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This Year's Guests
Patricia Briggs Fantasy and Urban Fantasy
Michael Cassutt TV/Film Scriptwriter, Producer and Science Fiction Author
David B. Coe / D.B. Jackson Fantasy, Mystery and Historical Fiction
Barbara Fradkin Mysteries
Shirlee Smith Matheson Young Adult and Biography
Jamis Paulson Editor, Turnstone Press and Ravenstone Press



Open to the public: Saturday Evening Autograph Session

Saturday evening from 8 PM - 10 PM

Attending authors join our festival guest to meet fans and sign books! Signing authors include:

Author Note Author Note
Angela Ackerman   Halli Lilburn  
Karen Bass   Janice MacDonald  
Samantha Beiko 1st hour Susan MacGregor  
Patricia Briggs   Clare C. Marshall  
E. R. Brown   Shirlee Smith Matheson  
Melody Campbell   Randy McCharles  
Michael Cassutt   Jodi McIsaac  
Suzanne Church   Joanne Morcom  
David B. Coe   Nina Munteanu  
Aspen Delaney   Avery Olive 1st hour
Dave Duncan   Michell Plested 2nd hour
Susan Forest   Ursula Pflug  
Barbara Fradkin   Charles Prepolec  
Ron Friedman 2nd hour Jennifer Rahn  
Amber Hayward   Tim Reynolds  
Ronald Hore 1st hour Garry Ryan  
Cameron D James 1st hour Nola Sarina 1st hour
D. B. Jackson   D.K. Snape  
Matthew Johnston 1st hour Amanda Sun  
Sarah Kades   Hayden Trenholm  
Linda Kupecek   Edward Willett  

Free Public Readings and Signings

Many of our guests of honour are coming into town a day or two early and have agreed to do some readings outside our festival. Their books will also be on sale at the reading sites if you wish to purchase them and get a couple of autographs early.

The first reading will be on Thursday evening before the festival at the University of Calgary at 7pm at the Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL) in the Gallery Hall. You can park in the parkade by the main entrance off 24th Avenue.

For anyone that needs these, here are the links to the U of C Campus Map and the U of C Parking Map.

The second reading will be at Pages Books on Kensington at 1125 Kensington Road NW at 12 Noon on the Friday.


2012 Aurora Awards

Our next podcast installment, 2012 Aurora Awards is now available. Enjoy!


Special Workshop

ARWA is offering a special, three hour workshop on Friday, August 9 from 9 AM to 12 PM (just prior to the festival opening). The subject is Writing Sexual Tension, Heightening Your Readers' Satisfaction. Not just for romance writers!

No festival membership is required to attend this workshop.


When Words Collide Aurora Nomination

Aurora Nominee

The Editors' Panel

Our next podcast installment, the Editors' Panel is now available. Enjoy!


When Words Collide has again been nominated for an Aurora Award, Canada's top science fiction and fantasy award. Please, visit their site and join the Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy Association so you can vote for this year's nominees.








Romance Through the Ages

Our next podcast installment, Romance Through the Ages is now available. Enjoy!


OOPS, or, I Hate Computers

Due to a software glitch (my story and I'm sticking to it), the contact information for those wonderful people who signed up to be volunteers in the past few weeks has been lost. If you have volunteered but not heard from our volunteer co-ordinator, please sign up again. Thank you!


Special Workshop

ARWA is offering a special, three hour workshop on Friday, August 9 from 9 AM to 12 PM (just prior to the festival opening). The subject is Writing Sexual Tension, Heightening Your Readers' Satisfaction. Not just for romance writers!


Next Meeting

Our planning meetings are usually the second Sunday of the month. The next one will be May 19. Meetings (from now on) will run from 10 AM to noon in the upstairs community room of the Macleod Trail Co-op (just south of Heritage Dr.) 8818 Macleod Trail SE. If you would like to help us plan for next year's festival or just check out what is going on, please drop in.


Popcorn Theory of Success

Our next podcast installment, Popcorn Theory of Success is now available. Enjoy!


Program Development

The program for the When Words Collide 2013 is currently being developed. Please check this PDF for current information. Updates to the document will happen monthly.


An Hour with Rebecca Moesta

Our next podcast installment, An Hour with Rebecca Moesta is now available. Enjoy!


Next Meeting

Our planning meetings are usually the second Sunday of the month. The next one will be March 10. Meetings (from now on) will run from 10 AM to noon in the upstairs community room of the Macleod Trail Co-op (just south of Heritage Dr.) 8818 Macleod Trail SE. If you would like to help us plan for next year's festival or just check out what is going on, please drop in.


Call for Papers

When Words Collide is hosting an academic colloquium on August 10, 2013. We welcome presentations that explore creative writing pedagogy, genre writing in academic settings, and critical investigations of genre works, including mystery, science fiction, romance, western, horror, fantasy, young adult, and others. Please see here for detailed information.


Pre-Festival Workshops

If you want to take a writing workshop, now is your chance! Workshops are open to registered member of When Words Collide only.


Murder and Mayhem — Canadian Style

Our next podcast installment, Murder and Mayhem — Canadian Style is now available. Enjoy!


Conflict and Tension

Our next podcast installment, Conflict and Tension is now available. Enjoy!


Next Meeting

Our planning meetings are usually the second Sunday of the month. The next one will be January 13. Meetings (from now on) will run from 10 AM to noon in the upstairs community room of the Macleod Trail Co-op (just south of Heritage Dr.) 8818 Macleod Trail SE. If you would like to help us plan for next year's festival or just check out what is going on, please drop in.


Always the Bad Guy

Our next podcast installment, Always the Bad Guy is now available. Enjoy!


Fantasy Readings - Nov. 19th & 20th at 7 PM

On Monday, November 19th and Tuesday, November 20th at 7pm each night there will be readings and Q & A with Karen Dudley and Chadwich Ginther. Their books are being published by Ravenstone press. Ravenstone is an imprint of Turnstone press (one of our guests for next year).

Karen's book is a new historical fantasy novel, Food for the Gods.

Chadwich's book is his debut urban fantasy novel, Thunder Road.

The Monday night's reading will take place at Sentry Box, 1835 10th Ave. S.W.

The Tuesday night's reading will take place at the Calgary Public Library - Louise Riley Branch, 1904 14th Avenue N.W.



Humour in Fiction

Our next podcast installment, Humour in Fiction is now up. is now available. Enjoy!


Wyn Lit 73 -2012

Wynterblue Publishing is holding their annual 73-hour novella writing contest for Canadian authors. See their web site for details.


We Have a Cunning Plan - or Part of One - Part 2

Our planning meetings are usually the second Sunday of the month. The next one will be in December. There is no meeting in November. Meetings (from now on) will run from 10 AM to noon in the upstairs community room of the Macleod Trail Co-op (just south of Heritage Dr.) 8818 Macleod Trail SE. If you would like to help us plan for next year's festival or just check out what is going on, please drop in.


We Have a Cunning Plan - or Part of One

Our next planning meeting is Sunday October 14th from 12 - 2 PM in the upstairs community room of the Macleod Trail Co-op (just south of Heritage Dr.) 8818 Macleod Trail SE. If you would like to help us plan for next year's festival or just check out what is going on, please drop in.


Beyond the Bedroom - There's More to Romance Than Sex

Our next podcast installment, Beyond the Bedroom - There's More to Romance Than Sex is now available. Enjoy!


The Next Podcast Episode

Our next podcast installment, The Writer as Editor is now available. Enjoy!


From His Chairpersonness

Thanks to everyone who came out to the BBQ. A fun time was had by all and we raised just shy of $1,000 toward expenses for next year's guests.

Planning for the 3rd Edition of When Words Collide (2013) is underway. Stay tuned for developments as they happen. If you would like to help us plan for next year or be one of our volunteers next summer, please let us know via our volunteers' page.


Another Note from Your Humble Narrator

The online registration system is now active. If you didn't register at this year's festival you can now do so in the comfort of your own home or office. Just don't register while driving. We'd like you to get there in one piece.


Food, Glorious Food!

Fund-Raiser Barbecue

On Saturday, 2012 September 8, you too can spend a delightful afternoon stuffing yourself with food, participating in our immense book raffle and supporting When Words Collide 2013.

All for the paltry pittance of ten tiny dollars.

Good food, good company, good books and a plethora of warm fuzzies: What could be better?

The barbecue will begin at noon and go until about 4 P.M. The location is the Richmond Meadows Townhouse Complex Party Room (centre building), just north of the Richmond Road Calgary Co-op store. Please note that you must park on 39th Street or in the Co-op parking lot: There is no visitor parking on site.


A Note from Your Humble Narrator

I'm revamping the online registration system so please be patient if you are just dying to register for next year. It will be up in a couple of days.


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 few days. Stay tuned!