2022-08-13 18:00:002022-08-13 18:00:00America/EdmontonTry Not To Be Strange: The Curious History of the Kingdom of RedondaWe’re thrilled to launch the fest with this utterly charming and delightfully peculiar new work by celebrated Edmonton author Michael Hingston. Part literary history, part travelogue, part quest narrative, prepare to embark on a rollicking recounting of the author's extraordinary journey of discovery.Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart TheatreLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Feature Author
Try Not To Be Strange: The Curious History of the Kingdom of Redonda
Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart Theatre
We’re thrilled to launch the fest with this utterly charming and delightfully peculiar new work by celebrated Edmonton author Michael Hingston. Part literary history, part travelogue, part quest narrative, prepare to embark on a rollicking recounting of the author's extraordinary journey of discovery.
Friday October 14, 2022
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2022-10-14 17:00:002022-10-14 17:00:00America/EdmontonFilm Screening of Swollening by Jason PurcellCelebrating the poetry collection of the same name, Swollening is a short film that brings readers deeper into the thinking and inspiration behind this book that falls at the intersection of queerness and sickness. Featuring readings of poems and conversations with other artists about this collection, the Swollening film contextualizes the work and opens spaces for conversations about queerness, illness, masculinity, and more. The screening will be followed by a talkbalk with the film's creators.Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart TheatreLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Feature Author
Film Screening of Swollening by Jason Purcell
Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart Theatre
Celebrating the poetry collection of the same name, Swollening is a short film that brings readers deeper into the thinking and inspiration behind this book that falls at the intersection of queerness and sickness. Featuring readings of poems and conversations with other artists about this collection, the Swollening film contextualizes the work and opens spaces for conversations about queerness, illness, masculinity, and more. The screening will be followed by a talkbalk with the film's creators.
Event Sponsors
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2022-10-14 19:00:002022-10-14 19:00:00America/Edmonton10 Days That Shaped Modern CanadaRevisiting ten notable days from recent history, Aaron W. Hughes invites readers to think about the tensions, events, and personalities that make Canada distinct. Appearing at LitFest in conversation with Senator Paula Simons, this evening will jumpstart reflection on who we are as a nation and how we got here.Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart TheatreLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Feature Author
Free Events
10 Days That Shaped Modern Canada
Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart Theatre
Revisiting ten notable days from recent history, Aaron W. Hughes invites readers to think about the tensions, events, and personalities that make Canada distinct. Appearing at LitFest in conversation with Senator Paula Simons, this evening will jumpstart reflection on who we are as a nation and how we got here.
Event Sponsors
Saturday October 15, 2022
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2022-10-15 14:00:002022-10-15 14:00:00America/EdmontonThe Unconventional Writing CareerFrom launching your own projects, finding public support for your 'unusual' writing titles in places outside of the traditional book industry, or developing your own unconventional writing community, let author Leanne Prain inspire you as you craft your career. Leanne's latest book is The Creative Instigator’s Handbook: A DIY Guide to Making Social Change Through Art.Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart TheatreLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Feature Author
The Unconventional Writing Career
Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart Theatre
From launching your own projects, finding public support for your 'unusual' writing titles in places outside of the traditional book industry, or developing your own unconventional writing community, let author Leanne Prain inspire you as you craft your career. Leanne's latest book is The Creative Instigator’s Handbook: A DIY Guide to Making Social Change Through Art.
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2022-10-15 16:00:002022-10-15 16:00:00America/EdmontonThe Polyglot Magazine Issue LaunchNamed Alberta’s Best New Magazine in 2021, The Polyglot has proudly published 188 writers and artists working in 51 Indigenous and Heritage languages in the last five years! Join us as we launch and celebrate our tenth issue with readings by brilliant bilingual writers Mila Bongco-Philipzig, Meghan Eaker, Diana Gaviria, Poushali Mitra, Candice Joy Oliva, and Gian Marco Visconti, who were participants in the WGA’s Horizons Writers Circle. This event is hosted by The Polyglot’s founding editor Adriana Oniță and Luciana Erregue-Sacchi, the editor of issue 10 and coordinator of Horizons Writers Circle.Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart TheatreLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Panel
The Polyglot Magazine Issue Launch
Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart Theatre
Named Alberta’s Best New Magazine in 2021, The Polyglot has proudly published 188 writers and artists working in 51 Indigenous and Heritage languages in the last five years! Join us as we launch and celebrate our tenth issue with readings by brilliant bilingual writers Mila Bongco-Philipzig, Meghan Eaker, Diana Gaviria, Poushali Mitra, Candice Joy Oliva, and Gian Marco Visconti, who were participants in the WGA’s Horizons Writers Circle. This event is hosted by The Polyglot’s founding editor Adriana Oniță and Luciana Erregue-Sacchi, the editor of issue 10 and coordinator of Horizons Writers Circle.
Sunday October 16, 2022
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2022-10-16 10:00:002022-10-16 10:00:00America/EdmontonMasterclass: Playing With Form: New approaches to writing creative nonfictionEditor and award-winning author Rowan McCandless examines how understanding different creative nonfiction forms can help authors tell difficult, emotional, or complicated stories in the most impactful way. This 90-minute masterclass will guide participants through a number of writing activities. People will have the opportunity to explore various outlier constructions of creative nonfiction (the lyric essay, the diptych, and the hermit crab essay, as examples). As this is a generative workshop, participants should bring paper and a pen or pencil to complete the various writing prompts.Virtual/OnlineLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Workshop
Masterclass: Playing With Form: New approaches to writing creative nonfiction
Editor and award-winning author Rowan McCandless examines how understanding different creative nonfiction forms can help authors tell difficult, emotional, or complicated stories in the most impactful way. This 90-minute masterclass will guide participants through a number of writing activities. People will have the opportunity to explore various outlier constructions of creative nonfiction (the lyric essay, the diptych, and the hermit crab essay, as examples). As this is a generative workshop, participants should bring paper and a pen or pencil to complete the various writing prompts.
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2022-10-16 13:00:002022-10-16 13:00:00America/EdmontonMasterclass: Crafting Your Activist Art ProjectLeanne Prain, author of The Creative Instigator’s Handbook: A DIY Guide to Making Social Change Through Art, will guide you through all of the questions to ask yourself to conceive, start and finish a new project to set yourself up for success.Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library - Community RoomLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Workshop
Masterclass: Crafting Your Activist Art Project
Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library - Community Room
7 Sir Winston Churchill Square Centennial Plaza Edmonton, AB
Leanne Prain, author of The Creative Instigator’s Handbook: A DIY Guide to Making Social Change Through Art, will guide you through all of the questions to ask yourself to conceive, start and finish a new project to set yourself up for success.
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2022-10-16 18:00:002022-10-16 18:00:00America/EdmontonBrandi Morin: Our Voice of FireInternationally acclaimed journalist Brandi Morin's debut memoir, Our Voice of Fire, chronicles her journey to overcome enormous adversity and find her purpose, and her power, through journalism. This compelling, honest book is full of self-compassion and the purifying fire of a pursuit for justiceMetro CinemaLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Internationally acclaimed journalist Brandi Morin's debut memoir, Our Voice of Fire, chronicles her journey to overcome enormous adversity and find her purpose, and her power, through journalism. This compelling, honest book is full of self-compassion and the purifying fire of a pursuit for justice
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2022-10-17 19:30:002022-10-17 19:30:00America/EdmontonAli Hassan: Is There Bacon in Heaven?Ali Hassan is a much-loved stand-up comedian, actor, and host of CBC Radio's Laugh Out Loud, and Canada Reads. In this heartfelt and funny memoir, based on his hit stand-up comedy, Hassan shares his lifelong journey to becoming a “cultural Muslim”—learning to walk the line of embracing his heritage while following his passions and being true to himself.Metro CinemaLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Ali Hassan is a much-loved stand-up comedian, actor, and host of CBC Radio's Laugh Out Loud, and Canada Reads. In this heartfelt and funny memoir, based on his hit stand-up comedy, Hassan shares his lifelong journey to becoming a “cultural Muslim”—learning to walk the line of embracing his heritage while following his passions and being true to himself.
Monday October 17, 2022
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2022-10-17 18:00:002022-10-17 18:00:00America/EdmontonThe Future is DisabledIn The Future Is Disabled, Leah Laksmi Piepzna-Samarasinha asks some provocative questions: What if, in the near future, the majority of people will be disabled - and what if that's not a bad thing? And what if disability justice and disabled wisdom are crucial to creating a future in which it's possible to survive fascism, climate change, and pandemics and to bring about liberation? ASL translation and CART captioning will be provided for this online event.Virtual/OnlineLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
In The Future Is Disabled, Leah Laksmi Piepzna-Samarasinha asks some provocative questions: What if, in the near future, the majority of people will be disabled - and what if that's not a bad thing? And what if disability justice and disabled wisdom are crucial to creating a future in which it's possible to survive fascism, climate change, and pandemics and to bring about liberation? ASL translation and CART captioning will be provided for this online event.
Wednesday October 19, 2022
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2022-10-19 17:00:002022-10-19 17:00:00America/EdmontonPanel: Overcoming the Neutral Zone Trap: Hockey’s Agents of ChangeA timely panel discussion featuring the editors and key contributors to Overcoming the Neutral Zone Trap: Hockey's Agents of Change. Like the book itself, this conversation will challenge hockey’s norms, push its boundaries, and provide new ways of conceptualizing its role in North American culture.Virtual/OnlineLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Free Events
Panel
Panel: Overcoming the Neutral Zone Trap: Hockey’s Agents of Change
A timely panel discussion featuring the editors and key contributors to Overcoming the Neutral Zone Trap: Hockey's Agents of Change. Like the book itself, this conversation will challenge hockey’s norms, push its boundaries, and provide new ways of conceptualizing its role in North American culture.
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2022-10-19 19:30:002022-10-19 19:30:00America/EdmontonStory SlamTen tellers. Five minutes. One winner. Let the game of truth begin! Sign-up at 7pm, slam at 7:30pm. Free to attend; arrive early! Space is limited.99TenLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Ten tellers. Five minutes. One winner. Let the game of truth begin! Sign-up at 7pm, slam at 7:30pm. Free to attend; arrive early! Space is limited.
Event Sponsors
Thursday October 20, 2022
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2022-10-20 16:30:002022-10-20 16:30:00America/EdmontonMasterclass: How to Write About Your Family and Still have One: Collective Experience and MemoirIn this 90 minute round table workshop, Margaret Macpherson, (Tracking the Caribou Queen: Memoir of A Settler Girlhood, NeWest) will use prompts and writing exercises to illuminate the ways in which writers can illustrate their work with lived experience while still guarding the intimate identities of others.Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library - Community RoomLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Workshop
Masterclass: How to Write About Your Family and Still have One: Collective Experience and Memoir
Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library - Community Room
7 Sir Winston Churchill Square Centennial Plaza Edmonton, AB
In this 90 minute round table workshop, Margaret Macpherson, (Tracking the Caribou Queen: Memoir of A Settler Girlhood, NeWest) will use prompts and writing exercises to illuminate the ways in which writers can illustrate their work with lived experience while still guarding the intimate identities of others.
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2022-10-20 20:00:002022-10-20 20:00:00America/EdmontonWe Made It All Up: Forty Years of Rapid Fire TheatreLongtime company member and writer Paul Blinov has faithfully chronicled Rapid Fire Theatre's journey to becoming a gem of the global improv scene. Hear about the history behind the hilarity, and delight in the improv stylings of some of Rapid Fire's best!Gateway TheatreLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
We Made It All Up: Forty Years of Rapid Fire Theatre
Longtime company member and writer Paul Blinov has faithfully chronicled Rapid Fire Theatre's journey to becoming a gem of the global improv scene. Hear about the history behind the hilarity, and delight in the improv stylings of some of Rapid Fire's best!
Event Sponsors
Friday October 21, 2022
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2022-10-21 12:00:002022-10-21 12:00:00America/EdmontonCLC Brown Bag Lunch with Kit DobsonFrom an intimate family moment to an expansive exploration of some of the most pressing questions of our time, Kit Dobson's Field Notes on Listening considers what we could discover if we listened deeply to the world around us. Free to attend.University of Alberta Henderson Hall (Rutherford Library South 1-17)LitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Free Events
CLC Brown Bag Lunch with Kit Dobson
University of Alberta Henderson Hall (Rutherford Library South 1-17)
From an intimate family moment to an expansive exploration of some of the most pressing questions of our time, Kit Dobson's Field Notes on Listening considers what we could discover if we listened deeply to the world around us. Free to attend.
Event Sponsors
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2022-10-21 17:00:002022-10-21 17:00:00America/EdmontonMasterclass: Illustrating the Illustration StudioWhile the exact path Raymond Biesinger took to build his two-decade long art and illustration practice has long been covered over by technological and social change, join him as he explores (very candidly) the economic systems and organizational structures that are within his studio. From getting gigs to finding stability to working under capitalism without a trust fund, it’s a must for anyone who wants to turn their creative labour into a career.Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library - Community RoomLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Workshop
Masterclass: Illustrating the Illustration Studio
Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library - Community Room
7 Sir Winston Churchill Square Centennial Plaza Edmonton, AB
While the exact path Raymond Biesinger took to build his two-decade long art and illustration practice has long been covered over by technological and social change, join him as he explores (very candidly) the economic systems and organizational structures that are within his studio. From getting gigs to finding stability to working under capitalism without a trust fund, it’s a must for anyone who wants to turn their creative labour into a career.
Saturday October 22, 2022
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2022-10-22 12:00:002022-10-22 12:00:00America/EdmontonFood Matters: Have You Eaten Yet? – SOLD OUT!One of LitFest's most popular events returns with an exploration of the Chinese diaspora and identity through food, led by author and film documentarian Cheuk Kwan. For his latest book, Have You Eaten Yet?, Kwan has toured the globe to gather the personal stories of the families behind family-run Chinese restaurants. We'll also meet Kathryn Gwun-Yeen and Kyla Pascal, the creators of Hungry, a local magazine focused on food, art and community, that centres the voices and experiences of marginalized contributors. Tasty bites and beverages will be provided by Fu's Repair Shop. Please don't forget to tip your server.Fu's Repair ShopLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
One of LitFest's most popular events returns with an exploration of the Chinese diaspora and identity through food, led by author and film documentarian Cheuk Kwan. For his latest book, Have You Eaten Yet?, Kwan has toured the globe to gather the personal stories of the families behind family-run Chinese restaurants. We'll also meet Kathryn Gwun-Yeen and Kyla Pascal, the creators of Hungry, a local magazine focused on food, art and community, that centres the voices and experiences of marginalized contributors. Tasty bites and beverages will be provided by Fu's Repair Shop. Please don't forget to tip your server.
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2022-10-22 12:00:002022-10-22 12:00:00America/EdmontonThe Library of Redonda – A Pop Up ExhibitMichael Hingston's book Try Not to Be Strange tells the unbelievable true story of the Kingdom of Redonda, a semi-fictitious kingdom of writers who've claimed to rule over an uninhabited island in the Caribbean over the past 150 years. The Library of Redonda is a unique display of some of the rare, unique, and just plain odd items accumulated over the course of his research. Join Hingston for semi-guided tours of the exhibit, which features everything from signed books to unpublished photographs to a handmade flag that was actually flown from the island's peak.
Free admission, donations appreciated.Lowlands Project SpaceLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Michael Hingston's book Try Not to Be Strange tells the unbelievable true story of the Kingdom of Redonda, a semi-fictitious kingdom of writers who've claimed to rule over an uninhabited island in the Caribbean over the past 150 years. The Library of Redonda is a unique display of some of the rare, unique, and just plain odd items accumulated over the course of his research. Join Hingston for semi-guided tours of the exhibit, which features everything from signed books to unpublished photographs to a handmade flag that was actually flown from the island's peak.
Free admission, donations appreciated.
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2022-10-22 14:00:002022-10-22 14:00:00America/EdmontonLost Buildings of Edmonton: A Walking Tour – SOLD OUT!Putting a local lens on their stunning national compendium of Canada's lost architecture, 305 Lost Buildings of Canada, Raymond Biesinger and Alex Bozikovic will lead a fascinating fact-filled walking tour of the iconic lost buildings of Edmonton's downtown.
Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart TheatreLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Feature Author
Lost Buildings of Edmonton: A Walking Tour – SOLD OUT!
Stanley A. Milner Edmonton Public Library – Muttart Theatre
Putting a local lens on their stunning national compendium of Canada's lost architecture, 305 Lost Buildings of Canada, Raymond Biesinger and Alex Bozikovic will lead a fascinating fact-filled walking tour of the iconic lost buildings of Edmonton's downtown.
Event Sponsors
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2022-10-22 19:00:002022-10-22 19:00:00America/EdmontonBedroom Rapper: Cadence Weapon on Hip-Hop, Resistance and Surviving the Music IndustryTracing his roots from recording beats in his mom's attic in Edmonton to performing with some of the most recognizable names in rap and electronic music, Polaris Prize winner Rollie Pemberton, a.k.a Cadence Weapon, captures the joy in finding yourself, and how a sense of place and purpose entwines inextricably with a music scene in his new memoir, Bedroom Rapper: Cadence Weapon on Hip-Hop, Resistance and Surviving the Music Industry. B-R33L$ will DJ following.CO*LABLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Feature Author
Bedroom Rapper: Cadence Weapon on Hip-Hop, Resistance and Surviving the Music Industry
Tracing his roots from recording beats in his mom's attic in Edmonton to performing with some of the most recognizable names in rap and electronic music, Polaris Prize winner Rollie Pemberton, a.k.a Cadence Weapon, captures the joy in finding yourself, and how a sense of place and purpose entwines inextricably with a music scene in his new memoir, Bedroom Rapper: Cadence Weapon on Hip-Hop, Resistance and Surviving the Music Industry. B-R33L$ will DJ following.
Sunday October 23, 2022
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2022-10-23 12:00:002022-10-23 12:00:00America/EdmontonA Brunch of Writers: The Power of StoryJoin us in celebrating the life and influence of Harold R. Johnson (1954-2022) who was one of the leading Indigenous writers in Canada. Through a discussion of his most recent book, The Power of Story: On Truth, the Trickster, and New Fictions for a New Era (Biblioasis 2022)--which he considered to be the culmination of his life's work--acclaimed panelists Shelagh Rogers, Tracey Lindberg, Tom Roberts, and Michelle Good will reflect on Harold's larger legacy, both literary and otherwise. In The Power of Story, Johnson explains the role of storytelling in every aspect of human life, from personal identity to history and the social contracts that structure our societies, and illustrates how we can direct its potential to recreate and reform not only our own lives, but the life we share. Companionable, clear-eyed, and, above all, optimistic, Johnson’s message is both a dire warning and a direct invitation to each of us to imagine and create, together, the world we want to live in.
We can't wait to share this expansive work with you on Sunday, October 23, 2022, as the final event of this year's festival.Virtual/OnlineLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Join us in celebrating the life and influence of Harold R. Johnson (1954-2022) who was one of the leading Indigenous writers in Canada. Through a discussion of his most recent book, The Power of Story: On Truth, the Trickster, and New Fictions for a New Era (Biblioasis 2022)--which he considered to be the culmination of his life's work--acclaimed panelists Shelagh Rogers, Tracey Lindberg, Tom Roberts, and Michelle Good will reflect on Harold's larger legacy, both literary and otherwise. In The Power of Story, Johnson explains the role of storytelling in every aspect of human life, from personal identity to history and the social contracts that structure our societies, and illustrates how we can direct its potential to recreate and reform not only our own lives, but the life we share. Companionable, clear-eyed, and, above all, optimistic, Johnson’s message is both a dire warning and a direct invitation to each of us to imagine and create, together, the world we want to live in.
We can't wait to share this expansive work with you on Sunday, October 23, 2022, as the final event of this year's festival.
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PM
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03:00
PM
2022-10-23 12:00:002022-10-23 12:00:00America/EdmontonThe Library of Redonda – A Pop Up ExhibitMichael Hingston's book Try Not to Be Strange tells the unbelievable true story of the Kingdom of Redonda, a semi-fictitious kingdom of writers who've claimed to rule over an uninhabited island in the Caribbean over the past 150 years. The Library of Redonda is a unique display of some of the rare, unique, and just plain odd items accumulated over the course of his research. Join Hingston for semi-guided tours of the exhibit, which features everything from signed books to unpublished photographs to a handmade flag that was actually flown from the island's peak.
Free admission, donations appreciated.Lowlands Project SpaceLitFest Albertainfo@litfestalberta.org
Michael Hingston's book Try Not to Be Strange tells the unbelievable true story of the Kingdom of Redonda, a semi-fictitious kingdom of writers who've claimed to rule over an uninhabited island in the Caribbean over the past 150 years. The Library of Redonda is a unique display of some of the rare, unique, and just plain odd items accumulated over the course of his research. Join Hingston for semi-guided tours of the exhibit, which features everything from signed books to unpublished photographs to a handmade flag that was actually flown from the island's peak.
Free admission, donations appreciated.
