Authors showcased by Wordfest have been pitched to us by their publishers, with whom we work closely to showcase a wide variety of writers and genres. They are primarily promoting new work. 

Focus: 

As part of our unique role in the Calgary literacy ecosystem we focus on witers with national and international profiles, enabling local bookstores, libraries, and reading series to focus on self-published or emerging writers. 

We are also reader-focused, so please look at the excellent Alexandra Writers’ Centre and the Writers’ Guild of Alberta if you have a workshop or book geared toward craft.

Timing: 

Year-round standalone shows: At least two months ahead of publication. We begin programming Winter/Spring shows in the late fall of the previous year and Fall/Winter shows in early spring. 

Imaginairium festival: We begin programming in January and aim to finalize our highly curated lineup (maximum 50 authors) in June. 

Wordfest Youth: We focus on fuelling teen literacy (Grades 5-12). 

Publishers: 

Please email your upcoming lists (author/book information) to info@wordfest.com.