Past Events: Litfest 2017

Kicking off the fest this year is the juxtaposition of two very different on-the-road stories by hometown heroes: Mystery author Janice McDonald's memoir Confederation Drive, about the trek to Expo '67 with her mother, and YEG punk progeny Eamon McGrath's fictionalized tour memoir, Berlin-Warsawa Express. Hosted by local poet and author (and Eamon's own Mom), Wendy McGrath. Readings and discussion will be followed by the rapid-fire Elevator Cabaret, where we spill the beans on the rest of the LitFest line-up. 

Tickets

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

When BookNet released its listing of the top-selling 150 Canadian books of the past decade, Kirstie McLellan Day had three titles on that list, all co-written with famed hockey personalities. From Theo Fleury to Ron McLean to the Great One, her newest collaboration with Kelly Hrudey is set to be released this fall. She's as official a biographer as anyone writing about the NHL, and she has stories to share about capturing the voices of bruisers and bellwethers alike. Hosted by intrepid CBC sports and Olympics commentator Mark Connolly.  Free.

Authors Kit Dobson and Chris Urquhart debate consumerism (and the rejection thereof), mall-culture, nomadic teens, and the effects of it all on the Canadian landscape. A night of juxtaposition, gentle arguing, and overall fun insights into two different sets of values. Hosted by Adam Rozenhart.  Ticket information $12 advance on Eventbrite, $15 at the door

Your memoir is your story, told in your way. Why would any other perspective matter, whether that of a relative, friend, or foe? This era of post truth challenges the importance and even the existence of truth. Yet we write to discover and to share the truths in our lives. And readers of non-fiction want to trust – they expect authenticity. In crafting their own family memoirs, Caterina Edwards and Jean Crozier wrestled with clashing viewpoints and alternative myths. Come write with us: as yet unrecognized truths may lead you to some unique conclusions.

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

Two authors discuss their varied research on book-culture, down to the very form of the physical printed tome. From Simonds' Gutenberg's Fingerprint to Dewar's explosive research on the foreign sale of Canada's most storied publishing house in The Handover, this is a conversation for anyone curious about the status of books and publishing in the contemporary world. Hosted by Jason Lee Norman of Edmonton's Monto Books. 

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

You've written a great book; now how do you get that editor or agent to read it? This workshop takes you through the primary elements of a successful book submission: the covering letter, the synopsis (and chapter outline, for nonfiction), the author bio and marketing strategy, and the sample manuscript. By the end, you’ll be able to pitch your book in 25 words or less. You'll also learn the inner workings of the publishing industry and how to find the perfect editor or agent for your work. Facilitated by nonfiction education guru Merilyn Simonds. 

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

Six writers, each with different backgrounds and writing in a variety of genres, offer their perspectives and insights on the coming together of differences—differing languages, values, practices—and the surprising commonalities that can emerge through sharing stories. By way of multimedia presentations, the authors will take the audience on a journey through the complexities of transcultural encounters, demonstrating how the literary arts play a significant role in building a healthy, diverse society. Followed by a question and answer period. Presented by members of the Borderlines Writers Circle of the Writers Guild of Alberta.

Ticket Information

Free, please RSVP through Eventbrite. 

2017 Massey Lecturer Payam Akhavan is a renowned UN prosecutor and human rights scholar, arguing that deceptive utopias, political cynicism, and public apathy have given rise to major human rights abuses, from the religious persecution of Iranian Bahá’ís to the horrors of ethnic cleansing in Yugoslavia, the genocide in Rwanda, and the rise of the contemporary Islamic State. But he also reflects on the inspiring resilience of the human spirit and the reality of our inextricable interdependence to liberate us, whether from hateful ideologies that deny the humanity of others or an empty consumerist culture that worships greed and self-indulgence. A timely, essential, and passionate work of memoir and history, In Search of a Better World is a tour de force by this internationally renowned human rights lawyer. Presented in partnership with the Edmonton chapter of Amnesty International.

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

Replacing the popular Femme-oir Hour this year is a panel of journalists discussing their varied experiences of writing in media's modern milieu. From online public commentary to nasty trolls to avoiding the web altogether, this conversation with some of YEG's finest media mavens is not to be missed. The panel features Elaine Dewar, Jana Pruden, Paula Simons, and Kathleen Smith. Hosted by The Broadcast's Alex Zabjek.

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

For readers of Mindy Kaling, Jenny Lawson and Roxane Gay, Scaachi Koul's debut collection of fierce and funny essays about growing up the daughter of Indian immigrants in Canada, "a land of ice and casual racism," by the irreverent, hilarious cultural observer and incomparable rising Buzzfeed star. Koul's subjects range from shaving her knuckles in grade school to dealing with internet trolls to parsing the trajectory of fears and anxieties that pressed upon her immigrant parents and bled down a generation.  And through these intimate, wise and laugh-out-loud funny dispatches, a portrait of a bright new literary voice emerges.

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

A noon-hour discussion with author Britt Wray on her debut book, Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics and Risks of De-Extinction. In conversation with local science-writer Andrea Anderson.

Ticket Information

Free, open to all.

What happens when you try to recreate a woolly mammoth—fascinating science, or conservation catastrophe? In Rise of the Necrofauna, Britt Wray takes us deep into the minds and labs of some of the world’s most progressive thinkers to find out. She introduces us to renowned futurists like Stewart Brand and scientists like George Church, who are harnessing the powers of CRISPR gene editing in the hopes of “reviving” extinct passenger pigeons, woolly mammoths, and heath hens. Featuring a special creative response to the topic of de-extinction with Jen Mesch Dance Conspiracy. Presented in partnership with the Friends of Royal Alberta Museum Society (FRAMS). 

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

As skeptics point out, Brexit and the Trump presidency were unthinkable until they happened. Could it be that Canada is not immune to the same forces of populism, social fracture, and backlash that have afflicted other parts of the world? Pollster and social values researcher Michael Adams takes Canadians into the examining room to see whether we are at risk of coming down with the malaise affecting other Western democracies. Drawing on major social values surveys of Canadians and Americans in 2016—as well as decades of tracking data in both countries—Adams examines our economy, institutions, and demographics to answer the question: Could it happen here?  This event is presented in partnership with the Art Gallery of Alberta.

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

Bestselling author Chris Turner brings readers onto the streets of Fort McMurray in The Patch, showing the myriad ways the oil sands impact Albertan and Canadian lives and demanding that we ask the question: To both fuel the world and to save it, what do we do about the Patch? Presented with the Canadian Literature Centre at the University of Alberta.

Ticket Information

Free, please RSVP on Eventbrite. 

It's all all-Albertan round of ideas on the oil industry and its challenges. Chris Turner and Kevin Taft discuss their latest respective releases, The Patch and Oil's Deep State. Hosted by Sheila Pratt.

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

The annual nonfiction edition of Story Slam is an all-time favourite LitFest event, where slammers battle for the limelight to win the audience judges' hearts. Story sign-up starts at 7pm, Slam begins at 7:30pm. Ten writers. Five Minutes. All glory. (Arrive early, seating is limited.)

Ticket Information

Free.

Winner of the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, and Finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-fiction and the Trillium Book Award, Kamal Al-Solaylee's Brown explores the in-between space that brown people occupy in today’s world: on the cusp of whiteness and the edge of blackness. Brown proposes a cohesive racial identity and politics for the millions of people from the Global South and provides a timely context for the frictions and anxieties around immigration and multiculturalism that have led to the rise of populist movements in Europe and the election of Donald Trump.

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

A rich and fascinating history of Canada’s first celebrity mobster, Rocco Perri—King of the Bootleggers—and the man who pursued him, Canada’s first undercover Mountie. With original research and masterful storytelling, Cole details the fascinating rise to power of a notorious Prohibition-era Canadian crime figure. Trevor Cole will be joined in conversation with Canadian whisky historian Davin de Kergommeaux. 

Ticket Information

Free

Using a sweeping narrative focusing on the lives of young students, award-winning investigative journalist Tanya Talaga delves into the history of this small northern city that has come to manifest Canada’s long struggle with human rights violations against Indigenous communities in her uncompromising new book, Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City.

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door. Tickets on sale to the public soon. 

Do you struggle to explain complex ideas to a general audience? This workshop, by long-time science writer (and Edmontonian) Bob Holmes, will address the challenge through examples, exercises, and your own problem prose. You don’t have to be writing about science to participate—any complex or specialized subjects are welcome, from gardening to economics and everything in between.

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

Food Matters returns with Toronto restaurateur and author Jen Agg, with her sensational debut memoir, I Hear She's A Real Bitch. She'll be joined by chef David Wolfman of APTN fame to discuss his first cookbook, science-writer Bob Holmes on his book Flavour, all rounded out by food-guru Jennifer Cockrall-King. Wine tastings from Naramanta Bench Wineries and tasty tidbits will flow freely--get set for an afternoon of great food conversations with fantastic personalities. Sponsored by Toms Wealth Management Group. PARKING NOTE: Guests of this event at the Varscona Hotel on Whyte are welcome to self-park their vehicles in the parkade. It is managed by IMPARK and require guests to register their license plate with the Guest Services Desk upon arrival. The parkade is located in-between 106 street and 107 street, accessible via Whyte Avenue.

Ticket Information

$45 advance on Eventbrite, $50 at the door  

Glass Buffalo Magazine teams up with LitFest to present James Collier, Danielle Lorenz, and Sadia Masud—along with special guest Tanya Talaga, author of Seven Fallen Feathers—to share writing and ideas on social inclusion and offer unique perspectives on race, gender, and disability.

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

Throughout 2017 LitFest has been working with Edmonton Community Foundation and Eighteen Bridges Magazine on the High Level Lit Project, and now it's finally here: The High Level Lit Anthology. Writers from the series revisit their essays, with special presentations by contributors to the High Level Lit project, including Cadence Weapon, Catrin Owen, and Omar Mouallem. Hosted by Eighteen Bridges Editor, Curtis Gillespie. 

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

The popular Sunday brunch on the closing day of the fest returns, this time with a line-up of local and visiting writers. Hear about what's going on in YEG's lit community, enjoy a mimosa or two, and a fabulous buffet brunch provided by the chefs at the Matrix Hotel. With readings by Tanya Talaga, Evany Rosen, David Wolfman, and Ruby Remenda Swanson. Hosted by LitFest's Past President, Jennifer Cockrall-King. 

Ticket Information

$45 in advance on Eventbrite/$50 at the door 

Join Third Verb and learn how to distill your prose into powerful, lasting flash nonfiction. This popular form is the perfect place to sharpen your writing skills as it encourages experimentation and privileges language. In this two hour workshop, we will begin by exploring the flash form and discover how a story can be full and well-crafted in as little as 50 words. We will then learn techniques to create meaningful short, short stories, and try out these micro-tools by responding to writing prompts. After we have a feel for the form, we will spend some time writing and revising our own teeny-tiny true stories. Facilitated by Third Verb's Jessica Kluthe. 

Ticket Information

$12 advance on Eventbrite/$15 at the door

What I Think Happened, the debut book by comedian Evany Rosen, is really two books: a savvy, no-holds-barred romp through the history of the western world, and the personal story of a self-described "failed academic" who recasts historiography from a feminist perspective―albeit an underqualified and overconfident one. From her unnatural obsession with Napoleon, to her misguided understanding of the Royal Family, to her intrigue over America's dumpiest presidents, Rosen's approach to history is to make it personal, which any good historian will tell you is exactly what not to do; but in doing so, and with whimsy and irreverence, she rescues history from the dusty confines of "intellectually aggressive" men and makes it fun. In conversation with Rapid Fire Theatre's Paul Blinov.