Behold The Imaginairium!
How to Wordfest in 78 Seconds
When the world’s brightest and most interesting people write a book, they bring it to Calgarians through Wordfest. Watch this short video for everything you need to know about experiencing one of our shows!
A Brief History of Wordfest
Founding Executive Director Anne Green and current CEO & Creative Ringleader Shelley Youngblut take you through 30 years of Wordy Goodness, from Margaret Atwood and George Saunders to Max Kerman and Zadie Smith.
Our Year-Round Shows
September
[Sold Out]
Sep 14 @ 4 PM $55
Wordfest welcomes bestselling fantasy phenom R.F. Kuang with her highly anticipated novel Katabasis, a dark academia tour de force drenched in magic, which author Leigh Bardugo calls “a witty, gory, harrowing ride.” Kuang’s oeuvre (including Babel and Yellowface) has established her as a master of storytelling. This can’t-miss conversation starts at 7PM MT and will be hosted by Paula Turcotte. This event includes an audience Q & A and book signing, fueled by Shelf Life Books.
Calgarians have been talking about 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act since Bob Joseph’s life-changing appearance at the 2019 Imaginairium. Don’t miss your chance to hear from this highly sought-after public speaker, whose new companion volume, 21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government: A Conversation About Dismantling the Indian Act, continues the journey toward truth and reconciliation with a practical vision for moving forward. Joseph’s presentation will be followed by a short interview by Leor Rotchild, audience Q&A, and book and book signing. You can also pre-order copies of books by Bob Joseph at the link here.
October
ALMOST SOLD OUT! If there are no tickets available, 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!)
Kevin Van Tighem loves Alberta, and his roots with the land run deep. “I was born in Calgary in 1952, one of a family of 10 children raised a few blocks from the Bow River. Books were a big part of our world, and so was nature.” In Understory, Van Tighem’s life-long passions intersect in a deeply personal and evocative journey into the complexities of nature, grief and the search for meaning in the autumn of life. The conversation, hosted by Rosemary Griebel, includes an audience Q & A and book signing, fuelled by Owl’s Nest Books. Pre-order Understory, along with copies of Van Tighem’s extensive backlist, here.
“Bunny & I are a little emotional, Bunny, not only because our book is so very beautiful but because this book is our heart & we can’t wait to share it with you!” And Wordfest can’t wait to share We Love You, Bunny and its indescribably wondrous creator Mona Awad with her Calgary fans. The New Yorker calls it, “A work of toothsome and fanged intelligence….wickedly hilarious.” We’ll be celebrating this prequel/sequel to the 2019 viral sensation Bunny with our version of the Bunny-verse (hosted by Shelley Youngblut). The experience includes an audience Q&A and book signing, fuelled by Shelf Life Books. You can pre-order books by Mona Awad here.
Oct 14 @ 4 PM $25
Wordfest has moved this show to the DJD Dance Centre Theatre. Same time! New venue!
Oct 14 @ 7 PM $25
HOSTED BY
Shelagh Rogers
WHAT TO EXPECT
75-minute conversation
Oct 27 @ 7 PM $25
The recipe for the perfect holiday reading list includes a cup of cozy small-town romance with a pinch of Christmas magic. ‘Tis the season for Wordfest to welcome BookTok phenom Laurie Gilmore in celebration of the highly anticipated release of The Gingerbread Bakery, Book #5 in her Dream Harbor series. For an extra dash of holiday spice, we’re pairing her with Kristine Winters, aka bestseller Karma Brown, and her holiday rom-com, The Christmas Cure. The conversation, hosted bySlow Burn Book’s Nicola MacNaughton, includes an audience Q & A, book signing, and complimentary cool treats from Village Ice Cream. Pre-order books by both authors here.
November
[Sold Out]
Nov 14 @ 7 PM $49.95 (Includes Book)
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!)
Wordfest welcomes back astronaut Chris Hadfield and his new book, an edge-of-your-seat thriller set about China’s secret role in the 1970s Space Race between the US and the USSR. This exclusive experience includes a copy of Final Orbit (retail price: $39)! The literally stellar conversation will be hosted by journalist and adventurer David Gray and includes an audience Q & A and book signing.
Our friends at Owl’s Nest books will also be on site if you’d like to purchase additional copies of Final Orbit or titles from Hadfield’s best-selling backlist. And you get 10% off your book purchase if you pre-order a bundle of two or more books here.
Nov 19 @ 7 PM $49.95 (Includes Book)
We’re thrilled that Alan Doyle is returning to Wordfest with perhaps his most personal book yet, The Smiling Land: All Around the Circle in My Newfoundland and Labrador. The conversation, hosted by the ebullient Nita Prose (the bestselling author of The Maid, who was Doyle’s first book editor in a previous life), includes an audience Q&A and book signing. BONUS: Your ticket includes a pre-signed copy of The Smiling Land.
Our friends at Owl’s Nest books will also be on site if you’d like to purchase additional copies of The Smiling Land or titles from Doyle’s best-selling backlist. And you get 10% off your book purchase if you pre-order a bundle of two or more books here.
December
LOW TICKET ALERT
Dec 10 @ 7:30 PM $29.95-$49.95
Wordfest is thrilled to present Margaret Atwood in celebration of Book of Lives, her long-awaited memoir (of sorts). She lent her lustre to the our first festival back in 1996, which makes it even more special that she will be the star of the grand finale of our 30th Anniversary year—hosted by the astonishing Heather O’Neill. Pre-order your copy here from Owl’s Nest Books (publication date is Nov. 4.) Act fast! Less than 200 tickets remain.
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