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When Words Collide 2026
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When Words Collide 2026
A Festival for Writers, Readers, and Fans
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DR
David Robinson
TechKnowledgey Group
Executive Director
Calgary Alberta
tkygroup.com
Friday
, August 14
10:00am
MDT
Welcome! Opening Ceremony & Keynote
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 4+6
Delilah S. Dawson • Kevin McDonald • Andrew Buckley • Bianca Marais • Lily Chu • Craig DiLouie • Gemma Files • Danny Ramadan • Amanda Leduc • Mira Landry • Carly Watters • Cecilia "CeCe" Lyra • Terry Brooks
12:00pm
MDT
Fundamentals of Commercial Fiction - MASTERCLASS (pre-reg req)
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Walker
Craig DiLouie
The AI Argument
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5
D.G. Valdron • Jason Pearce • Cleodel Khrishna • Alison McBain
1:30pm
MDT
A CRASH COURSE IN CONTRACTS FOR WRITERS
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 7
D.G. Valdron
From the Author’s Chair: Looking at the Gatekeepers from the Author’s POV
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5
Ali Bryan • Shane Kroetsch • Bradley Somer • Danny Ramadan
Short & Sweet, Why Word-Economy Needs to be in Every Writer's Toolkit
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 8
Alexis Marie Chute
Speak Up! Techniques for Readings and Literary Performances
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 6
Miranda Krogstad
3:00pm
MDT
Paths to Publication: Traditional, Hybrid, and Self-Publishing in Today’s Market
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 6
Linda Sanche • Craig DiLouie • Leanne Janzen • Carly Watters • Felicia Zuniga
4:30pm
MDT
The Whole Package: Creating a Top-Quality Published Book That Jumps Off the Shelf and Attacks Your Reader (Nicely)
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 7
Jennifer Sommersby
9:00pm
MDT
Noir at the Bar
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Thompson Social Hub
Niall Howell
Saturday
, August 15
9:00am
MDT
BREAKFAST CLUB: The Shit No One Tells You About Writing / Books with Hooks
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 6
Bianca Marais • Carly Watters • Cecilia "CeCe" Lyra
Selling Your Book Without Platform
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 7
Jessica Waite
Beyond Character vs. Plot Driven: The Differences between Literary Upmarket, & Commercial Fiction - MASTERCLASS (pre-reg req)
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Walker
Mira Landry
10:30am
MDT
How To Pitch in Real Life
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 9
Carly Watters
What About Me: From Memoir to Autofiction
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 4
Robyn Diner
12:00pm
MDT
A CRASH COURSE IN COPYRIGHT
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 7
D.G. Valdron
An Author's Guide to Longevity and Adapting to the Changing Publishing Landscape
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5
Mark Leslie Lefebvre • Robert J. Sawyer
Master the 5 Elements of Writing - MASTERCLASS (pre-reg req)
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Bannerman
Suzy Vadori
1:30pm
MDT
Surviving Publishing
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Doll
Rhonda Parrish • Jason Pearce • Margaret Curelas
3:00pm
MDT
Screenwriting Essentials - MASTERCLASS (pre-reg req)
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Walker
Andrew Buckley
Accelerate It: Writing in Flow
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 8
Rosey Hwang
Laugh Out Loud Literary Devices
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 4
Miranda Krogstad
6:00pm
MDT
IFWA at the Improv
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Thompson Social Hub
Calvin Jim
Sunday
, August 16
9:00am
MDT
What Next? Self-editing Strategies for Moving Your Manuscript Forward
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 9
Sandra McIntyre
10:30am
MDT
Improv Your Writing
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Bannerman
Peter G. Reynolds
Marketing Without the Ick: Show Up, Be Seen, and Share With Heart
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 8
Rosey Hwang
12:00pm
MDT
The Do's and Don'ts of Cover Design
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Stephen B
Crystal Kladreau
Working with a Freelance Editor: What to Expect When You’re Expecting (a Manuscript Edit)
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 7
Jennifer Sommersby
From Manuscript to Market: Ask Us Anything
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Herald
Cecilia "CeCe" Lyra • Leanne Janzen • Mira Landry • Ella Beaumont
Avoiding the 10 Biggest Mistakes Writers Make w. Bianca Marais
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 4
Bianca Marais
Get that grant! How to win literary arts grants
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 8
Lexie Angelo
1:30pm
MDT
How to Write a Synopsis without Crying First
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 4
Mira Landry
3:00pm
MDT
Strategies for Surviving Feedback - MASTERCLASS (pre-reg req)
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Bannerman
Finnian Burnett • Christine Tsai Taylor
The Third Path to Publishing: Finding Author Success with a Small Press
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5
Sarah Johnson • Hilary Faktor • Susan Carpenter • CM Shanahan
4:30pm
MDT
Developmental Editing Your Book
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 7
Suzy Vadori
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