Wordfest has brought together 60 authors for its 31st annual Imaginairium Festival, which runs in Calgary from Oct. 13 to 18. The six-day festival features 41 shows with Canadian and international authors. Shelley Youngblut, Wordfest CEO and creative ringleader, calls it “Canada’s liveliest literary festival.” “You’re going to have a chance to connect with, listen to, be enriched by the world’s best authors,” she said. “I think the thing that makes Wordfest’s The Imaginarium rare and necessary is that we are in-person communication at a time when everything is so digital and disembodied and siloed, this is a place where you can come together and have a meaningful interaction with another human being.” Youngblut said the festival gives authors a chance to connect with readers after spending months or even years writing a book and share the stories behind what inspired them. “Writing a book takes forever,” she said. “You are alone with your own thoughts, you have no idea if what you’ve done is worthwhile or not and so when (an author) come to the festival, they get a chance to actually get feedback from their readers and it actually just fills them up, it makes it all worthwhile.” The festival celebrates storytelling, and organizers say it offers something for everyone. Youngblut said she particularly enjoys seeing people from different generations come together to share the same experience. “I’ve always said that we’re for smart, funny, caring people,” she said. “And of course they come in all ages, genders and backgrounds but our average age and this might surprise people, is 28 so reading right now is the most punk thing you can do and younger audiences are completely embracing the opportunity.” David Robertson, an author who has written close to 40 books, is attending his 12th consecutive Imaginairium Festival. His work spans fiction and nonfiction, as well as books for children and adults, including picture books, graphic novels and novels. Robertson said his writing centres on Indigenous people and reconciliation. His latest picture book, When I’m a Moshom, was written after his father died and he saw his youngest son struggling with the loss. “It’s my newest picture book and it’s actually a sequel to one of my favourite books I’ve ever done, a book called On the Trap Line,” he said. “It’s looking at how you deal with grief as a kid, how do you carry on legacy so it’s a grandson who’s lost his grandfather and thinking about how can I be as good a grandfather as he was to me when I become a grandfather.” Clara Hughes, an Olympic medallist who competed in cycling and speed skating, is making her first appearance at the festival. “It’s humbling to see myself (pictured) on that wall with all of these brilliant writers,” she said. “And I just know we’re all people and we all have stories living inside of us and hope people connect.” Hughes is celebrating the release of her second book, Learning to Breathe, which took nearly two years to write. “My book is about my journey as a woman, I’m 54 years old, through menopause, navigating the healthcare system, feeling like I was losing my mind,” she said. “So I thank menopause for this and I thank menopause for also opening me up, because this book is not just about menopause and that experience, it’s about a healing journey that this set me off on and a very curious exploration of self.” The festival runs until Oct. 18. More information is available at https://wordfest.com/festival/imaginairium/.
