Established in 1996, the Saskatchewan Festival of Words is a registered non-profit hosting an annual literary festival on the third weekend in July. Each festival includes more than 60 events over four consecutive days to showcase literary talent from across Canada in Moose Jaw’s historic downtown.
This year’s festival will run from July 18 to 21 starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 18.
Thursday, July 18
9 a.m. – Outlining Novels: Will run for three hours in the Moose Jaw Public Library's Herb Taylor Room where Premee Mohamed will discuss tips on how to plan your novels. Tickets are $35 and registration is required.
9 a.m. – Reading for Writers Workshop: The workshop will run for three hours in the Cultural Centre’s North Studio. Led by Johnny D. Trinh, the workshop helps writers of all genres improve their public reading and performance skills. Participants are asked to bring a two-minute piece to read aloud. Tickets are $35 and registration is required.
9 a.m. – Kids Ink: Bardic Inspiration: Is an RPG (Role Playing Game)-inspired workshop led by Victoria Koops that will run for two hours in the library’s South Room. The event helps teens develop their storytelling skills and registration is required for the free event.
10 a.m. – Storytime for Little Ones: Will run for one hour on the front lawn of the Moose Jaw Public Library. The event is led by Candace Savage and is free to attend.
1 p.m. – Thematic Approach to Sci-Fi: A three-hour discussion on developing plot concepts for your own sci-fi writing will be led by Robert Sawyer in the library’s South Room. Tickets are $35 and registration is required.
1 p.m. – Great Big Book Club: A three-hour discussion of the book Moon of the Turning Leaves will take place at the library’s Herb Taylor Room moderated by Jael Richardson and featuring author Waubgeshig Rice. The event is sold out.
6 p.m. – Café Daughter: A one hour and 45-minute presentation will be held at the Mae Wilson Theatre featuring Yvette Wong who shares the story of her struggles as a half-Chinese, half-Cree woman in the ‘60s. Tickets are $13 and the event is covered in the Full Pass.
8:30 p.m. – READception: Will run for one hour at the Mae Wilson Theatre including mini readings from authors Vivian Darroch-Lozowski, Katherena Vermette, Zalika Reid-Benta, Timothy Taylor, and Holly Hogan. Tickets are $25 and the event is included in the Full Pass.
9:30 p.m. – SWG Reception: A one-hour event will be held at the lobby of the Cultural Centre for the Saskatchewan Writer’s Guild (SWG) Reception. Appetizers are provided by the SWG and attendance is free.
Friday, July 19
4 p.m. – Let’s Get Political: A one-hour discussion will cover the topic of books that become political. The event will be moderated by Jael Richardson and features David A. Robertson, Katherena Vermette, and S. Bear Bergman. Tickets are $17 and the event is covered in the Full Pass and Friday Pass.
6 p.m. – Trivia Night: Will be held at Bobby’s Place featuring literary-based trivia questions and the $35 ticket includes Bobby’s renowned fish and chips. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
8 p.m. – Spoken Word Showcase: Will run for an hour and a half at the Mae Wilson Theatre hosted by Cat Abenstein and featuring Shayna Stock, Johnny D. Trinh, and Abdulsalam Abo Al Shamat. Entry is by donation.
Reading sessions: All reading sessions are $10 per session (unless otherwise stated) and each session runs for 50 minutes. For a full list, visit FestivalOfWords.com/Schedule.
Saturday, July 20
4 p.m. – Interview with Robert J. Sawyer: Will run for one hour at the Mae Wilson Theatre. The interview will take place as a discussion with the acclaimed sci-fi writer about his works and will be moderated by Ed Willett. Tickets are $17 and the event is covered with the Full Pass and Saturday Pass.
5 p.m. – Book launch: The Penumbra Press will be launching a new book which will be announced at the event and attendance is free.
8 p.m. – An Evening with Brent Butt: Will be held for two hours at the Mae Wilson Theatre including live comedy and an interview about his new thriller, “Huge.” Tickets are $60 and the event is covered with the Full Pass and Saturday Pass.
Reading sessions: All reading sessions are $10 per session (unless otherwise stated) and each session runs for 50 minutes. For a full list, visit FestivalOfWords.com/Schedule.
Sunday, July 21
9 a.m. – Breakfast: The day’s events will take place at the Moose Jaw Events Centre and all features are sold out. Breakfast will run for one hour.
10 a.m. – Climate Protection on Home Soil: A 50-minute presentation on protecting natural grasslands will be moderated by Candace Savage and led by a panel including Lorne Scott, Andrea Olive, Premee Mohamed, and Ian Hnatowich. This event is sold out.
11:10 a.m. – Fantastical Writings: A 50-minute panel discussion on all things fantasy will be moderated by Jael Richardson and led by Zalika Reid-Benta, Jes Battis, and Victoria Koops. This event is sold out.
To register and purchase your tickets, visit FestivalOfWords.com/Schedule or the Cultural Centre’s box office at Tickets.MooseJawCulture.ca.
You can download a full schedule at FestivalOfWords.com/Schedule.
For more information about this year’s event, visit FestivalOfWords.com.
