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You might have seen us tease something special if you’ve been to some of our recent shows… 😉

WE HAVE BUTTONS! 🎉

Think of them as mission-candy, emphasizing the core of what Wordfest does - delivering life-affirming, mind-opening, and connection-inspiring experiences. 🫶🏻

Thank you to @torontoinkcompany, @eaw.ink, and @sixcentpress for helping us bring our Wordifesto to life.

Come find your button at your next Wordfest show, with proceeds supporting Wordfest Youth. 💙

🎶 Simon Folwar from #Uppbeat

If your idea of a good time involves great stories and curious people… welcome home.

🎟️ ❤️ Tickets are usually just $25
🍷 📕 Bars and bookstores on site
🙌 🫶All kinds of genres - from sci-fi to non-fiction, memoirs to romance, cookbooks to lit award-winners.

Head to wordfest.com to see who is coming to Calgary soon…

Here’s everything you need to know about seeing a show at Wordfest… in 78 seconds!

You never have to read the book before a Wordfest show — think of it like a concert, and the book is the cool T-shirt. 🎤📚 We’re spoiler-free and promise to leave your brain buzzing with fresh perspectives and insider insights.

Check out upcoming events at wordfest.com — and pro tip: subscribe to our newsletter! Some shows sell out before they’re even posted. 👀📩

See you soon, Calgary!

“Canadian horror is alive and well!” If Nick Cutter says it’s so, we can rejoice.

The fandom was strong with this jump-scare-loving crowd tonight, as @nickcutter2026 and @marcus_kliewer brought us behind the curtain on the craft of spooking, unsettling, and mind-bending. Hosted by @youngblutshelley, who read each book in one sitting - as it turns out, she wasn’t the only one!

Perfectly complemented by our friends at @nocturnebooksyyc - tonight was full of insights, fully signed backlists, and new friends.

👻 Welcome to Wordfest! 👻

We’re thrilled to unveil this year’s official Reading in the Wild poster, illustrated by Calgary’s own Tori English @bytorienglish 🎨

📚 Join Wordfest and @CalgaryLibrary for Calgary’s outdoor read-a-thon—where hundreds of readers gather in Memorial Park to enjoy books, treats, and community in the open air.

🗓️ Tuesday, June 23, 2026
🕓 4–7 PM
📍 Memorial Park
🎟️ Free

With free ice cream for the first 400 guests, live music, coffee, zero-proof beverages, and plenty of bookish surprises, this is one evening you can’t miss!
So bring a blanket, a book, and your reading pals (including well-behaved dogs 🐶) and RSVP at the link in bio! 

#ReadingInTheWild

📚🌳 Reading in the Wild is back! 🍦☀️

Wordfest and @calgarylibrary are thrilled to announce the return of #ReadingInTheWild (third edition!) - Calgary’s beloved outdoor read-a-thon and the ultimate summer outing for book lovers.

Join hundreds of readers for an evening of books, community, and relaxing in the sunshine. Bring a blanket, your current read, and your favourite reading buddy (including well-behaved dogs 🐶).

🗓️ Tuesday, June 23, 2026
🕓 4–7 PM
📍 Memorial Park
🎟️ FREE

Don’t have a book? Borrow one from Calgary Public Library’s outdoor circulation desk and sign up for a free library card. 
This year’s special additions include:

🎵 Live music from @solatidoyyc
☕ Pop-up café from @barrowcoffee
🍦 Free ice cream from @villageicecream for the first 400 guests (and the first 25 pups!)
🍹 Zero-proof cocktail samples from @drinkwildfolk and @tuesdaybrewingco
🥪 Preorder a @parkbysidewalk dinner box to caption
🛍️ Bookish merch from @libraryfdnyyc
📚 Special Wordfest buttons and other fun giveaways
Whether you’re a lifelong reader or just looking for the perfect summer evening, Reading in the Wild is for everyone.

🔗RSVP now at the link in bio or visit Wordfest.com/ritw to receive event updates

#ReadingintheWild #Wordfest #CalgaryEvents #YYC

The before and after says it all. ✨

From an empty hall to hundreds of books lifted into the air — thank you for making our May 15 event with Carley Fortune @carleyfortune such a memorable celebration.

Consider this your official Wordfester initiation, Fortunates 💜💌

Books are even better when they’re shared! 📖

To mark National Little Free Library Day, we dropped off a few favourite reads at Little Free Libraries across Calgary. 🫶🏻

These tiny book exchanges are a simple but powerful reminder that stories build community. A book that meant something to you might be exactly what someone else needs to find. ☺️

📚 Take a book. Leave a book. Share the joy.

#littlefreelibrary

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Wordfest Presents Carley Fortune @carleyfortune

🗓️ Friday, May 15
📍 Bella Concert Hall @taylorcentre
📘”Our Perfect Storm” @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca

🎤 Shelley Youngblut @youngblutshelley
📸 @persuasionphoto

Salt air, stormy skies, and a sold-out crowd for @carleyfortune 🌊✨

Calgary readers gathered for a magical evening celebrating “Our Perfect Storm”, Carley’s newest heart-tugging romance. From notes-to-friends shared in our Bird House Mail Box to a Tofino-inspired photo backdrop, every detail brought the world of the novel to life. 💜

🐳 The evening was made even sweeter with complimentary scoops from @villageicecream, blue whale gummies from @pixiecandyshoppe, beautiful blooms by @peaseblossomsflowers, themed cocktails, Carley’s extensive backlist from @slowburn.books @penguinrandomca, and a post-show photo op!

Books, beach vibes, and a room full of readers completely swept away—this was one perfect storm of a night. 💙📚

— oh, nevermind.

**always happy to chat Wordfest if you’ve never been! I am their (self-proclaimed) resident fan girl, after all 😉 event schedule’s linked in my bio 🔗 tonight it’s Carley Fortune, next week I meet Marcus Kliewer!! 👏

#bookcommunity #authorevents #readercommunity #localcalgary | hey there delilah trend

This or That … 📝Historical Fiction Edition📝

We put bestselling (and best friend) authors Janie Chang @janiechang33 and Kate Quinn @katequinn5975to the ultimate this or that historical fiction round.

Research rabbit holes or writing sprints? 🐰🏃‍♀️
Writing or editing? ✍️👩🏻‍💻

Give us your takes below! 👇