Save the dates! Across the country, organizers and volunteers extraordinaire are programming epic celebrations of books and the amazing people who write them. Find out what's happening in your literary neighbourhood.
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The Growing Room Feminist Literary Festival is back: March 8–17 in Vancouver, BC, with over 100 authors featured, including Alicia Elliott, Amber Dawn, Eden Robinson, Heather O'Neill, Katherena Vermette, Kim Fu, Lindsay Wong, and Sharon Bala.
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Ottawa's Versefest returns March 26–31, with poets including Armand Garnet Ruffo, Billeh Nickerson, Dani Couture, Dennis Lee, Gillian Sze, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Phoebe Wang, and many more.
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The 20th Annual North Shore Writers Festival is happening April 5–6 at North Vancouver District Public Library in Vancouver, BC.
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Calgary's Wordfest has great events throughout the spring, with Ann Hui, Jennifer Robson, and other terrific authors.
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gritLit celebrates its 15th year, bringing readers and writers together in Hamilton, ON, April 11–14, with André Alexis, Vivek Shraya, Thea Lim, Elizabeth Renzetti, Michael Winter, Claudia Dey, Waubgeshig Rice, Liz Harmer, and many others participating in panels and also running workshops.
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The Edmonton Poetry Festival is set for April 22–28 in Edmonton, AB, with the lineup coming soon.
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The 1000 Islands Writers Festival returns to Gananoque, ON, April 25–28, with authors and storytellers including Ted Barris, Terry Fallis, Heather Smith, Lesley Crewe, Tracy Kasaboski, Eric Walters, Deborah Dunleavy, Elizabeth Renzetti, Tom Wilson, Kristen Den Hartog, and Jennifer Robson.
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LitFest New West runs April 26–27 in New Westminster, BC, with programming details coming soon.
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The Frye Festival in Moncton, NB, takes place April 27 to May 4.
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The Blue Metropolis Festival is taking over Montreal, QC, May 2 to 5.
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The always-incredible Festival of Literary Diversity (THE FOLD) returns to Brampton, ON, on May 2, with featured authors including such greats as S.K. Ali, Sharon Bala, Alicia Elliott, Cecil Foster, Whitney French, Uzma Jalaluddin, Tanya Talaga, Manjushree Thapa, and Ian Williams.
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The spring season of the Ottawa International Writers Festival takes place May 2–7.
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The Ontario Library Association's Festival of Trees is happening May 14–16 in Toronto.
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And The Vancouver Island's Children's Book Festival runs Saturday June 1 in Nanaimo, BC, featuring Linda Bailey, Kit Pearson, Monique Grey Smith, Jordan Stratford, and other excellent authors.
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Celebrate the beauty and impact of words at the Wakefield Writers Festival May 23-26 in Wakefield, QC, with Esi Eduygan, David Chariandy, Tanya Talaga, Tom Wilson, Marjolaine Beauchamp and much more. Tickets are on sale now!
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Is your event missing? Email us at Editor AT 49thShelf DOT com, and we'll get it added.