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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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Devan Erno
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
Found Footage Fiction
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 7
Gemma Files
1:30pm
MDT
Game Theory 101 for writers
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Stephen B
Ron S. Friedman
3:00pm
MDT
Adventures in Shorts! Finding Success with Short Fiction and Personal Essays
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 7
J.C. (John) Corry • Kim Harbridge • Susan Calder • Hilary Faktor
4:30pm
MDT
Writing As Resistance: Using Our Words to Critique, Challenge, and Disrupt
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5
Madison Joyce • Priscille Bukasa • Adrienne Adams • Alex Benarzi • O.L. McAnord
7:00pm
MDT
Goblin Casino & Market
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Thompson Social Hub
Kim Firmston
9:00pm
MDT
Noir at the Bar
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Thompson Social Hub
Niall Howell
Saturday
, August 15
9:00am
MDT
Writing Beyond the Self: Creating Characters Outside Our Lived Experience
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5
James Downe • Robert J. Sawyer • Huck Kahng • Finnian Burnett
10:30am
MDT
Whose Plot is it Anyway? How to Master the Dominant Arc in Hybrid Fiction
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 8
Kim Cheel
12:00pm
MDT
Bored of Your Book? How to Fall in Love With Your Story Again
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 9
Nicole Bross
1:30pm
MDT
Real vs. Reality: Impact vs. Facts
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 8
Donna D. Conrad
4:30pm
MDT
From the Past to the Page: Transforming Historical Research into Compelling Fiction
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5
Bob Booth • Susan Calder • Lisa Williamson • Pamela Clark
6:00pm
MDT
Kevin McDonald Superstar
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 4+6
Kevin McDonald
Sunday
, August 16
9:00am
MDT
The Importance of Finding Your Community
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5
Deniz Soykurumcetin • Donna D. Conrad • J.C. (John) Corry • Marie Powell
10:30am
MDT
Inside the Villain's Mind: The Psychology Behind The Crime
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5
Pamela Donison • Valerie L. King • P.D. Workman • Dave Sweet
1:30pm
MDT
Your Process, Your Way: The Busy Wordsmith’s Sustainable Writing Practise
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 7
Nicole Bross
3:00pm
MDT
Tricks, Tips & Traps for Successful Writing Groups
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Herald
Sandy Navrady • Lareina Abbott • Sean Crawford • Em Williamson
4:30pm
MDT
Something in the Air Tonight: Using Setting to Reflect Emotion
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 8
Fiona McTaggart
Cross-Genre Careers: Keeping Series & Voice Coherent Across Genres
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Doll
Jennifer Sommersby • Alison McBain • Alexis Marie Chute • P.D. Workman
6:00pm
MDT
Closing Ceremony: Keynotes on Courage, Identity, and our Stories Ahead with Andrew Buckley and Gemma Files; plus War of the Words and 2027 festival lookahead
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 4+6
Andrew Buckley • Gemma Files
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