We love spring literary festivals, with the magic of their sense of possibility and reawakenedness, and we love summer literary festivals, for the glow of the sun and the grass beneath our feet, but sometimes it seems like all of these are just build-up for the definitive thing, the fall literary festival, which is a way to stave off winter's darkness for just a little while longer. All across the country, readers are gathering to celebrate books and writers. Be part of it! Find out what's happening near you.
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The Dunedin Literary Festival returns for its second year on September 9 in Dunedin, ON, with featured authors including Nino Ricci, Claire Cameron, Cecily Ross, Alison Pick, Brent Preston, and Antanas Silica.
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In Eden Mills, ON, The Eden Mills Writers' Festival runs September 9–10, featuring Jordan Abel, Lorna Crozier, Terry Fallis, Barbara Gowdy, Linden MacIntyre, Jessica Westhead, Zoe Whittall, Kathleen Winter and more.
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The Telling Tales Festival is back on September 17 in Rockton, ON (near Hamilton), with amazing writers for young people, including Erin Bow, Emma Donoghue, Andrew Larsen, Evan Munday, Itah Sadu, and many others.
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Word Feast, Fredericton’s literary festival, takes place September 18-24 in Fredericton, NB, and features Rebecca Rosenblum, Don McKay, Claire Kelly, Riel Nason, and many more.
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The Word on the Street Festival comes to Halifax, NS, on Sunday September 16, Lethbridge, AB, on Saturday September 23, Toronto, ON, and Saskatoon, SK, on Sunday, September 24. And Word Vancouver will be taking over that town with events throughout the city from September 19–September 24.
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From September 21–24, Literasian celebrates Asian Canadian literature in Vancouver, BC, with featured authors Eleanor Guerrero-Campbell, Catherine Hernandez, Janie Chang, Jen Sookfong Lee, Julia Lin, Leanne Dunic, Leslie Shimotakahara, and Terry Watada.
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The Winnipeg International Writers Festival takes place September 22–30 in Winnipeg, MB, with Suzette Mayr, Steve Burrows, Lydia Kwa, Katherena Vermette, Cary Fagan, Méira Cook, Trevor Cole, Pasha Malla, Andrew Pyper, and many others.
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Kingston Writers Fest runs September 27–October 1 in Kingston, ON, featured Canadian authors including S.K. Ali, Michelle Berry, Janie Chang, Karen Connelly, Adam Gopnik, Helen Humphreys, Kyo Maclear, Lee Maracle, Alison Pick, Diane Schoemperlen, Merilyn Simonds, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, and Kathleen Winter.
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Books and readers take over Victoria, BC, from September 27-October 1 with the Victoria Festival of Authors, featuring Carleigh Baker, Gurjinder Basran, Lorna Crozier, Esi Edugyen, Zsuzsi Gartner, Barbara Gowdy, Yasuko Thanh, Zoe Whittall, and Robert J. Wiersema.
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From September 29-30, Lunenburg, NS, hosts the Lunenberg Lit Festival, this year with Romeo Dallaire, Pauline Dakin, Nino Ricci, Terry Fallis, and other great writers.
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Words in the Park celebrates all things literary (and beyond!) on September 30 in Sherwood Park, AB, with 33 local authors on hand and lots of great events.
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In Calgary, AB, Wordfest takes place from October 9–15, with Canadian authors including Michael Redhill, Linda Spalding, Nick Cutter, Lindan MacIntyre, Claire Cameron, Heather O'Neill, Ron Sexsmith, and many others.
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The Knowlton Literary Festival runs October 12–15 in Brome Lake in Quebec's Eastern Townships, with featured authors including Douglas Gibson, Ian Hamilton, Donna Morrissey, Heather O'Neill, and Kathy Stinson.
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The Whistler Writers Festival runs October 12–15 in Whistler, BC, with Caroline Anderson, Gail Anderson-Dargatz, Gurjinder Basran, David Chariandy, Barbara Gowdy, Jane Eaton Hamilton, Teva Harrison, Helen Humphreys, Lee Maracle, Suzette Mayr, Lenore Rowntree, Doug Saunders, Michael Redhill, and more.
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October 12–22, the non-fiction festival Litfest takes over Edmonton, AB, with Janice MacDonald, Kit Dobson, Merilyn Simonds, Scaachi Koul, Britt Wray, Chris Turner, Kamal Al-Solaylee, Jen Agg, Jessica Kluthe, and more.
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Family festival Celebrating Stories is back in Milton, ON, on October 15, with Sharon Jennings, Patricia Storms, and Vikki VanSickle.
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Vancouver Writers Fest runs October 16–23, with Canadian authors including S.K. Ali, Margaret Atwood, Carol Bruneau, Cynthia Flood, Wayne Johnson, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Grace O'Connell, Alison Pick, Jennifer Robson, Doug Saunders, Kathleen Winter, and more.
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Ottawa's Writers' Festival takes place October 19–24, with Lee Maracle, Bev Sellars, Martha Baillie, Eden Robinson, Eliza Robertson, Linden MacIntyre, Alison Pick, David Chariandy, and many others.
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Toronto's International Festival of Authors kicks off from October 19–29, with Canadian authors including André Alexis, Lee Maracle, Anne Michaels, Heather O’Neill, Carol Off, Eden Robinson, Seth, and lots more.
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This year Bookfest Windsor takes place October 20–22 in Windsor, ON, with featured authors including James Bartleman, Eva Crocker, Elise Levine, Rebecca Rosenblum, and Armand Garnet Ruffo.
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The Stratford Writers Festival returns to Stratford, ON, on October 22, with Ron Sexsmith, Eden Robinson, Scacchi Koul, Candy Palmater, Glenn Dixon, Alice Zorn, Rebecca Rosenblum, and lots more.
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From October 25 to November 5, the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival puts readers up where they belong, in Banff, AB.
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Wordstock Sudbury returns for a fourth year in downtown Sudbury, ON, this year November 2-4 with Merilyn Simonds, Wayne Grady, Sean Micheal, Nathan Adler, Kateri Akwenzie-Damm, Darlene Naponse, Tanya Neumeryer, Nina Nesseth and even more.
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The Words Aloud Festival celebrates spoken word in Durham, ON, (near Owen Sound) from November 3–5, with artists including Kate Cayley, Janet Rogers, Angeline Schellenberg, Sue Sinclair, Carolyn Smart, and more.
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And don't miss the Wild Writers Festival in Waterloo, ON, from November 3–5, with Alison Pick, Kathleen Winter, Evelyn Lau, Robert Rotenberg, Alicia Elliott, Trevor Corkum, Stacey May Fowles, Helen Humphreys, Wayne Johnson, Karen Connelly, and more!
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Have we missed anything? Email *editor at 49thShelf dot com* to have your event added to the schedule.