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.
September
LOW TICKET ALERT!
Colin James is not only a Canadian blues legend, he’s a heck of a storyteller. Join James, in an intimate conversation with Calgary Herald art writer Eric Volmers, to celebrate the launch of his long-awaited memoir, Playing The Changes: A Musician’s Memoir. Tickets to this show will go fast (almost as lightning quick as James’ playing), so please act fast. The book comes out just days before the show, but you can pre-order your copy here from Owl’s Nest Books to pick up a the show and be first in the signing line.
[Sold Out]
Sep 27 @ 1 PM $62.95 (incl Book & GST) + $10.92 MRU Fee
SOLD OUT! Join the waitlist here for any additional tickets that become available. Note: Wordfest, which is a non-profit, does not condone reselling tickets above the original ticket price.
If you were at R.F. Kuang’s sold-out 2025 Wordfest appearance, you know why we’re so chuffed she’s coming back to Calgary with her new novel, Tapei Story. Given how many of you were disappointed that you didn’t get tickets last time, we’re delighted to be able to present her in a bigger venue, the glorious Bella Concert Hall, in an exclusive conversation hosted by Calgary graphic memoirist Teresa Wong.
Your ticket includes a pre-signed, deluxe limited-edition copy of Taipei Story. Additional signed copies, as well as Kuang’s fantastic backlist (Yellowface, Babel, Katabasis), will be available at the show and for pre-order, courtesy of Owl’s Nest Books.
October
With all the nostalgia for the ’90s, this is our moment to rally around Rick “The Temp” Campanelli, whose nickname was upgraded to “The Franchise” after his long tenure as a beloved MuchMusic VJ. His bombshell memoir, Tempted: My Story, takes us along his journey from Queen Street West to hosting ET: Canada and Breakfast Television in Toronto.
“Being a mostly open book in the public eye for over 30 years, people think they know me pretty well, but it’s time for me to shed light on a few deep dark secrets that will shock many,” Campanelli shares. “Tempted is a story of accomplishments and living life to the fullest but not without mistakes along the way. A cautionary tale of what can happen when you lose control. This is my full story, flaws and all.”
And we have the perfect pro to lead the conversation and audience Q&A: Dave Kelly, the beloved host of Calgary’s Breakfast Television. You also get to meet Rick and get your book signed after. Want to be first in line? You can pre-order Tempted here from Owl’s Nest Books, who will also be on site with copies.
SOLD OUT. Thank you, Wordfesters!
America. Russia. Iran. Secret plots. Imperialist ambition. Nuclear destruction. This story could be pulled from today’s headlines but it’s actually 1981. Only Ben Macintyre could uncover the secrets behind the Soviet double agent struggling to prevent Cold War Armageddon. Wordfest is thrilled to welcome Macintyre back to Calgary to share the fascinating tale behind Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War’s Most Extraordinary Spy.
The conversation, hosted by Wordfest’s Shelley Youngblut, includes an audience Q & A and book signing, fuelled by Owl’s Nest Books. You can preorder copies of Redwood, as well as Macintyre’s award-winning back list, here.
Thank you, Wordfesters! THIS SHOW SOLD OUT in less than 24 hours! You can join the waitlist here.
Wordfest welcomes back tech visionary Cory Doctorow and his latest bestseller, The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence Before It’s Too Late. The show, hosted by Zain Velji, includes an audience Q&A and book signing. Want to be first in the signing line? You can pre-order Doctorow’s new book and backlist from Owl’s Nest Books here.
The Imaginairium, Canada’s Liveliest Literary Festival, returns Oct. 13 to 18, 2026.
This fall, Wordfest is where your imagination goes to get real. We’re thrilled to present 41 shows featuring the 60 authors appearing at our 31st annual festival: Superstars who personify the dazzling range of Canadian and international storytelling. They are the very best humans, which makes the opportunity for you to connect with each of them in person even more magical.
Get your Festival Pass now for the best value—and access to our most popular shows, such as The Way We… Wear and Literary Death Match. We just revealed the full festival schedule, and you can get the inside scoop at the Festival Preview on Sept. 10 (followed by a bonus show featuring Téa Muntonji).
After far too long an absence, the writer and visual artist Anita Rau Badami makes a triumphant return to Calgary with her highly anticipated new novel—fifteen years in the writing!—Asha in Her Garden. Her previous novel, The Hero’s Walk, was a Canada-Reads finalist defended by actor Vinay Virmani who, in this clip, described Badami’s writing as timeless in its nuanced exploration of family dynamics and intergenerational conflict. We can’t wait to experience Badami’s storytelling gifts first-hand in this conversation, hosted by Kirti Bhadresa, which includes an audience Q & A and book signing, fueled by Owls Nest Books. You can order copies of her new book, plus her award-winning backlist, here.
No one is more excited than Joshua Whitehead that Jordan Tannahill has added Calgary to his North American tour. Okay, maybe everyone who was lucky enough to see them on the Wordfest stage in 2018—and we’ve been dreaming ever since about pairing them again in a show. A playwright, novelist, screenwriter, director, and performance artist, Tannahill is at the height of his creative prowess in his much-anticipated new novel, The Living Realm.
“In the idylls of The Living Realm, every queer artist emerges moss-laden and enriched with thought, crusted with sand and raw and cruised, and is asked to birth themselves anew, armed with a lament made joyful,” Whitehead says. “Tannahill is an artist we should all bear witness to at least once in our lives.”
The conversation includes an audience Q&A and post-show signing fulled by Shelf Life Books, who will be on site with copies of Tannahill’s new novel and backlist.
November
LOW TICKET ALERT!
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 Saïd M’Dahoma (Calgary’s Pastry Nerd), 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.
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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