Director’s Vision

WordFest comes together each year by virtue of a collaborative effort involving its dedicated staff, Board of Directors, volunteers, sponsors, partners, donors, audiences — and the writers who make it all possible. Our small team works tirelessly to pull off this minor miracle each year — and it’s a great privilege to be able to orchestrate all of the parts that contribute to making the festival. A Director’s job is part editor, diplomat, critic, manager, promoter, producer, DJ, technician, scout and ringmaster. “Curator” also describes the role but in the end we just try to put on a good show. A literary festival is a showcase for the best writing produced in any given year. There are always more authors published each year than there are openings in the festival. This forces some hard choices but it can also help narrow down the focus in the programming. We always ask for the best writers, keep our fingers crossed, and hope that the festival gods are shining down on us. In the end we let the chips fall where they may and let the miracle begin.

Jo Steffens, a Calgary native, returned home from the United States to take the Director position at WordFest in 2010. Steffens moved from New York, NY, where she was a curator at The Municipal Art Society (MAS) and director of their bookstore. Steffens founded the Independent Booksellers of New York City with Sarah McNally. She also brings a depth of experience in new technologies and their application to the literary arts. Steffens has launched a series of books based on one of her MAS exhibits. Unpacking My Library, Architects and Their Books (Yale University Press) is the first book of the photographic series that has gone on to look inside the libraries of writers and artists.

Photo Credit: Monique de St. Croix