GoH Leanne Shirtliffe takes questions on the diverse and ever-changing field of children's literature--from picture books to early readers to middle grade to YA.

Learn about working with illustrators, creating your own conferences and master classes, the organizations that can help on the journey and why children's books are untouched by the e-book revolution.

This is the second best thing you'll hear all day! Former Kobo Director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations Mark Leslie's alliterative perfectly practiced, passionately-professional, publishing presentation.

Self-doubt, confidence, passion and whisky/whiskey. Kat Flannery winds up this series of Keynote speeches from the 2019 festival.

Continuing our Keynotes series with Festival Guest Jonas Saul. He's taking a different approach than the previous three guests with advice on how to power through the difficult times.

Inspiration, classic poetry, the meaning of life, and channeling your inner Samuel L. Jackson with Calgary author Leanne Shirtliffe.

Have you ever wondered about the connection between science fiction and fantasy? James Alan Gardner has some thoughts on that.

Festival guest Lisa Mangum on writing, editing, paperclips and Lamborghinis.

Calgary-area crime writers, J.E. Barnard, Dwayne Clayden, Susan Calder, and David Poulsen, tempt with excerpts from new books. Jointly sponsored by Calgary Crime Writers (CWW) and Crime Writers of Canada (CWC). PG for violence (crime writing is murder, after all) and language.

Short stories can help develop writing skills and build a resumé. Are there other benefits? How do you learn to write them? Where can you get them published? Are contests worth it? And what defines a short story anyway? Is it all about word count? Panelists Carrie Mumford, Jay Martin, Monica Zwikstra, and Sandra Fitzpatrick discuss their experiences.

In writing there is a real temptation to 'feel' everything. He felt hungry. She was scared. etc. etc. What are the physical and emotional indicators that would show this to your readers without having to 'tell' them to death?