When Words Collide is Canada’s largest multi-genre festival for writers, readers, and fans, held over a three-day weekend each August in Calgary. The weekend packs in more than 150 lectures, workshops, panels, and pitch sessions.
About
The festival covers everything from mystery and romance to science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction, and it is open to readers and writers at every level. Alongside the talks and workshops there are author events and pitch sessions where writers can put their work in front of industry people.
It was developed in 2010 by people connected to World Fantasy 2008 in Calgary, and the first festival ran in 2011. The original organizing society was struck off in February 2025, but the festival kept going and is now run by the Alexandra Writers Centre Society. The venue has moved over the years: 2025 was at the Sheraton Cavalier and 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Calgary.