When Words Collide 2026 has ended

When Words Collide 2026

A Festival for Writers, Readers, and Fans

Geoff Sowrey

Calgary, AB

https://geoff.sowrey.org

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About me

Science, in general. Also interested in logistics (notably transportation, notably trains.) Amateur photographer. Elder Programmer with many years building and leading teams. Have self-published one novel, but working on about a dozen projects.

10:00am MDT

Welcome! Opening Ceremony & Keynote Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 4+6Delilah 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

Survival Skills in Dystopian Fiction Hyatt Regency Calgary - HeraldValerie L. King • Sandy Fitzpatrick • Gary Renshaw • Don Miasek • Susan Forest

1:30pm MDT

A CRASH COURSE IN CONTRACTS FOR WRITERS Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 7D.G. Valdron

3:00pm MDT

Paths to Publication: Traditional, Hybrid, and Self-Publishing in Today’s Market Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 6Linda Sanche • Craig DiLouie • Leanne Janzen • Carly Watters • Felicia Zuniga

4:30pm MDT

Bucket of Bones: Building the Skeleton of Your Murder Mystery Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 9Dave Sweet • Charlotte Morganti

9:00am MDT

Feminine Solutions in Science Fiction and Fantasy Hyatt Regency Calgary - HeraldSusan Forest • Krista Wallace • Sarah Johnson • Bonnie Jacoby • Camilla Tracy

10:30am MDT

Creating a Unique Detective Figure Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5Chris Carolan • Juanita R Violini • Jonathan Whitelaw • Lexie Angelo

12:00pm MDT

A CRASH COURSE IN COPYRIGHT Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 7D.G. Valdron

1:30pm MDT

Query Slush Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 6Jennifer Chevais • Jennifer Sommersby • Erin Weir • Bonnie Jacoby

3:00pm MDT

Laugh Out Loud Literary Devices Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 4Miranda Krogstad

4:30pm MDT

Cinematic Storytelling: Does Hollywood Flair Work in Speculative Fiction? Hyatt Regency Calgary - DollChris Corvan • Rick Overwater • Don Miasek • James Downe • Michael Peterson

6:00pm MDT

IFWA at the Improv Hyatt Regency Calgary - Thompson Social HubCalvin Jim

9:00am MDT

What Next? Self-editing Strategies for Moving Your Manuscript Forward Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 9Sandra McIntyre

10:30am MDT

Keynotes: The Changing Shape of Authorship: Future-Proofing Your Writing Career Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 6Amanda Leduc • Danny Ramadan • Craig DiLouie

12:00pm MDT

My Stupid Career, with Kevin McDonald Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 6Kevin McDonald Hard Science Fiction Shouldn't Be Hard Hyatt Regency Calgary - DollSarah Johnson • Robert J. Sawyer • Don Miasek • Calvin Jim

3:00pm MDT

The Third Path to Publishing: Finding Author Success with a Small Press Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5Sarah Johnson • Hilary Faktor • Susan Carpenter • CM Shanahan

4:30pm MDT

Decolonization of Speculative Fiction Hyatt Regency Calgary - HeraldSusan Forest • Onyx Shelton • Zeva Mah • Calvin Jim