters, we are able to present Wordfest’s Imagine on Air as a free series.
Check out our upcoming shows below and discover more about the writers and their books, which can be picked up onsite at our pop-up bookstores. Our shows sell out quickly, so act fast!
Wordfest's "Human-Focused" Mission to Tell Canada's Stories
Yes, we put on great shows, providing the in-person exclamation points between books being written and books being read. But Wordfest sets the stage for so much MORE. Take a minute to listen to Jason Logan, our longtime creative director, as he shares the story behind Wordfest’s 2026 branding campaign.
Our Year-Round Shows
April
Apr 20 @ 7 PM $25
[New Venue]
We’ll try not to fangirl. When we first heard about Caro Claire Burke’s debut novel, Yesteryear, about a social media influencer and “tradwife” who wakes up one morning living 170 years in the past, we immediately reached out to her publisher to bring her to Calgary! Actor Anne Hathaway was smitten too: she optioned the book before pub date. So we’re thrilled that Burke—who co-hosts Diabolical Lies, a podcast we’re also somewhat obsessed with—is coming to Wordfest on her only Canadian tour date. The conversation, hosted by Paula Turcotte, includes an audience Q&A and book signing.
May
[Sold Out]
May 3 @ 1 PM $25
ALSO SOLD OUT!! Thank you, Wordfesters, for making our 7PM show with Dr. Simard our quickest sold-out show. And now you’ve also sold out her afternoon show.
Wordfest welcomes the world’s leading forest ecologist, Suzanne Simard, as we celebrate her new book, When the Forest Breathes: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World. The in-depth conversation, hosted by journalist Christina Frangou, includes an audience Q&A and book signing, fuelled by Owls Nest Books.
7PM SHOW SOLD OUT! Click here for the 1pm show.
SOLD OUT! Click here to join the waitlist. (Thank you, Wordfesters, for your remarkable support. If you missed out on tickets, get yourself, your friends, family, and neighbours to sign up for our e-blast to ensure you never miss out next time!)
Canadian Geographic named Adam Shoalts “one of our greatest living explorers.” Maclean’s describes him as “our very own bearded, millennial Indiana Jones.” Chris Hadfield cites him for his “rare insight into the heart and mind of an explorer, and the insatiable hunger for the unknown that both inspires and drives one to the edge.” Connect with Shoalts in Calgary, as we celebrate his latest bestseller, Vanished Beyond the Map: The Mystery of Lost Explorer Hubert Darrell.
Shoalts’ one-hour presentation will be followed by an audience Q & A and book signing, fuelled by Owl’s Nest Books. You can preorder copies of Vanished Beyond the Map, as well as his extensive back list, here.
May 15 @ 7 PM $59.95 (Includes Book) + $10.14 MRU service charges
It’s time to pack your beach book tote for this spring’s hottest adventure! Canada’s superstar bestseller Carley Fortune is returning to Wordfest with her heart-stopping new novel, Our Perfect Storm. You don’t want to miss your exclusive chance to celebrate the release of this must-read with the author!
We’re infusing this show with extra book-inspired magic, including a special gift from Wordfest, complimentary Village Ice Cream, a selfie wall, themed cocktails for purchase from the Bella Bar, and custom-crafted Carley Fortune merch.
We’re horrified—in the best way! Wordfest presents an evening with Canadian fright-lit meisters Nick Cutter (The Dorians) and Marcus Kliewer (The Caretaker). The deliciously chilling conversation, hosted by Wordfest’s Creative Ringleader Shelley Youngblut, includes an audience Q & A and book signing. Nocturne Books, Calgary’s newest indie bookseller, will be on site, stocked with Cutter and Kliewer’s backlists. (You can pre-order your copy of The Dorians, The Caretaker, and a boneyard of backlist titles here.)
June
SOLD OUT! Click here to join the waitlist. (Thank you, Wordfesters, for your remarkable support. If you missed out on tickets, get yourself, your friends, family, and colleagues to sign up for our e-blast to ensure you don’t miss out next time!)
Non-fiction fans, this one’s for you. We’ve wanted to entice Patrick Radden Keefe (Say Nothing, Empire of Pain) to Calgary for years. And our time has come: The New Yorker‘s master of investigative narrative has added a Calgary stop on the world tour for his highly-anticipated new book, London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth.
The conversation, hosted by Shelley Youngblut, includes an audience Q & A and book signing, fuelled by Shelf Life Books. You can preorder copies of London Falling, as well as Radden Keefe’s award-winning back list, here.
Thank You to Our Public Funders
Founding Partner
Community Supporters
