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WordFest Connecting readers with the world’s best authors through lively conversations and more, year-round.

Celebrating its 26th year, Wordfest connects Calgarians (and now the world) with life-changing experiences, both live and now online through Imagine On Air, our broadcast channel for your imagination.

10/17/2026

🍸📚 Day four brought big conversations, big names and one seriously competitive night.

From a sweet start with Ruth Ozeki, we toasted the classics with an all-star lunch, got swept up in Rollie Pemberton’s Cadence Weapon Ways of Listening, and then watched writers battle it out at Literary Death Match. 🔥

And, of course, we had the absolute joy of welcoming Emily St. J. Mandel to the festival.

Four days in, and the FOMO is getting very real. 😉

10/16/2026

We said it - CLASSICS ARE COOL. 😎

From “The Stepford Wives” to “Frankenstein”, our noon-hour date with the classics proved that a great book never goes out of style. With nine brilliant bookish minds, nine beloved backlist picks, and one fabulous feast from our friends at Mercato Mission, we can’t wait to dive into our next read. 📖🍽️

Even better, you can devour these nine celebrated classics at the Owl's Nest Books pop-up bookstore!

Calgary, we finally got Tayari Jones Tayari Jones in the room! 💛🧡💚We’ve been waiting all year for this one, and it was w...
10/16/2026

Calgary, we finally got Tayari Jones Tayari Jones in the room! 💛🧡💚

We’ve been waiting all year for this one, and it was worth every minute. The bestselling author of Kin joined fellow Festival author (and fan!) Liz Nugent Liz Nugent for a conversation full of heart, insight, and love for the stories that bring us together.

The night was full of exuberant, emotionally rich, and unforgettable moments. Thanks to Dave Kotsibie for capturing it all!

IMAGINAIRIUM DAY 4 — Let's get LIT-ERARY!Day 4 is serving up classics, music, literary competition and some of the bigge...
10/16/2026

IMAGINAIRIUM DAY 4 — Let's get LIT-ERARY!

Day 4 is serving up classics, music, literary competition and some of the biggest names of the festival.

🎟️ A Morning with Ruth Ozeki
10:00 AM, Memorial Park Library, 2nd Floor

🎟️ A Toast to the Classics Lunch Experience Starring Karma Brown, Patricia Finn, Tayari Jones, Jennifer Lambert, Canisia Lubrin, Liz Nugent, Carol Off, Ruth Ozeki & Stephanie Sinclair
12:00 PM, Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre

🎟️ Ways of Listening with Rollie Pemberton
5:30 PM, Memorial Park Library, 2nd Floor

🎟️ Literary Death Match Starring Kurt Andersen, Kim Fu, Richard Kelly Kemick, Liz Nugent, Carol Off, Jessica Johns & Daniel Zomparelli
7:30 PM, Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre

🎟️ An Evening with Emily St. John Mandel
7:30 PM, Patricia A. Whelan Theatre, Central Library

View today’s schedule and more at wordfest.com!

✨ Day three left us with plenty to talk about. From thought-provoking conversations to unexpected connections, here are ...
10/16/2026

✨ Day three left us with plenty to talk about. From thought-provoking conversations to unexpected connections, here are a few moments we’re still thinking about. 📖💭

Dave Kotsibie, Stephen Kennedy, and Janis Isaman | Photographer

MAGINAIRIUM DAY 4 — Let's get LIT-ERARY!Day 4 is serving up classics, music, literary competition and some of the bigges...
10/16/2026

MAGINAIRIUM DAY 4 — Let's get LIT-ERARY!

Day 4 is serving up classics, music, literary competition and some of the biggest names of the festival.

🎟️ A Morning with Ruth Ozeki
10:00 AM, Memorial Park Library, 2nd Floor

🎟️ A Toast to the Classics Lunch Experience Starring Karma Brown, Patricia Finn, Tayari Jones, Jennifer Lambert, Canisia Lubrin, Liz Nugent, Carol Off, Ruth Ozeki & Stephanie Sinclair
12:00 PM, Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre

🎟️ Ways of Listening with Rollie Pemberton
5:30 PM, Memorial Park Library, 2nd Floor

🎟️ Literary Death Match Starring Kurt Andersen, Kim Fu, Richard Kelly Kemick, Liz Nugent, Carol Off, Jesicca Johns & Daniel Zomparelli
7:30 PM, Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre

🎟️ An Evening with Emily St. John Mandel
7:30 PM, Patricia A. Whelan Theatre, Central Library

View today’s schedule and more at wordfest.com!

IMAGINAIRIUM DAY 4 — Let's get LIT-ERARY!Day 4 is serving up classics, music, literary competition and some of the bigge...
10/16/2026

IMAGINAIRIUM DAY 4 — Let's get LIT-ERARY!

Day 4 is serving up classics, music, literary competition and some of the biggest names of the festival.

🎟️ A Morning with Ruth Ozeki
10:00 AM, Memorial Park Library, 2nd Floor - SOLD OUT

🎟️ A Toast to the Classics Lunch Experience Starring Karma Brown, Patricia Finn, Tayari Jones, Jennifer Lambert, Canisia Lubrin, Liz Nugent, Carol Off, Ruth Ozeki & Stephanie Sinclair
12:00 PM, Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre - SOLD OUT

🎟️ Ways of Listening with Rollie Pemberton
5:30 PM, Memorial Park Library, 2nd Floor

🎟️ Literary Death Match Starring Kurt Andersen, Kim Fu, Richard Kelly Kemick, Liz Nugent, Carol Off, Joss Richard & Daniel Zomparelli
7:30 PM, Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre - LOW TICKET ALERT

🎟️ An Evening with Emily St. John Mandel
7:30 PM, Patricia A. Whelan Theatre, Central Library - SOLD OUT

View today’s schedule and more at wordfest.com!

10/16/2026

🔪👻 Things got a little spooky at Imaginairium tonight…

Karma Brown, Kim Fu, Dania | دانية 🌙, vikkivansickle, and Daniel Zomparelli brought the chills, while TIMOTHONIUS ® & Jane Madeleine kept us delightfully on edge with their mischievous musical magic. ✨🎹

Hosted by Paula Turcotte, our first-ever Bloody Good Horror Cabaret was creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky — and completely unforgettable.

🐊Wordfest Presents The Way We… Talk About Animals Last night, the cats, the dogs, and the undomesticated wild things got...
10/15/2026

🐊Wordfest Presents The Way We… Talk About Animals

Last night, the cats, the dogs, and the undomesticated wild things got their moment in the spotlight, thanks to six humans who know and love them well. 🔦

Team Cat was repped by Jillian Tamaki Jillian Tamaki (Young Cat, Old Cat) and Rosemary Sullivan rosesullivanauthor (Fierce Attachments), while Richard Kelly Kemick (Decadence) was unabashedly Pro Dog. Neil Griffin Neil (Endings) bore witness to extinction, while Jackie Morris Jackie Morris (The Book of Birds) and Dan Werb Dan Werb (Our Wild Familiars) called out feral creatures, big and small. 🐾

📸 Dave Kotsibie

Still dreaming of these Day 2 highlights 🥹Dave Kotsibie & Janis Isaman | Photographer
10/15/2026

Still dreaming of these Day 2 highlights 🥹

Dave Kotsibie & Janis Isaman | Photographer

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