LITFEST 2018 Festival Lineup Announced

Canada's only non-fiction literary festival is thrilled to announce our full line-up of authors and events for LitFest 2018. Running from October 11-21, 2018, the 11-day festival will play host to some of the country's most talked-about, best-selling, and emerging literary talents.

The full lineup with authors, events, and venues will be released to the public on August 29 at litfestalberta.org

Preview of Authors and Headlining Events:

Oct 12: STARLIGHT: Honouring Richard Wagamese-A special conversation honouring Richard Wagamese and the posthumous release of his final novel, Starlight, with CBC's Shelagh Rogers, Patti Laboucane-Benson, and Wayne Arthurson.

Oct 13: Vivek Shraya: I'm Afraid Of Men-With raw honesty, author Vivek Shraya delivers an important record of the cumulative damage caused by misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia, in turn releasing trauma from a body that has always refused to assimilate.

Oct 14: On Empathy and Emergencies: In Conversation with Dr. Brian Goldman-Veteran ER physician Brian Goldman reflects on his career in scrubs. While his regular radio observations on CBC's White Coat Black Art have delved into the fascinating (and sometimes dark) lives of doctors, his most recent book, The Power of Kindness, takes readers far from the theatre of medicine to investigate why kindness is so vital to our existence.

Oct 15: Gender Messages: In Conversation with Elizabeth Renzetti & Rachel Giese-Two of the most talked-about authors of the year come together to discuss society's messages on gender, and what it means for young girls and boys-and the nonbinary-alike. Elizabeth Renzetti's Shrewed takes wry and closely observed look at the lives of women, while Rachel Giese's Boys examines what it means to become a man.

Oct 16: Midnight Light with Dave Bidini - Bestselling author of On A Cold Road and founding member of the Rheostatics, journalist Dave Bidini's latest book uses his stint as guest columnist at the Yellowknifer newspaper to explore the "Gateway to the North," the meaning of community, and the issues facing residents and their daily lives.

Oct 18: Little Yellow House: A Talk and Tour in Alberta Avenue @ OTTO Food & Drink - As Carissa Halton's family made their home in one of the oldest parts of the city-Alberta Avenue-her writing reflected on the revitalization that is slowly changing the view from her little yellow house. Presented with support from Walkable Edmonton.

Oct 21: Billy-Ray Belcourt: This Wound is a World- Part manifesto, part memoir, This Wound is a World is an invitation to "cut a hole in the sky to world inside." The highly acclaimed, multiple-award winning Edmonton poet Billy-Ray Belcourt issues a call to turn to love and sex to understand how Indigenous peoples shoulder sadness and pain like theirs without giving up on the future.

Other Highlights: LitFest is more than just books. It's a moveable feast that touches on every area of popular culture, politics, art, and the way we live our lives. LitFest offers festival attendees the chance to explore a wide variety of nonfiction in a multitude of formats, including author panels, readings, live performances, and master-class writing workshops.

• Oct 13 @ The Common: The Memoir Hour, featuring Heather O'Neill, Angie Abdou, and Lindsay Wong (author of The Woo-Woo)

• Oct 18 @ The Aviary: Andrea Warner, Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography with special guest performance by Celeigh Cardinal

• Oct 17 @ 99TEN: Darrel J. McLeod, Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age, in conversation with guest Lewis Cardinal

• Oct 19 @ Allard Hall: Marcello Di Cintio, Pay No Heed to the Rockets, in conversation with CBC's Raffy Boudjikanian
  

• Oct 20 @ The Matrix Hotel: Food Matters, Who's Feeding You? With authors of Food Artisans of Alberta and Women Who Dig, with host Liane Faulder.

Since 2006, performance venues and concert halls across Edmonton have opened their doors each October to welcome and showcase the top voices in literary nonfiction from YEG and beyond. The 11-day festival connects nonfiction fans with the authors and writers, guiding conversations that matter to Canadians from climate change to politics to social issues-even the ever-changing trends in cuisine.

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