November
Susan Orlean is hailed as a “national treasure” by The Washington Post and the acclaimed bestselling author of Rin Tin Tin and The Orchid Thief. Orlean reopens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history, and delivers a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution — our libraries. This event includes an onstage interview hosted by Shelley Youngblut, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. This event is free admission — a gift from Simon & Schuster Canada, Wordfest and the Calgary Public Library in celebration of the opening of the New Central Library.
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Come prepared to delve into Sheila Heti's new novel Motherhood, a courageous, keenly felt, and starkly original exploration that will surely spark lively conversations about womanhood, parenthood, and about how―and for whom―to live. This event is hosted by blogger and book reviewer Anne Logan of ivereadthis.com, and is part of Wordfest's monthly book club series on the top floor of Memorial Park Library.
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December
Your chance to hear from the esteemed former Governor General and author of the bestsellers The Idea of Canada and Ingenious. Don't miss this timely conversation about restoring personal, community and national trust. Hosted by David Gray of the CBC Calgary Eyeopener, this event includes an on-stage interview, audience Q&A, followed by a book signing.
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January
Looking for the chance to chat about what you’ve read (or haven’t read yet) with an equally engaged group of book lovers? Sign up for Calgary’s most entertaining and friendly book club, hosted by Anne Logan.
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February
Finally, a “book” club for people who don’t only read books – and are obsessed with episodic television. We know you’re dying to talk about your favourite on-demand series, so we’ve created a monthly opportunity to geek out with your fellow small-screen aficionados. First up is Stranger Things, a sci-fi horror series released on Netflix. Hosted by Shelley Youngblut, Wordfest's CEO & Creative Ringleader. Cash bar available.
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Looking for the chance to chat about what you’ve read (or haven’t read yet) with an equally engaged group of book lovers? Sign up for Calgary’s most entertaining and friendly book club, hosted by Anne Logan.
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March
Finally, a “book” club for people who don’t only read books – and are obsessed with episodic television. We know you’re dying to talk about your favourite on-demand series, so we’ve created a monthly opportunity to geek out with your fellow small-screen aficionados. Next up is The Handmaid’s Tale (a month ahead of the release of the third season). Hosted by Shelley Youngblut, Wordfest's CEO & Creative Ringleader. Cash bar available.
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Don’t miss upcoming event announcements and updates on more than 50 events held throughout the year and at Calgary’s #1 Readers Festival each spring and fall. Sign up and we’ll send you our hallmark Wordy Goodness straight to your inbox.
Photos of Past Events
Wordfest featured over 150 events in last year and is dreaming big for 2018. Visit our Flickr page for photos of past events.
View Festival Photos
Recaps of Past Events
Using a platform called Storify, we’ve collected all of the social media buzz, live-tweets, snapshots and live illustrations captured during Wordfest.
Recaps of Past Events
Youth & School Programming
Over 10,000 young readers this year will experience the magic of interacting with live authors in schools and in theatres.
Learn MoreBecome a Wordy Do-Gooder
A huge thank you to all of our supporters! Wordfest relies on government funding, sponsorships from corporations and foundations, volunteer support and charitable donations from individuals like you to ensure that we are able to continue our 23-year history of sparking live experiences for readers and writers. We invite you to consider donating to Wordfest this season as we plan for another year of igniting ideas and building community – one inspiring story at a time.
