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WGA Casino Night FundraiserJuly 30 – 31, 2026 Varying Shifts (Morning, Evening, and Overnight)Starlight Casino, West Edmonton Mall 8882 170 St NW #2710Edmonton The Writers’ Guild of Alberta’s casino fundraiser will be at the Starlight Casino at West Edmonton Mall (second floor) in Edmonton from July 30 – 31, 2026. By partnering with a local casino, the WGA provides staffing over this two-day period through members and volunteers in exchange for receiving a share of the casino profits. Our casinos

February 25, 2026 The Writers’ Guild of Alberta and the Writers’ Union of Canada are grateful for the outpouring of support we have received in the follow-up to receiving notice that our Freedom to Read event venue (the Kensington Legion in Calgary) had cancelled our booking. A joint statement was issued from the Board of the WGA and the TWUC shortly afterwards. Stepping in, the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society was able to secure a new venue at the cSpace Marda

February 19, 2026For Immediate Release Reading Event at Calgary Legion Cancelled During Freedom to Read Week The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) and the Writers’ Guild of Alberta (WGA) are shocked and disappointed to have had a joint Freedom to Read Week event discussing censorship and book-banning cancelled by the contracted venue. A public gathering featuring local writers reading from banned books and discussing a recent North American rise in censorship was scheduled to take place at Legion #264 in

You may be receiving fraudulent emails using our name claiming to share ‘protected documents’ from an email address that is not the writersguild.ca. Please note that any emails that are NOT coming from our domain in this way should NOT be opened and should be marked as SPAM. Thank you to those of you who let us know of the issue and please continue to send alert of us of any suspicious emails.

WestWord invites members to answer the following: Most writers work (night shifts, multiple jobs) to supplement their writerly income. What else do you do outside of your writing hours (raising a family, elder care, hobbies) and does it help or hinder your writing? Please send your answers (100 words or less) to WestWord editor Raymond Gariepy at: [email protected]. In the heading, include: Question to Members. The deadline is February 13th for publication in the Spring 2026 issue. 

The WGA needs your support! And best of all, it only takes a few seconds of your time. The WGA has been selected to compete for community votes to win funds for the Preservation of Culture: Multi-Lingual Writing Program through the Field Law: Community Funding Program. Voting Closes on November 22, 2025. Cast your vote here! Our IdeaWe are looking to raise funds to host a year-long writing program for Spanish writers, including one virtual craft talk with an established

The Olive Reading Series returns November 12th for another night of features, open mic readings, and time to chat and connect with local writers. Wednesday, November 12th, 20257:00 PM – 9:00 PM MTRooster Bar & Kitchen 10732 82nd Ave (Whyte Ave)FREE The November reading will feature author of ROUTINE MAINTENANCE (2025), Marco Melfi, and multidisciplinary artist, Sara Campos-Silvius. As always, an open mic will follow. Remember to grab a chapbook of the featured works as well. The Olive Reading Series

Wednesday, November 26, 202512:00 PM – 1:00 PM MTOnline (Registration Required) Free! Publication is often the goal for most writers: We want our hard work published and available to the greater literary community, to the world at large (and receiving compensation for doing the thing we love doesn’t hurt). But, like writing, publication — and life after publication —  isn’t always what we think it will be or what we’ve prepared ourselves for. Our November Controversy @ Noon panel will