“Kathleen Arnason , author of ' The Gimli Huldufolk series', joins us at Cafe Books on 22nd of May , 12-4pm for an exciting book signing!

Kathleen Arnason has written an incredible three book Canadian fantasy series called The Gimli Huldufolk. The series begins in Ireland and Iceland and then takes place across Canada, including British Columbia, Alberta (Drumheller and the Hoodoos area) Winnipeg and Gimli where the mythical creatures have moved from Iceland. They are very well known in Iceland and Kathleen's very first book about the Gimli Huldufolk (which has sold 5,000 copies and is being reissued) has inspired a statue that will be unveiled in Gimli in the summer.”

Hosted by Cafe Books

“Join us for a conversation with Marina Alefosio, an Aotearoa-born Samoan spoken-word poet whose work bridges creative expression and community empowerment.  

Alefosio hails from the villages of Mulifanua, Leauva’a, Faleasiu, and Falefa in Samoa, and works across the Pacific at the intersection of arts, culture, and wellbeing.

Her practice spans spoken word, hip-hop, theatre, songwriting, and mentorship, centring Pasifika and Indigenous voices while exploring themes of identity, justice, and collective healing. Her creative journey began on local and international stages, including the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York (2012) and TEDx Auckland (2013). She has since performed at significant cultural events such as the Dawn Raids Apology Ceremony in Auckland (2021) and the Toronto Writers Festival (2021).

Marina’s contributions have been recognized through numerous poetry anthologies, residencies, and fellowships, including the Banff Centre (2019 and 2024), the Tautai Pacific Arts Trust Fale-ship Residency (2021), the Rhodes Poetry Retreat (2023), and the Creative New Zealand Creative Fellowship Fund (2024), which supported the publication of her debut book to siva inside a circle. Drawing on these experiences, she co-designed a spoken-word residency in Mulifanua, Samoa, with her father and tulafale, Savaiinaea Palenapa Alefosio, creating space for Oceania writers across disciplines. 

Facilitated by Janine Windolph, Director, Indigenous Arts at Banff Centre, the session includes a presentation by Alefosio, followed by a discussion and a Q&A. This conversation will be live-streamed and recorded, with the recording shared following the event. Sessions may include sharing experiences and asking difficult questions.”

Hosted by the Banff Centre at the Max Bell Auditorium.

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

“Calgary author and journalist Jessica Barrett presents an evening of innovative housing solutions from around the world — and right here in Canmore!

Join Jessica for a reading from her new book, No Place Like Home — The Missing Key To Our Housing Crisis, and a panel discussion on how to harness the power of community to solve Canmore's housing crisis. Hear from Donna and Ryan Houston of Canmoreland Community Land Trust, Canmore Town Councillor Tanya Foubert and Mark Tkacz, Housing Programs Manager of Canmore Community Housing about grassroots solutions and promising opportunities to create better homes for everyone in Canmore. Moderated by CBC's Greg Colgan, this night aims to generate positive momentum to tackle one of the biggest issues of our time.

We’re excited to have Café Books onsite with Jessica's Book, No Place Like Home available for purchase!”

Hosted by artsPlace.

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

“Local Calgary-based journalist and  author, Jessica Barrett, joins us at Cafe Books on the  2nd of  May, 12:00 pm-4 pm for an exciting book signing and meet & greet. 

After living in Vancouver for her entire adult life, Jessica Barrett packed up her apartment, quit her dream job as a magazine editor, and headed for Calgary in search of an affordable place to call home. In the years since Barrett was priced out of Vancouver, the issue of housing affordability has become a national crisis, fanning the flames of social inequality and setting us up for financial ruin. But our obsession with rising housing prices obscures a more complex and pressing issue: we have lost our reverence for and our understanding of home.

In No Place Like Home, Barrett dives behind the headlines and statistics of Canada's housing crisis to examine how it has eaten away at our psyches by undermining our human needs for belonging, connection, and stability. Through a mix of powerful memoir and rigorous journalism, she delivers an eye-opening portrait of our housing system while scouring the world for examples of how we might do things differently, pulling inspiration from the slum communities of Harare, Zimbabwe, the stately streets of Vienna, Austria, and the Cold-war era apartment blocks of West Berlin. In the process, Barrett forms a framework for solutions and the basis for achievable change. Her biggest discovery? We cannot solve our housing crisis until we first address our crisis of home.”

Hosted by Cafe Books

“Elinor Florence, Canadian bestselling  author of "Wildwood and Finding Flora " joins us at Cafe Books on 1st of May,  12-4pm for an exciting book signing.

A single mother, an abandoned farmhouse, and an epic battle with the northern wilderness. Rediscover the Canadian classic by the #1 bestselling author of Finding Flora.

Broke and desperate, Molly Bannister accepts the ironclad condition laid down in her great-aunt’s will: to receive her inheritance, Molly must spend one year in an abandoned, off-the-grid farmhouse in the remote backwoods of northern Alberta. If she does, she will be able to sell the farm and fund her four-year-old daughter’s badly needed medical treatment.

With grim determination, Molly teaches herself basic homesteading skills. But her greatest perils come from the brutal wilderness itself, from blizzards to grizzly bears. Will she and her child survive the savage winter? Will she outsmart the idealist young farmer who would thwart her plan to sell the farm? Not only their financial future, but their very lives are at stake. Only the journal written by Molly's courageous great-aunt, the land’s original homesteader, inspires her to struggle on.”

Hosted by Cafe Books

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

“Ryan Uytdewilligan,  joins us at Cafe Books on the  25th of  April for an exciting book signing of his  newest children book, The Next Big Pigs. Join us between 12-4pm to meet Ryan .

Ten-year-old Mikey is a farm kid who doesn’t want to farm. He wants to perform! But as an only child living in an isolated location, he has no one to talk to, let alone perform for. Life is pretty lonely until the day Mikey’s parents give him three pigs to care for and raise. 

 As Mikey soon finds out, these are no ordinary pigs! Humphrey, Bianca, and Moo (yes, a pig named Moo) can talk! And dance! And put on show! Life on the farm transforms into a rehearsal space as Mikey and the pigs get ready for the big time—Broadway here they come! But will they make it off the farm in time to escape the evil Mr. Baconmaker? And will their dreams of fame and fortune come true?”

Hosted by Cafe Books

“Literary Cabaret concludes with an evening of new writing from the Late Spring Writing Residency at Banff Centre.

The program features original work by writers-in-residence in fiction, nonfiction, prose, and hybrid forms. Artist, poet, and translator Sawako Nakayasu, author of Pink Waves, a finalist for the PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry, will host the evening and close the program with a reading from her own work.

Enjoy a drink from the bar, browse a curated selection of books at Pages Books, and immerse yourself in the vibrant literary atmosphere. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., readings begin at 7:00 p.m., and you’re invited to stay and mingle with artists and faculty until 9:00 p.m.”

Hosted by the Banff Centre at CLVB ’33.

“Literary Cabaret continues with an evening of new writing from the Late Spring Writing Residency at Banff Centre.

The evening features original work by writers-in-residence in fiction, nonfiction, prose, and hybrid forms. Poet, translator, and novelist Philip Terry, author of tapestry, shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize, will host and close the program with a reading from his own work.

Enjoy a drink from the bar, browse a curated selection of books at Pages Books, and immerse yourself in the vibrant literary atmosphere. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., readings begin at 7:00 p.m., and you’re invited to stay and mingle with artists and faculty until 9:00 p.m.”

Hosted by the Banff Centre at CLVB ’33.

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

“Join us for an author talk and community conversation with Shannon Hurst whose work explores grief, loss, resilience, and life transitions.

When: Thursday, April 16  |  6:30pm
Where: Friends Program Room

Shannon will be presenting her latest book, My Love/Hate Relationship with Death, which draws from lived experience and thoughtful observations on how grief and loss can affect us and how we carry it over time.

In this gently facilitated session, Shannon will invite participants to reflect on grief and loss as a natural, ongoing part of life and how to make space for it without rushing the healing process.

Shannon Hurst is an Okotoks-based author and speaker who offers accessible and inclusive workshops to individuals and teams navigating change, loss, and high-stress environments. Her sessions allow for reflection, conversation, and connection.

For more information about Shannon and her work, visit her website. ”

Hosted by the Canmore Public Library.

“Celebrate new writing at Literary Cabaret, featuring writers-in-residence from the Late Spring Writing Residency at Banff Centre.

This showcase features original work by writers-in-residence, with emerging and established writers sharing fiction, nonfiction, prose, and hybrid forms. Canadian author and creative writing teacher Jessica Westhead, whose fiction has been shortlisted for the CBC Literary Awards and whose story collection And Also Sharkswas a finalist for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award, will host the evening and share a reading from her own work.

Enjoy a drink from the bar, browse a curated selection of books at Pages Books, and immerse yourself in the vibrant literary atmosphere. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., readings begin at 7:00 p.m., and you’re invited to stay and mingle with artists and faculty until 9:00 p.m.”

Hosted by the Banff Centre at CLVB ’33.

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

“The Spring Writers Literary Cabarets conclude with Chapter 3.

This final evening features another distinct group of writers-in-residence presenting original work across genres, marking the closing gathering of the Spring Writing Residency at Banff Centre.

The evening is hosted by Haisla/Heiltsuk author Eden Robinson, Banff Centre alumna and returning faculty member. Her story collection Traplines won the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize, and her novel Monkey Beach was shortlisted for the Giller Prize and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction. She will guide the evening and close with a reading from her own work.

Settle in at CLVB ’33 for an evening of new writing and conversation.

Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with readings beginning at 7:00 p.m. Informal mingling continues until 9:30 p.m.”

Hosted by the Banff Centre at CLVB ’33.

“In this talk, award-winning author and playwright Drew Hayden Taylor reflects on how a young boy from Curve Lake First Nation came to share Indigenous stories with audiences around the world.

Drawing on experiences across nearly two dozen countries, Taylor explores how humour functions within Indigenous storytelling as a tool for connection, insight, and perspective. He considers the changing landscape of First Nations literature and how humour can create space for dialogue, challenge expectations, and offer new ways to engage with contemporary Indigenous life and creativity.

Facilitated by Janine Windolph, Director of Indigenous Arts at Banff Centre, the session includes a presentation by Taylor, followed by a discussion and a Q&A. This conversation will be live-streamed and recorded, with the recording shared following the event. Sessions may include sharing experiences and asking difficult questions.

About the Decolonizing the Narrative Conversation Series

The Decolonizing the Narrative Conversation Series is a bi-monthly conversation session inviting leading Indigenous Art creators to discuss their practices and processes. The series engages an Indigenous lens across various art forms, including Literary Arts, Film and Media Arts, Digital Media, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts such as Theatre, Dance, and Music. These sessions offer a space to explore and deepen your understanding of how Indigenous artists use their disciplines as tools to decolonize artistic processes and creation.”

Hosted by the Banff Centre in the Max Bell Auditorium

“The Spring Writers Literary Cabaret continues with Chapter 2.

This evening brings together a new group of writers-in-residence sharing original work across genres. Each chapter offers a different program, reflecting the range of voices participating in the Spring Writing Residency at Banff Centre.

Hosted by poet Nicole Sealey, author of The Ferguson Report: An Erasure, winner of the 2024 OCM Bocas Prize for Poetry, from which an excerpt was awarded the Forward Prize for Best Poem.  She is also the author of Ordinary Beast, a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and The Animal After Whom Other Animals Are Named, winner of the Drinking Gourd Chapbook Prize. She will guide the evening and conclude the program with a featured reading.

Enjoy a drink from the bar and the warm, intimate setting of CLVB ’33.

Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with readings beginning at 7:00 p.m. Stay afterward for an informal conversation with writers and faculty until 9:30 p.m.”

Hosted by the Banff Centre at CLVB ’33.

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

“Join us at Cafe Books for an exciting book signing of "I Asked for a Unicorn But Life Gave Me a Zebra" by Calgary based-authors, Mary-Leigh Doyle & Anette Wichmann on Saturday 21st March 2026 at 12-4 pm.

This book springs from my personal search for the positivity I so desperately needed at a difficult time in my life. The deaths of my mother and a favourite uncle, and a difficult recovery period for my husband after hip surgery, weighed heavily on me. 

The moments I scraped together for creativity between my responsibilities, were filled with a fantasy of escapism into a dreamlike world. I conjured creatures, places, and adventures I had never before imagined. My own zebras came to me from my fellow artists, woodcarvers, family, and friends. I learned to count even the smallest of blessings they brought me as the treasures they represented in my life.”

Hosted by Cafe Books

“A new season of voices opens at Literary Cabaret.

Part of the Spring Writing Residency at Banff Centre, Chapter 1 features original work from this season’s writers-in-residence across genres, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid forms. Each chapter in the series presents a distinct lineup, offering a window into the breadth of practices gathered this spring.

The evening is hosted by poet and critic Vidyan Ravinthiran, born in Leeds to Sri Lankan Tamil parents. His debut collection Grun-tu-molani was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, and The Million-petalled Flower of Being Herewas shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. He will guide the program and close the evening with a reading from his own work.

Settle in with a drink from the bar, browse a curated selection of books from Pages, and experience the creative atmosphere of CLVB ’33.

Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with readings beginning at 7:00 p.m. Informal mingling continues until 9:30 p.m.”

Hosted by the Banff Centre at CLVB ’33.

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

“Join us at Cafe Books for an exciting book signing of '' Whose Nest is Best? by a Calgary based-author, Lyndsay Wasko on Saturday,March 14th, 2026,  12pm-4 pm.

Lyndsay Wasko grew up writing stories and drawing animals and years later, not much has changed. She lives in Calgary with her family and generally aspires to the life of a Beatrix Potter animal: baking, sewing, gardening, and being in nature. She especially enjoys river walks with her dog, Watson.

Fly alongside birds of the world in this stunning picture book that's just right for children ages 3-7. Includes back matter on birds and their homes.

This is a unique, fun, and educational exploration of birds around the world and the types of nests that they build for their families. Includes back matter on birds and their homes.”

Hosted by Cafe Books

“Join us for an evening with Dr. Karen Lee as she presents her memoir Fit Cities: My Quest to Improve the World's Health and Wellness--Including Yours.

When: Thursday, March 12  |  6:30pm
Where: Friends Program Room

Fit Cities chronicles Dr. Lee’s work over the last 20+ years in which she and her many collaborators uncovered and set about eradicating the causes of a pandemic of unhealthy living. The book offers invaluable advice on how we can all help ourselves to live healthier lives.

Dr. Karen Lee is an Associate Professor in the Division of Preventive Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta (U of A). Prior to returning to her native home in the Edmonton area in 2018, Dr. Lee spent 15 years in the United States, first as a "disease detective" at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), then as Deputy to the Assistant Commissioner of Health for Chronic Disease Prevention and Director of the Built Environment Program in New York City. Dr. Lee and her team helped the City of New York become a “Fit City” and saw childhood obesity decrease and life expectancy increase at higher rates than other places in the country.

Dr. Lee has worked with over 40 cities around the world and with over 150 partners in Canada to create the U of A’s Healthy Community Guidelines. For more information about Dr. Lee and her work, please visit: www.drkarenlee.com.

Café Books will be joining us for Dr. Lee’s visit and will have copies of Fit Cities available for purchase.”

Hosted by the Canmore Public Library.

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

Regular weekly social and co-working meetups of the Banff Writers Group take place on Sundays, from 2-4pm, at the Happy Camper Café & Bar (545 Banff Ave). Our format is: half an hour of social time, followed by an hour of quiet co-working, then another half an hour at the end for wrap up. All experience levels and projects welcome, whether you're working on a book, blog, paper, personal journal, script, or anything else, so long as it is “written.”

We’re not a critique or reading group, so there’s no need to bring anything to share with other members.

“Audrey Blake, author of 'All in Her Hands' joins us at Cafe Books on 28th of February 12 pm-4pm for an exciting book signing!

One woman physician. A group of talented midwives. A deadly disease spreading.

1849. Dr. Nora Gibson is the only female surgeon in London. In all of England, even. After earning her medical degree and overcoming the prejudice of those who wished to see her fail, she's finally earned her place at the Great Queen Street Hospital alongside her newlywed husband and her eccentric but ailing adoptive father, the great Dr. Horace Croft.

But peace is hard to come by as a physician, and for one like Nora, it's almost impossible. When Nora takes up the fight to bring midwives into the medical field, her already fragile reputation comes under fire by colleagues and London society itself. And if the possibility of losing her rights to practice medicine wasn't enough, a dangerous enemy has made itself known: the deadliest cholera epidemic in over a century. It's a swift disease that wreaks havoc and tragedy across the city, especially amongst the working classes, and Nora will do anything she can to help. Soon, she finds herself on the frontlines of the disease, and as those around her begin to fall, she'll have to find the strength to stand alone and maintain her greatest oath: to save lives. Whether she'll make it through, though, is up to fate.”

Hosted by Cafe Books