Northwords

This is a wonderful opportunity for writers, poets, and storytellers to share their work with a captivated audience. Whether you're a seasoned spoken word artist or taking your first steps into literary events, our stage is open to all. Audience members will be surprised by readings…

Readings from North of Nowhere: Song of a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner (House of Anansi Press) and Stoneface: A Defiant Dene (Caitlin Press) followed by a Q&A. Free and open to the public.

Dive deep into a writer’s world at the first NorthWords NWT Writers Retreat. This all-day event will feature published authors who will share their trade secrets to help you navigate the world of writing. Join NorthWords and guest authors Waubgeshig Rice, Carol Rose GoldenEagle, Richard Van Camp…

Experience the power of storytelling at the NorthWords NWT Literary Lunch Break! Local and visiting authors will read excerpts from their published works, whisking you away from Yellowknife for a lunch time retreat. This intimate gathering is a perfect chance to connect with the voices…

Caribbean-Canadian poet and spoken word artist Brandon Wint will explore some of the many approaches through which memory and imagination can come together to create rich poetic memoirs. In this 90-minute workshop, participants will explore the nuances of their lineages and family histories, and…

Come to NACC for an evening of imagination and inspiration as we kick off our 19th Annual Writers Festival. This showcase features a series of stage readings by local and visiting authors, each sharing captivating excerpts from their latest works. Engage with the stories that have…

This session brings together distinguished Indigenous authors who will explore the intersections of identity, culture, and feminism within Indigenous literary works. Engage with the panelists as they discuss how Indigenous womxn's voices are shaping contemporary literature and…

Join Richard Van Camp for a hilarious and inspiring workshop on how to design your characters for fiction and graphic novels, and how to use fiction to approach your most vulnerable stories. For ages 16 and up.

Join illustrator Alison McCreesh for a fun, family friendly interactive activity. Watch your ideas grow on the page as she creates an illustration with your input!

Too often, writers censor their words, worried about what other people might think.  Good writing requires honesty and raw emotion. This workshop aims to abandon the shackles.  You are not writing for the "conversation over formal dinner" crowd. Be bold.

Join Waubgeshig Rice for a reading and discussion about his second novel with book club members. From the publisher Penguin Random House Canada: Twelve years after the lights go out . . . An epic journey to a forgotten homeland. The hotly anticipated sequel to the bestselling novel…

This session features a lineup of talented graphic novel authors who will delve into the craft of graphic novel storytelling. Panelists will explore their creation process, their personal work, as well as sharing personal advice and experiences. Whether you’re a seasoned graphic novel…

Ivan Coyote is the author of 10 collections of short stories, one novel, the co-editor of an anthology, a collection of letters, and the producer of four short films, six full-length theatre shows, and three albums that combine storytelling with music. Still, Ivan makes most of their…

Navigating funding opportunities and grant proposals can be difficult for new and even established writers, but they're an important part of taking your work to the next level. Join us to discuss available grants, how to gather the needed information, expectations and deadlines.…

Local children's author and musician Miranda Currie will provide prompts for you to write your own poems for a young audience. She will also share some poems from her forthcoming poetry collection for kids, Sub-Arctic Silliness.

This popular NorthWords event is a saucy and titillating open mic event showcasing our guest authors Ivan Coyote and Carol Rose GoldenEagle, local writers and YOU! Featuring burlesque performers Stella Gams and Uhura Tease.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and performances start at 8 p.m. 19+ only…

We often think the literary permission to write as we want exists outside of ourselves - it doesn't. Join memoirist, Helen Knott, for an interactive discussion around creating a framework for your memoir to nestle into.

Experienced children’s authors and illustrators gather to share their journeys and advice for creating stories with a Northern perspective that hold the attention and delight of young audiences.

Family-friendly tales in French & English.

Shéhérazade & Joséphine are two story-catchers and story-gardeners who arrived in the North about sixty moons ago combined. 

Before meeting in Yellowknife, they eagerly listened to stories and tales from different places,…

Hear stories and perspectives on the impact of storytelling from long-time Northerners at this lunchtime event hosted by Elaine Gillespie.

Come and share the magic of stories with your children at this free event featuring wonderful books read by the authors.

Passing stories down orally from generation to generation is a foundational cultural practice for people around the world. Today, writers capture, adapt, and document spoken stories in many ways. In this workshop, Waubgeshig Rice discusses how the oral stories of his Anishinaabe…

Join all NorthWords guest authors for a thunderous and uplifting festival close on writing for social change. What power do our words have to foster change around us today? Is the pen still mightier than the sword?

Join Dr.Marie Wilson for the launch of her first book, North of Nowhere - Song of a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner.