|

Say Hello to The 2025 Imaginairium
Oct. 14 to 19, 2025

Wordfest is delighted to announce the first six authors appearing at the 2025 Imaginairium Festival, happening October 14–19 at venues throughout Calgary. Our six-day festival of ideas has been designed to be a bright light in dark times and a celebration of Wordfest’s 30-year history of connecting authors with audiences for life-affirming, transformational conversations. 

Confirmed guests include Canlit powerhouse Miriam Toews (Women Talking, All My Puny Sorrows, A Complicated Kindness), Governor General’s Literary Award winner (and Booker Prize shortlisted) Madeleine Thien, master storyteller Thomas King, marketing guru and Under the Influence host Terry O’Reilly, two-time Governor General’s Literary Award winner David A. Robertson, and the Academy Award nominated author of Room, Emma Donoghue, one of the future international superstars who got their early break at Wordfest.

This exciting sneak peek is just the beginning of a line-up featuring 50+ authors—a lineup built to honour three decades of Wordfest while showcasing the hottest stars in publishing right now. Festival Passes are on sale now at the Early Bird Price of $165. More than 40 shows will unfold during the festival, with Wordfest’s signature solo spotlights, inspired pairings, The Way We… storytelling extravaganzas, poetry cabaret, and the return of Literary Death Match. Our experiences tend to sell-out, so please act now to avoid disappointment. Watch for more author announcements through June. Full festival programming will be announced in August. 

Since Wordfest was founded in 1996, we’ve been exceeding expectations about what a literary event can be (and selling out shows), so please sign up for our newsletter to avoid missing out. 

Don’t Miss These Canadian Superstars

Celebrating 30 Years of Wordy Goodness

YEAR-ROUND SCHEDULE

June

Wordfest presents Robert Macfarlane

Jun 17 @ 7 PM MT $25

Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library
800 3 Street SE
Add To Cart
More Info
This is the show Wordfest has been waiting all year to announce. Join us for an exclusive opportunity to see British writer, naturalist, and Nobel Prize contender Robert Macfarlane. He's coming to Calgary as part of his North American tour to celebrate Is a River Alive?, which is not just Macfarlane's latest literary masterpiece, but a rallying cry and a catalyst for change. It is a book that will open hearts, spark debates and challenge perspectives. A clarion call to re-centre rivers in our stories, law and politics, it invites us to radically re-imagine not only rivers but life itself. At the heart of this vital, beautiful book is the recognition that our fate flows with that of rivers—and always has. No one understands that better than Albertans, and we are thrilled to have Canadian writer and naturalist Kevin Van Tighem hosting the conversation, which will followed by an audience Q&A and book signing fuelled by Shelf Life books. You can  pre-order your copy of Is a River Alive?, as well as Macfarlane’s extensive back list (which includes the international publishing phenomenon The Lost Words), here. READ MORE
Reading in the Wild

Jun 24 @ 4 PM MT FREE

Memorial Park (OUTDOORS) 1221 2 St SW
1221 2 St SW
RSVP
More Info
Wordfest and Calgary Public Library are excited to announce the return of Reading in the Wild, Calgary’s outdoor Read-A-Thon! Imagine our city's most beautiful inner-city park bursting with people of all ages enjoying the simple pleasure of reading outside. This free event is for everyone—children, teens, seniors, friends, neighbours, colleagues, even well-behaved dogs. Readers of all ages are welcome to bring a blanket and book (or borrow one on site!) to read amongst fellow readers in the wild. This free, all-ages community event takes place on June 24 in Central Memorial Park, home to Alberta’s oldest library. Opened in 1912 with funding from Andrew Carnegie, it is now a still-thriving national historic site as well as Wordfest’s year-round performance space, where we connect the world’s best writers with the world’s best readers. You can bring your current read or we’ll supply the magic: You can choose from a specially curated selection from the Library's collection, organized by age and interests, which you are welcome to check out at any time from the fabulous Memorial Park Library staff. Don’t have a library card? You can sign up for a free one on the spot! READ MORE
Wordfest & Calgary Public Library present Darkest Miriam with Martha Baillie

Jun 25 @ 6:30 PM MT $25

Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library
800 3 Street SE
GET TICKETS
More Info
Directed by Naomi Jaye, executive produced by Charlie Kaufman, and adapted from Baillie’s Giller Prize nominated novel The Incident Report, the Hollywood Reporter describes Darkest Miriam as “a small wonder of a film, eloquent and captivating.” Says lead actor Britt Lower (Severance), “When I read this script, I knew Miriam was for me. When I met Naomi and Martha, I knew we were in the same creative family… I can’t wait for you to see this story about a librarian who falls in a hole and opens her heart.” Discover more about the transformation of the book to the film here. Following the screening, Martha Baillie will join Wordfest’s Creative Ringleader Shelley Youngblut for a conversation, which includes an audience Q&A. Shelf Life books will be on site with copies of The Incident Report and Dandy Brewing Company will have libations. And yes, there will be complimentary popcorn, courtesy of Calgary Public Library. READ MORE

September

Wordfest presents R.F. Kuang

Sep 14 @ 4 PM MT $55

Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library
800 3 Street SE
Add To Cart
More Info
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!) Wordfest welcomes bestselling fantasy phenom R.F. Kuang with her highly anticipated novel Katabasis, a dark academia tour de force drenched in magic that author Leigh Bardugo calls “a witty, gory, harrowing ride.” Kuang’s oeuvre (including Babel and Yellowface) has established her as a master of storytelling. This exclusive experience will be hosted by Paula Turcotte. Your exclusive ticket includes a pre-signed deluxe limited-edition copy of Katabasis with a custom Canadian tour stamp. READ MORE

About Us

Wordfest™ beams out from Calgary, Canada in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, Treaty 7 territory. We are an entrepreneurial arts non-profit founded in 1996 as one of Canada’s leading literary festivals. Our small team’s mission to connect the world’s most compelling authors with readers has evolved to include producing lively, accessible shows year-round, in addition to the fall Imaginairium (Canada’s Liveliest Literary Festival). Our unique (and free) Wordfest Youth program focuses on Grades 5 to 12 to fuel teen literacy, providing interactive experiences and class sets of books to thousands of students every year. We also produce Imagine On Air Audio, as well as online programming. Our goal? To help you think bigger, dig deeper, and build meaningful relationships.

Sign up for our newsletter here to become a part of the vital Wordfest community.

We Love our Funders

Click here to see all of our community supporters!