Wordfest Presents Debbie Travis

Wordfest Presents Debbie Travis

Nov 05 @ 7 PM - 8:15 PM MT $47
Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library
800 3 Street SE

Prepare to be delighted, inspired, and transported! Debbie Travis is coming to Calgary to celebrate her new book, Laugh More: Stories from an Unexpected Life. Snortingly funny, poignant, inspirational and full of the human foibles Debbie loves so much, Laugh More is a warm and cozy book to curl up with, and even better to read aloud. And since memories are so often ignited by great eating, Debbie has added a bonus: 15 of her favourite, seasonal recipes.

We are grateful to Penguin Random House Canada for making it possible to connect you with Debbie Travis.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Each ticket includes a first-edition copy of Laugh More
Post-show signing and author selfies
75-minute conversation
Audience Q&A
Dandy Bar with non-alcoholic options

About Laugh More: Stories from an Unexpected Life

Lifestyle pioneer and bestselling author Debbie Travis is back with a book of ridiculously funny, touching and true stories drawn from her own life and dedicated to everyone in desperate need of a good laugh.

A decade ago, Debbie Travis gave up her hectic life as the producer and star of several hit TV shows to move to a 13th-century crumbling farmhouse and vast olive orchard in Tuscany, which she and her husband then turned into the boutique hotel and wellness retreat. That was a big change in direction – and Debbie’s shared the best of what she learned on that journey in two bestselling books full of humane, heartfelt and sensible advice on pursuing your true passion (Design Your Next Chapter) and making room for happiness, health and connection (Joy: Life Lessons from a Tuscan Villa).

Now, in Laugh More, Debbie digs down to what really keeps her going, especially when the going gets tough: her talent for telling a good story and sharing a good laugh. Organizing them around the passing of the seasons at the Villa Reniella, Debbie gathers up a brilliant mix of stories from her daily life and from her past—growing up headstrong in a struggling family in northern England (her mum perfected dog-food shepherd’s pie), travelling the world as a model (not so glamorous), becoming one of the first home renovation TV stars (by the seat of her overalls) and encountering the famous and the delightful (especially her wicked and wonderful grandmother, Joyce).

About Debbie Travis

Debbie Travis is an international television host and producer, a bestselling author, a sought-after public speaker, and the designer of the Debbie Travis Home Collection. Her shows—Debbie Travis’s Painted House, Debbie Travis’s Facelift, From the Ground Up, All for One, and La Dolce Debbie—have been seen in Canada, the United States, and 80 other countries. She has authored 11 previous books (eight on decorating) and currently co-hosts a podcast, Trust Me, I’m a Decorator, with television personality and designer Tommy Smythe, drawing guests such as Rachael Ray and Marilyn Denis. After stepping back from TV producing, she renovated a 13th-century farmhouse on a 100-acre farm in Tuscany, turning it into a luxury boutique hotel where she offers wellness retreats and classic car rallies.

About Host Shelley Youngblut

Shelley Youngblut is the CEO & Creative Ringleader of Wordfest. She was the recipient of the 2020 Calgary Award for Community Achievement in the Arts and the 2018 Rozsa Award for Arts Leadership. She also won the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Western Magazine Awards. Youngblut was the founding editor of Calgary’s award-winning Swerve magazine and has created magazines for ESPN, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, Nickelodeon, Western Living, and The Globe and Mail. She was also a former pop-culture correspondent for ABC World News Now and Canada AM. Follow her on Facebook @ShelleyYoungblut and Instagram/Threads @youngblutshelley.

Wordfest Presents Debbie Travis