Wordfest is More Than a Festival
Every October, Wordfest produces The Imaginairium, Canada’s Liveliest Literary Festival. But wait, there’s more! We also present the world’s most intriguing authors (in every genre!) from January through December in our own theatre in Memorial Park Library, as well as at Central Library, Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre, and The Bella Concert Hall. We work with local independent booksellers and community partners to bring you illuminating, invigorating, affordable, life-affirming experiences.
Check out our upcoming shows and discover more about the writers and their books, which can be picked up onsite at our pop-up bookstores featuring Calgary’s independent booksellers. Our shows sell out quickly, so act fast!
AI SCAM ALERT: Invitations to appear at Wordfest are sent by publishers to their authors. If you receive any communication from an email account (particularly a gmail account) purporting to be from a Wordfest representative, it is likely an AI-generated scam. We only work through publishers to avoid this unconscionable exploitation and our official emails are from emails ending in wordfest.com. We never charge authors or artists to be part of our programming.
October
November
Thank you, Wordfesters! THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT! You can join the waitlist here.
Newfoundland isn’t just home to so many of Canada’s greatest authors and comedians, it’s also the birthplace of one of our greatest athletes: six-time Brier Champion Brad Gushue. Join the curling legend to celebrate the launch of his memoir, which offers provocative opinions on the future of his sport, what it means to be a leader, the importance of family, and the profound impact that the people and landscape of his childhood had in shaping Gushue as a person and a competitor. We are fortunate to have award-winning sports journalist (and co-founder of Writers at Woody Point) Stephen Brunt hosting the conversation, which will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. You can pre-order Gushue here from Owl’s Nest Books, who will also be on site with copies of the memoir.
Break out your stretchy pants! Just in time for the season of comfort food, Mary Berg—host of The Good Stuff with Mary Berg and judge on MasterChef Canada—returns to Wordfest with her coziest book yet: Mary’s Comfort Classics: Food to Fill Your Plate. The conversation, hosted by Calgary’s beloved Julie Van Rosendaal, includes an audience Q & A and book signing. You can preorder copies of Mary’s Comfort Classics here from our friends at Cookbook Co. Cooks, who will also have copies of Mary’s backlist at the show.
Get ready for the literary equivalent celebration of the Gatorade splash! We’re turning the spotlight on beloved Blue Jays sportscaster, Hazel Mae, to celebrate her new memoir, Before I Let You Go: My Life in Broadcasting, Baseball, and Beyond. Says Toronto legend Joe Carter, “When it comes to Major League Baseball, Canadian or U.S., Hazel Mae is a pre-eminent voice in baseball broadcasting.” From her early days in the Philippines to her arrival in Canada and her rise through the ranks of sports journalism, Mae offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at her life on and off the field (where she’s the best-sourced and best-dressed journalist on the diamond).
The conversation, hosted by obsessive Blue Jays fan Shelley Youngblut, includes an audience Q&A and book signing, fuelled by Owl’s Nest Books. Want to be first in line to meet Hazel Mae post-show? Pre-order Before I Let You Go: My Life in Broadcasting, Baseball, and Beyond.
We’re tickled maple-leaf red to be able to bring Kliph Nesteroff—the writer Dan Ackroyd calls the “the foremost contemporary authority on comedy”— to Calgary to celebrate the launch of Sorry, We’re Funny. From Wayne and Schuster to Norm Macdonald, SCTV, and Kids in the Hall, this is the most in-depth telling yet of how—against all odds—Canada discovered its comedic voice and became a comedy powerhouse. Brent Butt calls it, “A fascinating read with truly eye-opening lessons about how a polite nation quietly gouged its deep influence on an uproarious business.”
The conversation, hosted by Zain Velji, includes an audience Q & A and book signing with Owl’s Nest Books on site with Nesteroff’s newest comedic classic and equally stellar backlist.
[Sold Out]
Nov 25 @ 7 PM $25
Thank you, Wordfesters! THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT! You can join the waitlist here.
The legendary anchor is still sparking vital conversations for Canadians—and not just on his daily podcast, The Bridge. Peter Mansbridge returns to Wordfest with About A Noble Profession: Inspiring Stories of the Teachers Who Shape Our World, co-authored with his former CBC colleague and longtime collaborator, Mark Bulgutch. Says education expert Dr. Jody Carrington, “This book is a beautiful, necessary love letter to the people who keep showing up, often unseen and under-appreciated, as some of the most critical life-changers and life-savers of our next generation.”
This timely conversation, hosted by The Calgary Eyeopener‘s Loren McGinnis (whose wife is an educator in Calgary), includes an audience Q&A and post-show book signing. Eager to be first in line to meet Peter Mansbridge? You can pre-order About a Noble Profession here and pick it up at the Owl’s Nest Book table before the show.
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