Wordfest is honorued to welcome back lawyer, politician, and best-selling author Jody Wilson-Raybould with her new book, Reconciling History: A Story of Canada. We're thrilled to announce that she'll be joined onstage with her co-author—lawyer and educator Roshan Danesh, who has been on the frontlines of advancing Indigenous rights and reconciliation in Canada. Reconciling History is a continuation of the vital conversation fuelled by the history shared in True Reconciliation, which sparked one of Wordfest’s most meaningful in-person experiences in 2022. The conversation, hosted by Wordfest's Shelley Youngblut, includes an audience Q&A and book signing. READ MORE
Join us for a Book Lover's Dream Market. We’ve assembled all your favourite indie booksellers—Cookbook Co. Books, Owl’s Nest Books, Shelf Life Books & Slow Burn Books—who have curated selections of their fave books from 2024 to solve all your holiday gift needs. Because it’s the night before Black Friday, you can expect some sweet deals. Our friends at the Calgary Public Library Foundation will also be there with special gifts ideas for all ages that go toward supporting Calgary’s exceptional library system. It will also be your first chance to scoop up a Wordfest 2025 season pass or Imaginairium festival pass—as well as one of the limited number of All-Access passes that give you, well, everything, including reserved seating, book with tickets events, and food and spirited drink experiences, in addition to personalized concierge service. We’ll also have limited-edition totes and Lisa Brawn pins, with proceeds going toward Wordfest’s vital Youth Progam, supporting teen literacy. There will be hot chocolate, wine, beer, bubbly—and music. Come celebrate this vibrant, book-loving community we have created together. This event is FREE. Please RSVP so that we'll know how much cider to mull. READ MORE
January
One Yellow Rabbit & Wordfest Co-Present The First Bad Man
Not quite your mother's book club, this immersive theatre experience offers far more than just a literary discussion. Audience members will join a live performance featuring Dublin’s Pan Pan Theatre, based on a reading of The First Bad Man, a novel by Miranda July. Grab a seat and settle in as Kitty Blennerhasset, John Benno, Rose McVittie, and Freya Golden explore the first book featured in their book club, returning week after week, along with the characters of Miranda July’s debut novel. This production of The First Bad Man is a humourous, thoughtful, and occasionally unsettling look at how we engage with others, drawing on the book's themes of loneliness and isolation. Ticket price includes an advance copy of The First Bad Man.READ MORE