News

April 12, 202612:00 PM – 3:00 PM MT Blindman Brewing 3413 53rd AveLacombe, Alberta Free RSVPs (below) are appreciated but not required. This event is a collaboration between the Alexandra Writers’ Centre and the Writers’ Guild of Alberta. Join your fellow Alberta Writers for our second Meet in the Middle open mic and gathering in Lacombe, Alberta! Roughly midway between Edmonton and Calgary, this event hopes to bring writers in the region closer together.

Save the Date for the Writers’ Guild of Alberta’s Fall Retreat taking place in October! We are excited to share that we will be joined by two celebrated authors who will facilitate over the weekend: Suzette Mayr and Julie Sedivy. Registration will open in mid-April, so stay tuned! October 15 – October 18, 2026Sanctum Retreat Centre11 Sanctum WayCaroline, Alberta Registration opens in mid-April. Stay tuned for details. Want to learn about past retreats and a typical schedule? Our 2025 Late Summer Retreat took place from

Tuesday, March 10, 20266:00 PM – 9:00 PM MTLast Best Brewing & Distilling607 – 11th Ave SW*Upstairs in the dining roomFREE (No registration required) Open to members of WGA and/or AWCS. Please join the Calgary literary community for another Connections Brewing Pub Night! This event is hosted in partnership between the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society and the Writers’ Guild of Alberta. *Street parking free after 6 PM, and it is a 7-minute walk from 4th street c-train station.

Tuesday, March 17th, 20267:00 PM – 9:15 PM MTPachamama Soul Flavour Emporium #2110, 380 Canyon Meadows Drive SECalgary FREE Join host Ashley Frerichs for our March 2026 edition of Poetry Parlour! Open mic sign-up starts at 7pm. There are limited slots available and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. In March, we’re so excited to feature, all the way from Edmonton, the fantastic Daniel Poitras! About the Featured Reader Daniel Poitras, a half-breed poet from the Paul First Nation, writes vicious Native poetry. He has been published in

Save the Date! The 2026 Alberta Literary Awards Reading in Calgary will be taking place on April 18th, 2026. Our finalists will be announced over the next months in the lead up to our final winners announcement at the Alberta Literary Awards Gala in Edmonton on June 5, 2026. Join us to hear from your local finalists! Saturday, April 18th, 202612:00 PM to 3:00 PM MTBow & Bend Rooftopat the new Element Hotel833 4 Ave SW, 12th FloorCalgary, AB

Saturday, March 14, 2026 Followed by the two-part series: Saturday, March 28, 2026 & Saturday, April 11, 20261:00 PM – 2:00 PM MTAlexandra Writers’ Centre Society (AWCS)at the cSpace Marda Loop460, 1721 29 Ave SW Calgary Free, but registration is required. Register for the Information SessionsRegister for the Workshops NOTE: To ensure more people have access to the info sessions, please refrain from from registering to this in-person session if you are already registered to the online version. Meet Francine Cunningham,

The Single Onion celebrates Black History Month with a special event curated by Bethel Afework and featuring the poets Bkay Won, Iftu Hargaaya, and Jya Noe. Thursday, February 19, 20267:00 PM MTShelf Life Books1302 4 St SWCalgary Streaming is available at www.youtube.com/@SingleOnionPoetry About the Poets: Bethel Afework is an educator, poet, musician, entrepreneur, and nature-lover with a passion for making cities more enjoyable and welcoming for everyone. In 2016, she founded Raw Voices, a monthly spoken word, comedy, and music showcase featuring

The Sensory Rewrite: Creating Immersive Prose Using the Senses Sunday, March 8, 202612:00 PM – 2:00 PMStrathcona County Community CenterMeeting Rooms 3 & 4401 Festival LaneSherwood Park Free (Registration required below) The senses, when written effectively, can transport a reader into a story, offering resonance, connection and powerful narrative. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to use the six senses as a literary tool to create scenes, sense of place, impactful characters and more during the rewriting and editing process.

Saturday, March 7th, 202610:00 AM – 11:30 AM MTBowness Library6532 Bowness Rd NWCalgaryFREE Please join host Ashley Frerichs for the next Calgary Coffee & Chat, a place for YYC writers to get together and gab about all things writing! Come enjoy some coffee (and timbits!) and share your recent successes, struggles, and/or bounce ideas and questions off other writers in the community. Sessions will take place one Saturday every two months at Calgary Public Library locations. Please email Ashley ahead

Saturday, February 21, 2026 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM MT Airdrie Public Library Fortis Program Room 2805 Main Street S.Airdrie FREE Register Below Join Governor General Award winning playwright Caleigh Crow for an afternoon of prompts, tips, and conversation. Whether you’ve put pen to paper or not, come as you are. All you need is an idea! Participants will spend two hours writing, sharing, and jamming on ideas.  Who Can Attend? The ideal participant is at any stage of their practice

Due to circumstances beyond our control, this workshop has been cancelled. The Writers’ Guild of Alberta and the Canada Council for the Arts are pleased to offer some further learning opportunities for writers to help understand the granting process. Thursday, March 12, 20266:00 PM – 7:30 PM MT OnlineRegistration is free!Limit: 50 participants About the Session: Learn how to write an artistic CV and resume, make sure your application is focused and easy to read and, most of all, get

Registration opens for the WGA’s 2026 Annual Spring Conference: Building Craft & Community, on February 18th at 10:00 AM MT. Our conference details will also launch at this time, giving you a chance to see our sessions, speakers, and networking events for the weekend, as well as book discounted hotel rates for out of town guests. Be sure to check out the program and other event information. Last but certainly not least, Early Bird Pricing will be available — take

Please note that this event has been cancelled and a new date will be announced. Thursday, March 5, 20266:00 PM – 7:30 PM MTLocation: Online (Registration Required) Registration is free! Limit: 50 participants Register here to secure your spot today. The Writers’ Guild of Alberta and the Canada Council for the Arts are pleased to offer some learning opportunities for writers to help understand the granting process. About the Session: Meet Francine Cunningham, Artist Liaison Consultant for the Canada Council