Pub Night and Open Mic (Edmonton)
Wednesday, October 16th, 20257:00 PM – 9:00 PM MTRooster Bar and Kitchen10732 82 Ave NWEdmontonFREE Do you have a fashionable toque you’ve been waiting to debut? Or an excerpt of a spooky mystery you’d like to share? Maybe you’ve got a poem about a raven lying around… Join us for our next pub night and open mic, toque or not, and sign up at the door to read. First-come-first-serve. This is a free event. All are welcome!
CONNECTIONS BREWING PUB NIGHT (CALGARY)
Tuesday, October 14th, 20256:00 PM – 9:00 PM MTLast Best Brewing & Distilling607 – 11th Ave SWIn the dining room (Main Level)FREE to members of WGA and/or AWCS Come ready to mingle and network with the Calgary literary community. To kick off the Halloween season, October will feature a haunting writing exercise facilitated by Ashley Frerichs plus tarot readings for writers! No registration required. Street parking free after 6pm. 7 minute walk from 4th street c-train station.
Tickets Available Now: Kathryn Mockler 2-for-1 Webinar Bundle
The Writers’ Guild of Alberta is excited to offer two ticketed webinars this fall with celebrated author Kathryn Mockler. Participants who purchase tickets will have access to both webinars. Registration Writers’ Guild Members: $25.00 Writers’ Guild of Alberta Student Members: $15.00Non-Members: $35.00 * * Membership can be purchased anytime and is valid for one year. Webinar One – In a Flash: Writing Very Short Narratives Saturday, October 18th, 202510:30 AM MT (Online) Join Kathryn Mockler, author of Anecdotes for a workshop exploring
2026 Mentorship Program – Call for Applications
2026 Mentorship Program – Call for Applications The Mentorship Program is an initiative of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta designed to help promising emerging writers make the transition to the next stage of their careers. The program will take place from January through April 2026. We will accept up to seven apprentices to work with mentors this year, including one pairing for the Mary Bell Mentorship Scholarship, (awarded to an emerging woman writer 50 years of age or older), and
2025 Regional Writers-in-Residence
The WGA is proud to announce that six writers have been selected as the 2025 Regional Writers-in-Residence (RWiR). This program provides WGA members access to the services of a virtual Regional Writer-in-Residence with priority given to those who cannot easily access an existing writer-in-residence service. The Virtual Writers-in-Residence will take virtual consultations with writers in one of these six regions. Spots are limited and priority will be given to WGA members outside of Edmonton and Calgary. Fill out the RWiR
WGA Board Response to Recent Removal of Books in Schools
On August 28, an internal Edmonton Public Schools memo was leaked to the public. It contained the list of more than 200 books that the Edmonton Public School Board will be pulling from K-12 school libraries as a result of the Government of Alberta’s ministerial order regarding book collections in school libraries. On that list are acclaimed novels that have often been taught in schools, including The Lesser Blessed by Alberta writer Richard Van Camp, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret
2026 Alberta Literary Awards – Now Open for Submissions!
The Writers’ Guild of Alberta (WGA) is preparing to celebrate another successful year with the 2026 Alberta Literary Awards. Writers from across Alberta and their publishers are invited to check out and submit to this year’s award categories. The deadline for submissions to the Alberta Literary Awards is December 1, 2025. Submissions are evaluated on originality, creativity, and quality of writing, as well as appropriate fit within a category. The winners will be announced in the spring of 2026. The Alberta Literary Awards were created by the Writers’ Guild of Alberta in 1982 to recognize
WGA Office Closure – September 1, 2025
The WGA Offices will be closed for Labour Day weekend. We will return to the office on September 2nd, 2025 with our regular schedule. Please note that office visits are currently by appointment only. In the meantime, you can email our office and we will do our best to reply in a timely fashion when we return. Have a great weekend, and see you in September!
Pub Night & Open Mic Fall Kickoff (Edmonton)
Wednesday, September 177:00 PM – 9:00 PM MTRooster Bar and Kitchen10732 82 Ave NWFREE Have you been working on your future masterpiece all summer? Are you ready for your audience of one to grow? Then join us at our monthly pub night and open mic, and as a special treat learn about the many literary festivals and communities that are hoping to see YOU at their events this fall! Members from the Edmonton literary community such as LitFest, Stroll of
Horizons Writers Circle: Back to Back Writing Workshops (Edmonton)
Wednesday, September 24, 20255:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Workshop 1)6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Workshop 2)Ortona Armoury9722 102 St NWEdmonton Join the Horizons Writers Circle in Edmonton this fall for one (or both!) of our back to back workshops with writer and community member Ryan Lacanilao! There are more workshops to come this fall, so if you can’t make it be sure to check back again in the future. Workshop 1: The Lost Art of Letter Writing Let’s write letters!
Poetry Parlour and Open Mic (Calgary)
Tuesday, September 16th, 20257:00 PM – 9:15 PM MTPachamama Soul Flavour Emporium #2110, 380 Canyon Meadows Drive SECalgary FREE We’re back and we’ve missed you! Join host Ashley Frerichs to launch of the fall season of Poetry Parlour, our monthly open mic & reading series. Open mic sign-up starts at 7pm. There are limited slots available and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. In September, we are excited to welcome wonderful poet Sholley Powell. About the Featured Reader Born and raised in Winnipeg and
Connections Brewing: A Monthly Pub Night (Calgary)
Tuesday, September 9th, 20256:00 PM – 9:00 PM MTLast Best Brewing & Distilling607 – 11th Ave SWDownstairs in the beer roomCalgaryFREE Come ready to mingle and network with the Calgary literary community! Program TBA. No registration is required. This event is open to members of WGA and/or AWCS. Street parking is free after 6pm, and it is a 7 minute walk from 4th street c-train station.
Under 30 Write Nights (Edmonton and Calgary): September 5, 2025
Friday, September 5th, 2025 7:00 PM MT Edmonton: Block 191210361 Whyte Avenue NW Calgary: Element Café 331 17 Ave NW FREE! Do you work better together than alone? Are you looking for a casual drop-in to sit and (maybe) get some writing in? Are you under 30 and looking to meet peers and writing friends? Then please join us for a fun self-guided writing session, where you can work amongst like minded peers, and inspire each other to start writing (or continue to write)! Grab
2026 ALBERTA LITERARY AWARDS: CALL FOR JURORS
Deadline: September 19, 2025 The Writers’ Guild of Alberta is calling all readers and writers to join our awards juries this season. This is an opportunity to be “in the room” when the 2026 finalists and winners are chosen. The awards season is an important time on the literary calendar. In 2026, the WGA will present awards in ten categories, plus the city book prizes. We could not do this without the hard work and deliberation of our jurors. We