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Another Year, Another Festival

When Words Collide is over for another year but don't be sad, we'll be back in 2013 — bigger and better than ever.

Thank you to all our guests, our panelists and our members for making 2012 an even more successful year than our first.

Information on the next When Words Collide will start appearing in the next day or two. Stay tuned!


Lunch Boxes

Good news for those looking for a quick lunch at the festival, the hotel is offering a lunchbox containing:

  • Hoagie style sandwich (Ham and cheese, Turkey and cheddar, or Roast beef and Swiss)*
  • 2 cookies
  • Bag of regular Miss Vickie's chips
  • apple
  • Bottled water or a can of pop
The lunch box will be available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11:00am until 2:00pm for $15.

* A vegetarian sandwich is available upon request


No More Rooms at the Inn

We have just received word that the Village Park Inn is sold out for Saturday night. (There are still rooms available on the surrounding nights.) If you were planning to stay at the hotel but put off making your reservation... We suggest that you make alternative arrangements, such as at the Super 8 just north of the hotel or the Econo Lodge Motel Village just to the south, and ask the Village Park Inn to inform you of any cancellations so that you can change bookings.

Sorry for the inconvenience.


WWC Events Open to the Public

While most festival events are open only to registered festival members, When Words Collide does offer several event this year to the open public:

  1. Author readings at the U of C
    Festival Author guests will be reading on August 9 at the U of C beginning at 7 PM.
    Everyone is welcome to come out and listen to
    • Kevin J Anderson
    • Kelley Armstrong
    • Anthony Bidulka
    • Vanessa Cardui
    • Rebecca Moestra
    read selections from current or upcoming works. Would you like to know more?
  2. Author readings at the Calgary Public Library
    Festival Author guests will be reading at the downtown public library on August 10 beginning at 12 noon.
    Everyone is welcome to come out and listen to
    • Kevin J Anderson
    • Kelley Armstrong
    • Anthony Bidulka
    • Vanessa Cardui
    • Rebecca Moestra
    read selections from current or upcoming works. Would you like to know more?
  3. When Words Collide is hosting this year's Aurora Awards for the best in Canadian speculative fiction and related works. The public is welcome to attend the awards presentations that will take place on Saturday August 11, from 7-8 PM at the Best Western Village Park Inn. Would you like to know more?
  4. As always, the When Words Collide Merchants Corner is open to the public throughout the festival weekend. Come on down and meet many of Canada's small press and magazine publishers, pick up some hard to find books, or attend scheduled booking signings by this year's festival guests. Would you like to know more?

See Preparations and Amenities for details about these events.


Volunteering and the Aurora Banquet

If you yearn to be heaped with praise, to be at the centre of the excitement and to make a difference in the world, then please consider volunteering for this year's festival.

We need you.

On a different topic, you can now buy Aurora Award banquet tickets at the bottom of the registration page. Only $40 per person for a sumptuous meal.


WWC has been nominated for an Aurora Award!

Aurora Award Logo

It's true! Our own Fearless Leader and convention chairman, Randy McCharles, has been nominated for an Aurora Award in the Best Fan Organisational category for When Words Collide.

If you haven't already, become a member of the CSFFA (it's easy — see below) and vote for whom you feel are most deserving. Here's the list of nominees.

To become a member of the CSFFA (Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association) you can register at http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/Membership/. A mail-in nomination form is also available. Full details about the society can be found at http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/. The cost of membership is $10/year. It gets you the right to nominate up to three items in each of the ten categories, vote for the finalists, vote at the annual general meeting (a crowd favourite) and, new this year, we are working on an electronic package of nominated works, short stories, poems and maybe even a novel. All of which are graciously being made available to CSFFA members by the nominees and their publishers until voting closes.

Vanessa Cardui

Another guest has been added to our 2012 line up. Vanessa Cardui is an amazingly talented Calgarian poet and songwriter. Read about her on our guest page.


2012 Aurora Awards

Aurora Award

When Words Collide is thrilled to announce that we have been selected to host the 2012 Aurora Awards next August. Held under the auspices of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, the Aurora Awards annually honour the best of Canadian science fiction and fantasy literary works, art, and fan activities, An Awards banquet and ceremony will be held the Saturday evening of the festival in addition to a number of related program items.