The Writers’ Guild of Alberta’s 2026 Spring Conference: Growing Craft & Community will take place in-person in Edmonton, Alberta from June 6-7, 2026. It will focus on craft insight, tools to help your literary practice, and advice on the business of writing, with a special focus on guided networking time to help you build your literary community. All events will be taking place at the Wyndham Edmonton Hotel and Convention Centre.
The conference will have programming for all writers, emerging to established (and everyone in between), aiming to bring writers together from all over the province.
The conference will provide ample opportunities – guided and self-directed – to meet and interact with other local writers.
Come grow with us this June!
| Early Bird Rates* | Regular Rates* |
|---|---|
|
Member – $220 |
Member – $295 |
|
Non-Member – $250 |
Non-Member – $325 |
|
Student Members – $130 |
Students – $155 |
Are you a student, but not a member? Students get a FREE membership with the WGA. Become a member today to take advantage of the discounted Student Member pricing for the conference!
*Early Bird Rates end April 17, 2026.
Please Note: tickets to the Alberta Literary Awards are NOT included in Conference registration. You can purchase a ticket to the Alberta Literary Awards here (conference registration is not required to purchase a ticket to the gala).
On or before May 8: You will receive 100% of the registration fees refunded minus a nonrefundable $30 administration fee
May 11 to May 25: You will receive 50% of the registration fees refunded minus a nonrefundable $30 administration fee
After May 22: You will receive no refund
Set Your Own Pace: There are multiple workshops and panels available concurrently to give attendees multiple options to choose the sessions and topics that interest you most. Feel free to attend whatever sessions excite and inspire you!
The Alberta Literary Awards Gala: Join us in Edmonton on June 5th right before the conference starts to celebrate the finalists and winners of the Alberta Literary Awards. Gala tickets must be purchased separately.
Book Sales On Site: Is there anything more exciting than buying new books? We are excited to share that Audreys Books will be at the conference with books available for purchase from our featured presenters and more.
Volunteering: Volunteers are integral in helping the conference weekend run smoothly. Interested in volunteering for the conference? Please email Ashley at [email protected]. Volunteers will receive free conference registration for the weekend!
Meals: Light snacks, refreshments, and lunch will be provided each day of the conference and are included in the registration fee. Please be sure to fill out your dietary requirements in the registration form provided.
*Please note that outside food and beverage is not permitted in the Wyndham meeting spaces, only food and beverage that is catered through the hotel for the event.
Please Note: the WGA AGM is not taking place at the Conference this year and will be held online on June 22, 2026. Please ensure your membership is up to date to receive further information when registration for the AGM opens.
Please note that the schedule is subject to change without notice; check back here for the latest updates, or email [email protected] if you have further questions.
| 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM | Registration | |||
| 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM | Guided Networking The Writing Life Support Group with Carissa Halton |
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| 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Keynote The Power of Our Words AKA Why Writing is the Best Francine Cunningham Sponsored by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta |
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| 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM | 15-Minute Break | |||
| 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM | Workshop The '3Ts' of a Strong Start - Theme, Tenets & Timelines Mary Lynn Cloghesy | Workshop From Idea to Picture Book Story Outline & Beyond Dianne Koebel-Pede & Paola Santos | Workshop Giving Birth to People - Creating Unforgettable Characters Part 1 Minister Faust | Networking and Casual Writing Room The Draft Room: Young and Emerging Writers’ Lounge Aubrianna Snow |
| 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM | Lunch & Talk Funicular Magazine |
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| 1:45 PM - 3:00 PM | Workshop Dear...Poetry, the Epistolary, & Prompts Marco Melfi | Workshop Canada Council for the Arts - Grant Writing Workshop and Q&A Francine Cunningham | Workshop Giving Birth to People - Creating Unforgettable Characters Part 2 Minister Faust | Networking and Casual Writing Room |
| 3:00 PM - 3:15 PM | 15-Minute Break | |||
| 3:15 PM - 4:30 PM | Workshop Worldbuilding for Fiction Writing Alexis Marie Chute | Workshop Beyond the Algorithm - Audience Building as Relationship Titilope Sonuga | Panel Serving the Literary Ecology | Networking and Casual Writing Room |
| 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM | Guided Networking The Writers' Commons Coffee Club Carissa Halton | ||||
| 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Keynote Growing as a Writer Means Growing Together as Writers Richard Harrison Sponsored by the Alexandra Writers' Centre Society | Networking and Casual Writing Room | |||
| 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM | 15-Minute Break | ||||
| 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM | Workshop Stories from the Archives Research for Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction Writers Carissa Halton | Workshop Longevity for Writers Practical Tips and Tricks for Sustaining Your Health and Career Mary Lynn Cloghesy | Workshop How to Get Past the Slush Pile Alexis Marie Chute | Panel Diving into the Biz (of Writing) | Networking and Casual Writing Room |
| 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM | Lunch & Talk TBA | ||||
| 1:45 PM - 3:00 PM | Session Live Edit Roundtable Minister Faust, Francine Cunningham, Marco Melfi, & Richard Harrison | Panel Author to Author: The Woes and Knows of Publication Judy Lin and Rebecca Schaeffer | Networking and Casual Writing Room | ||
The Writers’ Guild aims to provide a wide variety of themes, genres, and topics to help writers choose what skills they want to focus on. We are please to share that our keynote speakers for 2026 are Francine Cunningham and Richard Harrison. You can also read more about the rest of our speakers, presenters, and facilitators below.
Carissa Halton’s writing has appeared in Alberta Views, Today’s Parent, the Tyee, Postmedia newspapers among others. Her book of essays, Little Yellow House was shortlisted for the Robert Kroetsch Edmonton Book Prize. She lives and works as a facilitator in Edmonton, Alberta.
The Writing Life Support Group
Join writer and retreat leader, Carissa Halton, for a short, guided networking time. It’s an opportunity to meet other writers who feel your joy and pain. Intended to be light and fun with some movement, it’s a time to remind ourselves we are not alone. Tortured writers welcome. Also, all others.
June 6, 2026
9:00 AM – 9: 45 AM
In-Person
Francine Cunningham is an award-winning writer, artist and educator who spends her days writing on the prairies. She is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta but grew up in Calgary, Edmonton, and 100 Mile House, BC. Francine is also Metis and has settler family roots stretching from as far away as Ireland and Belgium. She currently resides in Strathmore, Alberta but previously spent over a decade calling Vancouver her home.
The Power of Our Words AKA Why Writing is the Best
Sponsored by the Book Publishers’ Association of Alberta (BPAA)
Join Francine Cunningham as she takes you on her journey to becoming the writer and storyteller she is today, and how much she values the great privilege we have as writers to speak our truths into the world. From the most joyful days when everything just clicks on the page, to those days when rejection letters seem to stack up in our inboxes, there is that force inside of us that always seems to lure us back to the stories we need to tell. So the question has to be, why us, why now, and how can we continue to have hope that the pages we pour over in all our spare moments mean something.
June 6, 2026
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
In-Person
Mary Lynn Cloghesy is a writer and editor from Calgary, Alberta. She holds a master’s degree in critical and creative writing, has been nominated for the Claymore and Aurora awards. She writes articles on healthy living, and co-hosts a retreat for aspiring authors in Banff National Park. She is currently querying her debut novel.
The “3Ts” of a Strong Start: Theme, Tenets & Timelines
Sponsored by radical bookshop and press
In this workshop, we’ll explore what theme is, why it matters, and how to determine yours. We’ll go over two examples (one from fiction: George Orwell’s 1984, and one from nonfiction: James Clear’s Atomic Habits), then break them down into key tenets. I’ll show you how to do the same for your project. Lastly, we’ll consider the importance of timeline, both within the book and relative to the time of writing. Think of these three elements as a tripod. Together, they create a strong foundation for any written work.
June 6, 2026
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
In-Person
Paola Santos is the author of HOW TO EAT A MANGO and CÓMO SE COME UN MANGO (Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2024). Born in Venezuela, she describes herself as a curious seeker. Dianne is the author of MY AMAZING RACE CAR BRAIN (DC Canada Education Publishing, 2025). She is on the CANSCAIP Board of Directors and hosts their online writing retreats.
From Idea to Picture Book Story Outline & Beyond
Do you have an idea for a picture book, or a partially written manuscript, but aren’t sure what to do next? This interactive session will help participants create a story outline and the important components needed in a rough draft. Participants will learn basic guidelines and expectations for writing picture books. Links will be provided to our go-to kidlit resources and information on the next steps to take.
June 6, 2026
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
In-Person
Minister Faust is an award-winning novelist, award-winning print journalist, radio host-producer, television host and associate producer, sketch comedy writer, video game writer, playwright, and poet. He has spoken and taught workshops widely.
Giving Birth to People: Creating Unforgettable Characters – Part 1
You can have the most amazing plot in the world, but without magnetic characters, we’ll have a tough time caring. But if you sharpen your skills and master these concepts, you’ll create unforgettable characters who will live forever. Join novelist Minister Faust for a dynamic craft-and-draft intensive workshop drawing upon psychology, sociology, and mythology to create characters so vibrant and three-dimensional that your readers will want to write them love letters.
Minister Faust is offering a 33% off discount code on all of his creative writing courses to WGA members and to conference registrants. You can find more course information here. If you are a WGA member or have registered for the conference and would like to receive the discount code, please email Ashley at [email protected].
June 6, 2026
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
In-Person
Aubrianna Snow (she/her) is a feminist writer and educator living in Treaty Six Territory. She is Chair of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta Youth Committee, and her writing has been featured by CBC, Chatelaine, the Edmonton Journal, This Magazine, and other regional and national publications. She is currently working on a full-length manuscript.
The Draft Room: Young & Emerging Writers’ Lounge
This drop-in session offers a relaxed workspace for emerging and early-career writers. Bring your laptop, notebook, half-finished draft, or new idea and spend some time writing alongside others.
There will be a short opportunity for informal Q&A with facilitators about the Writers’ Guild of Alberta Youth Committee, but the focus is on creating a supportive environment where writers can simply sit down and work.
June 6, 2026
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
In-Person
Funicular Magazine Lunch Talk
Funicular magazine publishes short fiction, flash fiction, and poetry from emerging and established Canadian writers, as well as work from writers around the world. Chat with the founder and learn more about the submission process over lunch! Funicular magazine is Made in Edmonton, Alberta.
Marco Melfi has been involved in the Edmonton poetry community since 2011. He won the Fiddlehead’s 2021 Ralph Gustafson Poetry Contest. His first full-length collection of poetry, Routine Maintenance, was published by Gaspereau Press in the Spring of 2025.
Dear…Poetry, the Epistolary, & Prompts
Literary letter writing is a common thematic form in poetry. Also known as the epistolary form, these pieces can range in type (an email, a resignation letter, a postcard) and who they address (family, strangers, other writers or the speaker themselves). In this session, Marco Melfi will share examples and lead a series of writing exercises to show how the epistolary can be a fun way to generate content and produce engaging pieces. Writers of all genres and levels are welcome!
June 6, 2026
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
In-Person
Francine Cunningham is an award-winning writer, artist and educator who spends her days writing on the prairies. Francine is also Metis and has settler family roots stretching from as far away as Ireland and Belgium. She currently resides in Strathmore, Alberta.
Canada Council for the Arts: Grant Writing Workshop and Q&A
Come meet the Canada Council for the Arts Alberta Focus Initiative Artist Liaison Consultant Francine Cunningham and learn what grants, awards, and opportunities are available to Alberta artists. This session will start with a presentation of the funding you as an Alberta artist can access. There will be time for a general Q&A for you to ask your questions. All levels of experience are encouraged to attend.
June 6, 2026
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
In-Person
Minister Faust is an award-winning novelist, award-winning print journalist, radio host-producer, television host and associate producer, sketch comedy writer, video game writer, playwright, and poet. He has spoken and taught workshops widely.
Giving Birth to People: Creating Unforgettable Characters – Part 2
You can have the most amazing plot in the world, but without magnetic characters, we’ll have a tough time caring. But if you sharpen your skills and master these concepts, you’ll create unforgettable characters who will live forever. Join novelist Minister Faust for a dynamic craft-and-draft intensive workshop drawing upon psychology, sociology, and mythology to create characters so vibrant and three-dimensional that your readers will want to write them love letters.
Minister Faust is offering a 33% off discount code on all of his creative writing courses to WGA members and to conference registrants. You can find more course information here. If you are a WGA member or have registered for the conference and would like to receive the discount code, please email Ashley at [email protected].
June 6, 2026
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
In-Person
Alexis Marie Chute is a creative powerhouse—a bestselling author and award-winning artist, filmmaker, photographer, curator and publisher. Chute curates the Red Brick Common, Wild Skies Art Gallery, and InFocus Photo Exhibit, and co-founded hybrid publisher Wild Skies Press.
Worldbuilding for Fiction Writing
Author and master-worldbuilder, Alexis Marie Chute inspires writers to bring new dimensions to their creative writing projects. Delving into the art of worldbuilding, this session provides innovative and interactive techniques to help writers construct compelling fictional worlds for their stories. Attendees will learn how to create intricate cultures, geographies, histories, and societies within their narratives, fostering imagination and critical thinking.
June 6, 2026
3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
In-Person
Titilope Sonuga is a winning poet, playwright, and performer. She has published three poetry collections. She was the first poet to perform at a Nigerian presidential inauguration and was Edmonton’s 9th Poet Laureate.
Beyond the Algorithm: Audience Building As Relationship
This workshop is a grounded approach to growing audiences in an era of hypervisibility and algorithm driven platforms. Led by poet, playwright, and performer Titilope Sonuga, this session reframes audience building as a relational practice and an act of cocreation.
This workshop will blend discussion and guided exercises to help writers identify who they are writing toward, where meaningful connection already exists, and how to invite readers and audiences into long term relationship with their work.
June 6, 2026
3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
In-Person
Serving the Literary Ecology
Writers, readers, publishers, booksellers, festivals, awards, media — many threads contribute to the fabric of our literary ecosystem. But what makes a strong Literary Citizen overall? How can each contribute to a thriving creative ecology, and how could the work of different players creatively intersect? This discussion examines how operating in isolation can impede success, and how fostering collaboration can powerfully bolster the literary community as well as individual career trajectories.
June 6, 2026
3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
In-Person
Mila Bongco-Philipzig is a writer, visual artist, and community organizer based in Edmonton. She is a published author of children’s books, poetry, short stories, and creative non-fictions essays. The diaspora of the global majority is a recurring theme in all her works. She is an avid advocate for human rights and social justice.
Networking and Casual Writing Room: Write Here, Write Now
Inviting BIPOC and ESL writers to drop by and write together, meet one another, and get to know more about the Writers’ Guild of Alberta’s Horizons Writers Circle, a program that provides support for writers within the Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) community, ESL, and underrepresented writers who live in Edmonton.
This drop-in session provides a restful pause to jot down new ideas or work on whatever you are creating at the moment, maybe chat about the adventures of cross-cultural, mixed heritage writers.
June 6, 2026
3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
In-Person
Carissa Halton’s writing has appeared in Alberta Views, Today’s Parent, the Tyee, Postmedia newspapers among others. Her book of essays, Little Yellow House was shortlisted for the Robert Kroetsch Edmonton Book Prize. She lives and works as a facilitator in Edmonton, Alberta.
The Writers’ Commons Coffee Club
Join writer and retreat leader, Carissa Halton, for a short, guided networking time. It’s an opportunity to meet other writers who feel your joy and pain. Intended to be light and fun with some movement, it’s a time to remind ourselves we are not alone. Tortured writers welcome. Also, all others.
June 7, 2026
9:00 AM – 9: 45 AM
In-Person
In 2025, Richard Harrison received the WGA Golden Pen for Lifetime Achievement, and his On Not Losing My Father’s Ashes in the Flood won the 2017 Governor General’s Award for Poetry. His 9th book of poetry, My Mother Joins the Resistance, will be launched in Spring, 2026. As Professor of English and Creative Writing at Mount Royal University, editor, and writing mentor, Richard has guided over 50 books into print, and for 25 years he has facilitated the Thursday Group workshop, whose members have placed a multitude of poems in journals, won numerous awards, and published 15 books of poetry.
Sunday Keynote: Growing as a Writer Means Growing Together as Writers
Sponsored by the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society (AWCS)
In writing, being alone with the words is necessary. This much is understood both inside and outside the writing world. Community, too, is needed, and this is less appreciated, perhaps because it is more complicated than solitude, and perhaps because the mythology of writing is the story of the isolated mind, and even writers can be confined by story. This talk is about loosening the bonds of expectation about ourselves, each other, and our art by thinking of writing as a community rather than an individual creation.
June 7, 2026
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
In-Person
Carissa Halton’s writing has appeared in Alberta Views, Today’s Parent, the Tyee, Postmedia newspapers among others. Her book of essays, Little Yellow House was shortlisted for the Robert Kroetsch Edmonton Book Prize. She lives and works as a facilitator in Edmonton, Alberta.
Stories from the Archives: Research for Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction Writers
Behind every compelling story lies a mammoth amount of research. Research makes scenes feel authentic, characters come alive, and readers trust your world. But how do you find the right material, keep it organized, and know when to stop digging and start writing? In this practical workshop, author Carissa Halton shares insights and tools from the six years she spent researching and writing her historical novel, Revolution Songs. ve nonfiction, or contemporary stories that need grounding in place or profession, this session will pull back the curtain on a compelling project to spark opportunities you may not have thought of to add colour and interest to your work.
June 7, 2026
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
In-Person
Mary Lynn Cloghesy is a writer and editor from Calgary, Alberta, as well as the founder of the Leadership Literary Lab, a program for nonfiction authors. She writes articles on healthy living, and co-hosts a retreat for aspiring authors in Banff National Park. She is currently querying her debut novel.
Longevity for Writers: Practical Tips and Tricks for Sustaining Your Health and Career
Learn about common physical and mental ailments that affect writers of all ages and stages from a fellow author and former clinic owner. Walk away with strategies and exercises to increase your longevity and sustain your writing practice for years to come.
June 7, 2026
11:15 AM – 12: 30 PM|
In-Person
Alexis Marie Chute is a creative powerhouse—a bestselling author and award-winning artist, filmmaker, photographer, curator and publisher. Chute curates the Red Brick Common, Wild Skies Art Gallery, and InFocus Photo Exhibit, and co-founded hybrid publisher Wild Skies Press.
How to Get Past the Slush Pile with Hybrid Publisher Wild Skies Press
You have your novel. You know it’s good. But how do you prove that it’s good to an agent or publisher? The art of the “elevator pitch” is a tricky one to master, yet it’s vital to the business of being a writer.
Please bring along a snappy 1 – 3 line elevator pitch selling your novel or work-in-progress. In addition, think about the following questions:
These guiding questions will help inform a larger discussion about pitching and how to craft the perfect pitch letter.
June 7, 2026
11:15 AM – 12: 30 PM
In-Person
Diving into the Biz (of Writing)
Our panelists weigh in on their experience with publishing contracts, agent representation, and other financial and legal aspects of writing professionally.
June 7, 2026
11:15 AM – 12: 30 PM
In-Person
Would you like to have a snippet of your novel-in-progress, short story, or poem critiqued by a panel of seasoned writers? Our Live Edit Roundtable session gives registrants the chance to submit a small excerpt of writing before the conference, where our in-person panel will discuss the piece live. This is a great opportunity to sit in–even if your piece is not one of the lucky handful chosen–and learn from established writers how to enrich and strengthen craft skills.
Please note: There are limited submission spots available for this event. We will be choosing pieces based on a lottery system. You have the option of remaining anonymous if your piece is chosen.
Submissions should be no longer than 1.5 – 2 pages, double spaced. You are welcome to submit prose or poetry in any genre. The deadline for submissions is Friday, May 15, 2026. Please send submissions to Ashley at [email protected].
June 7, 2026
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
In-Person
Judy I. Lin is the #1 New York Times-bestselling and award-winning author of fantasy and horror books for young adults. She currently lives on the Canadian prairies. RR/Rebecca Schaeffer is the critically acclaimed author of Not Even Bones and its sequels. Her next book, A Fable for Hollow Creatures, comes out in fall 2026.
You’ve published a book, a graphic novel, a collection of poetry: Now what? How do you adjust or curb your expectations for what comes next? We often think that, once published, our writerly dreams come true, but what really comes after? Join Judy I. Lin and Rebecca Schaeffer as they delve into their publication journeys and how they continue to create after their big breaks.
June 7, 2026
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
In-Person
Interested in volunteering for the conference? Please email Ashley at [email protected]. Volunteers will receive free conference registration for the weekend!
The Alberta Literary Awards Gala is taking place on Friday, June 5, 2026 in Edmonton, Alberta! Join us as we celebrate the finalists and announce the winners of the 2026 Alberta Literary Awards and connect with your Alberta literary community.
Where
June 5, 2026
Doors at 6:00 PM MT
Wyndham Edmonton Hotel and Conference Centre
4440 Gateway Blvd
Edmonton
Parking on-site is free.
Ticket Prices
Early-Bird Tickets: $85.00
Regular Tickets: $100.00
Tickets will go on sale on February 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM MT. They will not be available at the door, so be sure to get your tickets in advance to take advantage of our early-bird rate.
What does you ticket include?
Your gala ticket includes a buffet dinner, served at 7:00 PM MT, program permitting (please let us know of any dietary needs during registration).
The Writers’ Guild Conference and the Alberta Literary Awards Gala are both taking place at the Wyndham Edmonton Hotel and Conference Centre.
Group rates at the Wyndham Hotel are available for WGA conference registrants for the duration of the conference weekend.
Individual Reservations can be cancelled without penalty up to 24 hours prior to arrival—booking early is encouraged.
Rooms not reserved are automatically released on: Friday, May 15, 2026 After this date rooms are based on availability.
Address:
Wyndham Edmonton Hotel and Conference Centre
4440 Gateway Blvd
Edmonton AB T6C 5H2
Group Name: Writers’ Guild of Alberta
Booking Code: 060526WGA
Arrival: Friday, June 5, 2026
Departure: Sunday, June 7, 2026
Guestroom Rates:
| Room Type | Single | Double | Triple | Quad |
| 2 Queen Beds | $149.00 | $149.00 | $159.00 | $169.00 |
| 1 King Bed with Pullout | $149.00 | $149.00 | $159.00 | $169.00 |
Hotel Amenities
Guestroom Amenities
For Reservations Please Call:
Tel: 780-437-6010 OPT#0
Toll Free: 1-877-999-3223
Or Click Here for the Booking Link
Note: Online Rates Include 4% DMF all other taxes will be calculated at checkout (Total Tax = 13.36%)
There is free, on-site parking available to participants and guests for both the Alberta Literary Awards Gala and the Conference weekend.
Ready to register for the 2026 Conference? Use the form below to complete, and email [email protected] if you encounter any issues or have further questions.
The Writers’ Guild of Alberta is grateful for the support of the many organizations, businesses, and donors that take time to help us put on our conference every year. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the conference, please visit our donations page or reach out to us at [email protected].
Canada Council for the Arts
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Government of Canada
City of Calgary
City of Edmonton
Government of Alberta
Alberta Foundation for the Arts
Edmonton Arts Council
Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society
Book Publishers Association of Alberta
radical bookshop and press
Minister Faust
Write Like A M.F. Masterclasses in Creative Writing
Leslie Irvine Design and Marketing
Promotional materials from Leslie Irvine Design & Marketing
Audreys Books
