May 27 at 10:00 am: Join us for an inspiring keynote for students about the craft of writing from best selling author Richard Van Camp.
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LitCon returns to the Library for its third year! The literary arts festival is for students in grades K–9 and provides exposure to literary artists – fostering creativity, social connections, and skill development.
Classrooms can register for virtual sessions with peers and professional creatives to learn more about the literary arts while individual students can get inspired during in-person programs at select Library locations.
LitCon is presented in partnership with Wordfest.
This year, LitCon will be open to educators and students from all across Calgary and area. Attend virtual programs with your class throughout the week, or, if you're a Library member, join us in-person on Saturday at Central Library to participate in our in-person workshops.
Check back here in the months ahead for guest speaker announcements, and details on sessions, contests, prizes, and more!
May 27 at 10:00 am: Join us for an inspiring keynote for students about the craft of writing from best selling author Richard Van Camp.
May 27 at 1:00 pm: Join Dr. Nhung Tran-Davies for her inspiring story, a reading from 'The Doll,' and discussions on immigration, writing, and publication.
May 28 at 9:30 am: Enjoy a captivating reading of "Naaahsa is an Artist!" with author Hali Heavy Shield, live drawing demo, and Q&A session.
May 28 at 1:00 pm: Experience the transformative power of words with educator and poet Wakefield Brewster! Join us for an inspiring session on the role of poetry in shaping an inclusive society.
May 29 at 10:00 am: Join us for a journey of storytelling with Richard Scrimger's Your Story Matters! Learn to craft your narrative, appreciate others', and celebrate every story!
May 29 at 1:00 pm: Embark on a thrilling journey with Calgarian author Sophie Torro! Discover how she transformed school scribbles into global stories.
May 30 at 9:30 am: Join the author for a "The Only Way to Make Bread" read-along! Dive into a fun hide-and-seek based on illustrations and wrap up with Q&A.
May 30 at 1:00 pm: Mackenzie Brown will use various artistic mediums to bring her Cree culture and stories to life.
Look forward to special prize draws for classes participating in individual LitCon school events.
The following events will be hosted in the Performance Hall for grades 4 – 12, and all festival goers are welcome to attend.
Opening Ceremonies and Keynote
Hosted by Wakefield Brewster and Em Williamson
10:30 am – 11:00 am
Improv Games
Hosted by Quest Theatre
11:10 am – 12:00 pm
Reality is Optional Book Launch and Writing Games
Hosted by Alexandra Writers' Centre Society
12:10 pm – 1:00 pm
Live Dungeons & Dragons
Hosted by Alexandra Writers' Centre Society
1:10 pm – 2:00 pm
Open Mic
Hosted by Em Williamson
2:10 pm – 3:00 pm
Closing Ceremonies and Mixer
Hosted by Em Williamson
3:10 pm – 4:00 pm
Creating Villains
For Grades 4 – 6
Hosted by Alex Benarzi
In Room 0-13
Cartooning and Animation
For Grades 4 – 6
Hosted by Bunny Batista
In Room 0-14
Writing Spoken Word Poetry
For Grades 7 –12
Hosted by Wakefield Brewster
In the Teen Tech Lab
Why Wait? Self Publishing as a Teen
For Grades 7 –12
Hosted by Sydney Ball and Willa Holmes
In the Teen Study Hall
LGBT2S+ Meet Up
For Grades 7 –12
Hosted by Em Williamson
In the BMO Community Room
Collaborative Poetry
For Grades 4 – 6
Hosted by Em Williamson
In Room 0-13
Games, Games, Games, Galore!
For Grades 4 – 6
Hosted by Shenaaz Nanji
In Room 0-14
Why Wait? Screen Writing and Movie Making
For Grades 7 – 12
1:00 pm – 1:50 pm
Hosted by Caelan Bell
In the Teen Tech Lab
BIPOC Meet Up
For Grades 7 – 12
Hosted by Precious de Leon
In the BMO Community Room
Playwriting
For Grades 4 – 6
Hosted by Anne Hodgson
In Room 0-13
Perfectly Imperfect Characters
For Grades 4 – 6
Hosted by Patti Edgar
In Room 0-14
Post your writing and art for other Calgary youth creators to see and enjoy, share reading recommendations, ask questions, and tell us about what you learned during the festival. Our Padlet board is the place to get in touch with other festival attendees and hang out online.
Showcase what you learned at LitCon by submitting your best piece of fiction or poetry. Send your piece to litcon@calgarylibrary.ca between May 27 and June 7, and you could win the chance to have your work printed on demand by the Short Story Dispenser at Central Library.
Presenting Monday, May 27
A recipient of the Order of the Northwest Territories, Richard Van Camp is a proud Tlicho Dene from Fort Smith, NWT, living in Edmonton, AB. Richard is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author of 30 books and graphic novels.
Presenting Monday, May 27
Nhung is a physician, author, mother of three, and an advocate for social justice in education. At the age of five, her family was sponsored to Canada as refugees from the Vietnam war. She writes children’s stories that convey the humanity in our lives.
Presenting Tuesday, May 28
Hali Heavy Shield is a member of the Blood Tribe/Kainai of southern Alberta. Hali is an author, artist, and teacher who enjoys sharing creative practices with others.
Presenting Tuesday, May 28
Wakefield Brewster (He/Him/His) is Calgary’s 6th Poet Laureate. In January 1999, Wakefield stepped onto his first stage as a Poet and Spoken Word Artist. Today, he is known as one of Canada’s most powerful Professional Performance Poets.
Presenting Wednesday, May 29
Richard Scrimger is the award-winning author of nine novels for young readers, three picture books, and three books for adults. His works have been translated into eight languages, and have been critically acclaimed around the world.
Presenting Wednesday, May 29
Sophie Torro began writing at the age of eleven and published her first novel at fifteen years old. Since then, she has published more than three series and a dozen novels, with many more in production. She has also written five travel articles for TraveL
Presenting Thursday, May 30
Cristina grew up in a neighborhood where one mama filled in for another, so while it was not always easy, her childhood was always delicious. Thus was born her lifelong love of food and ideas about community-building through food.
Presenting Thursday, May 30
Mackenzie Brown (she/her) is a First Nations Cree woman from the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, currently residing in Mohkinstsis, Calgary. She is a performer, drummer, tourism entrepreneur, philanthropist, and advocate for at-risk youth.
