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A Festival for Writers, Readers, and Fans
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Live Action Slush: Romance
Saturday August 15, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm MDT
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 6
Live Action Slush - What is it?

The Slush Pile is the magical pile of unsolicited manuscripts that editors and publishers comb through to discover great new work.

A Live Action Slush event is just a slush pile in real time. A panel of editors and publishers listen to a cold reader tackling an anonymous first page of a manuscript. The panelists raise their hands at the moment they would stop reading. When all hands are raised, the reader stops and the discussion begins. What’s working? What’s not working? Discuss! At the end, the submitter may choose to identify themselves, or stay under the radar. 
How to Play
  1. Bring the first page of your manuscript without your name on it! Take note of the genre of the slush; one page only; typed, double-spaced, 11pt type. 
  2. Drop it in the basket and hope yours gets picked for review. 
The panelists will try to get through as many as they can in the 60 minute event! This year we have several slush types to enjoy.

Mark your SCHED schedules, go write and good luck! 

Reader: Nicole Roche
Presenters
avatar for Nicole Roche

Nicole Roche

Communications & Marketing, Alexandra Writers Centre Society


avatar for Mira Landry

Mira Landry

Literary Agent
Born and raised in British Columbia, she has traveled to over eighty countries and now resides in Colorado with her husband where she still seeks adventure in both real life and on the page.

She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia and a Certificate of Creative Writing from Simon Fraser University. After a decade building her own business as a photographer, she began her career as an agent in 2022 and is eager to help authors turn their art... Read More →
avatar for Carly Watters

Carly Watters

Literary Agent, P.S. Literary
Carly Watters began her publishing career in 2009 in London at the Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency. She has a BA in English Literature from Queen’s University, a MA in Publishing Studies from City St. George’s at the University of London, and is a graduate of Harvard... Read More →
avatar for Alison McBain

Alison McBain

Alison McBain is a biracial author whose novels have received over 13 awards, including the Foreword INDIES. Her work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, shortlisted for the Alpine Fellowship, and a finalist for Best of the Net in 2025. When not writing for herself, she’s... Read More →
Saturday August 15, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm MDT
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 6 700 Centre St S, Calgary, AB T2G 5P6, Canada
  Slush

Attendees (30)


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