Save The Dates: Oct. 14 to 19, 2025
It’s the 30th Annual Wordfest Fall Imaginairium Festival!!!
Thank you for making the 2024 Imaginairium a larger-than-life confetti canon of big ideas—proof that, when we gather together around the power of words, the world feels… WonderFULL. By enthusiastically showing up in Calgary for the world’s best writers, you’ve co-created the interconnected, diverse, propulsive, thriving community of Wordfesters.
Canada’s Liveliest Literary Festival returns next fall, Oct. 14 to 19, in Calgary’s vibrant Beltline neighbourhood. 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. We’ll be showcasing your favourite authors from the past 30 years, as well as writers we’ll be talking about for the next 30 years, at the 2025 Imaginairium, as well as in special events throughout the year.
Here’s What WonderFull Looks Like
YEAR-ROUND SCHEDULE
April
Join Max Kerman for a night of storytelling and surprise as he presents his first book Try Hard: Creative Work in Progress. Max will pull back the curtain on what life looks like writing songs, touring in a rock 'n' roll band, and what his idea of trying hard actually looks like. It’s not what you think! Tickets include an audience Q&A and a signed book to be picked up at the show. Additional signed copies of Try Hard will be available for purchase, along with libations provided by Dandy Brewing Company and complimentary cool treats from Village Ice Cream. READ MORE
In Laurie Woolever’s Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography, she shared a portrait of the late chef, author, and TV host Anthony Bourdain that, in what has become something of a cottage industry, has yet to be topped. The bestselling biographer has now turned the lens on herself in Care and Feeding: A Memoir, in which she reveals a deep dish of a journey as rich and complicated as that of her colleague and friend. The conversation will be hosted by Wordfest’s Creative Ringleader Shelley Youngblut (who gobbled up this astonishingly honest read) and includes an audience Q & A and book signing. The Cookbook Company Cooks will be serving up Care and Feeding, along with Woolever’s backlist and a curated selection of related titles. READ MORE
May
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!) Don’t miss your chance to hear Atlantic staff writer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Sophie Gilbert and find out why everyone’s talking about her latest book, Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves. Heather O'Neill, one half of The O'Neill Reads talk show at Wordfest's Imaginairium, gives Girl on Girl her highest recommendation: “This book had me transfixed from page one. Gilbert explores the postfeminist movement. How feminism moved in the 90s into a period of girlish objectification, where young women and girls were embracing their objectification and commodification, as though it were empowering. If we want to situate this in terms of artists: How did we go from the raw rage and energy of PJ Harvey and Bjork to the Lolita-esque consumerism of Spice Girls and Taylor Swift?” Explore these and other Big Ideas with Gilbert when the conversation kicks off at 7 PM, hosted by Wordfest’s Creative Ringleader Shelley Youngblut. This show also includes an audience Q & A and book signing, fueled by Shelf Life Books. You can place an order for Girl on Girl here. READ MORE
Barbara Gowdy has called Lee Kvern “one of those generous writers who leaves her heart and intelligence on every page. And what a big heart it is. What a marvellously vibrant, wholly original intelligence.” See for yourself when Kvern comes to Wordfest with Catch You on the Flipside, her intriguing new novel about casino culture (the author is a veteran dealer and pitt boss!). Hosted by Calgary writer Barb Howard, the conversation starts at 7PM MT and includes an audience Q & A and book signing, fuelled by Shelf Life Books. Wordfest is going all-in on creating an unforgettable audience experience with casino-inspired cookie designs from our friends at Mom's Cookie Jar. You can also pre-order your copy of Catch You on the Flipside, as well as copies of Kvern’s back list at the link here. And we've created a limited-edition tote bag featuring an alternate book cover design with stunning visuals by Kvern's talented husband, artist Paul Rasporich. Purchase onsite pre- or post-show or add to your ticket order at checkout. READ MORE
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!)
Don’t miss this “front-of-the-line” experience as Wordfest welcomes Calgary's own Danielle L. Jensen for the WORLD LAUNCH PARTY of A Curse Carved in Bone, book two of the Saga of the Unfated series. This exclusive pre-pub date conversation starts at 7pm and includes an audience Q & A, and book signing, fueled by Slow Burn Books. While quantities last, first-edition copies of A Curse Carved in Bone will feature foil page edges, a custom-stamped case, and a premium dust jacket. Copies of A Curse Carved in Bone pre-ordered or purchased onsite will be pre-signed and there will be a signing limit of 3 additional books per event ticket holder, with only 1 personalization. Libations will be provided by Dandy Brewing Company and we'll be handing out complimentary cool treats from Village Ice Cream. READ MORE
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!) From her soundproof closet to the Wordfest stage comes Calgary’s own Josie Balka and her debut book of heartwarming poetry, I Hope You Remember: Poems on Loving, Longing and Living. Radio host by day, content creator and writer by night, Josie’s poems are at turns relatable, humorous, and poignant. Josie shares herself genuinely and generously with her hundreds of thousands of followers, and she’s ready to blow her hometown away. Says actor John Stamos, "This book is a gift to the world, and I'm honoured to share in its magic." Pre-orders from Slow Burn Books have now closed but there will be copies of I Hope You Remember available for purchase at the event, while supplies last. As the only Canadian stop on her book tour, this exclusive launch event features a conversation, hosted by Virgin Radio morning host Danaye Maier, audience Q&A, book signing, selfies with Josie, and complimentary cool treats from Village Ice Cream. Oh, and there will be celebratory libations available for purchase, care of Dandy Brewing Company. READ MORE
For Eden Grinshpan, everyday cooking means saying yes to more shareable and delicious dishes, more veggies, and more fun in the kitchen. Discover how to create bold, fresh dishes that don't take themselves too seriously when Wordfest showcases the Top Chef Canada host and her new cookbook, Tahini Baby: Bright, Everyday Recipes That Happen to Be Vegetarian. This event includes an audience Q & A and book signing, fuelled by Cookbook Co. Cooks. "It's packed with the zestiest, most drool-worthy recipes; overflows with warmth; and overdelivers on her playful, signature style," says Top Chef judge Gail Simmons. You can also pre-order Eden's book here. READ MORE
As legacy media struggles, the next generation of journalists is producing relevant, engaging, refreshingly fearless coverage. Wordfest is thrilled to be able to bring together two North American powerhouses disrupting the journalism landscape: Canadian editorial cartoonist and journalist, Gabrielle Drolet and Brittney McNamara, the features editor at Teen Vogue, which bills itself as “the young person’s guide to conquering (and saving) the world.” The lively and timely conversation includes an audience Q&A and book signing. READ MORE
At this crucial time for journalism, facts, and public trust in media, Wordfest and the Canadian Association of Journalists are proud to present a conversation with Mark MacKinnon, Senior International correspondent for The Globe and Mail, who has been covering international affairs and Canada’s role in the world since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and the subsequent war in Afghanistan. One of Canada’s most decorated foreign correspondents, MacKinnon has won the National Newspaper Award seven times. He was nominated in 2022 and again this year for his ongoing coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This vital afternoon conversation, hosted by journalist Christina Frangou, includes an audience Q&A and book signing. READ MORE
June
This 30th Anniversary pairing of Guy Gavriel Kay and J. M. Miro (the fantasy nom de plum of Steven Price) promises to be as exquisite as the fine whiskey you’ll be tasting at this spirited conversation, ringlead by Wordfest’s Shelley Youngblut. Miro describes Kay’s newest bestseller, Written in the Dark, as a masterpiece: “An absolutely astonishing novel about poetry, and war, and what it means to be human, by our greatest living writer of the fantastic.” Not sure what to expect? Think "Hebridean Baker experience," but with a fantastical twist. Your ticket includes a premium tipple, audience Q & A, and book signing fuelled by Owl’s Nest Books. You can pre-order both featured books—Written in the Dark and Ordinary Monsters—and the authors’ back lists here. 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 (which is to connect the world’s best audiences with the world’s best authors) has evolved to include producing lively, accessible shows year-round, in addition to the fall Imaginairium 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.
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