2025 NorthWords NWT Writers Festival: 20th Anniversary
Creating literary magic since 2006
In our 20th year, the Festival will feature a diverse lineup of readings, panel discussions, writing workshops and more.
Event Schedule
Book Launch: Book of Hope Healthcare and Survival in the North
Hotıì ts'eeda
6:30pm - 9:00pm
Yellowknife Books

From Fernwood Publishing's website
Firsthand narratives from Northern and Indigenous cancer survivors and caregivers offer compassionate advice and insightful analysis about healthcare in rural northern communities.…
Full Event DetailsGather: A Spoken Word Open Mic (All Ages!)
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Yellowknife Books

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…
Full Event DetailsWriters Retreat
Robyn Scott
9:00am - 4:30pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Rooms

50$ for NorthWords Members, Students, Low-Income
70$ General Admission
Dive deep into a Writer’s world at the first…
Full Event DetailsLiterary Lunch Break
Myranda Bolstad
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Yellowknife Books

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 and…
Full Event DetailsIndividual Creative Writing Mentorship Sessions
5:30pm - 2:30pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Rooms E & D

2025 NorthWords NWT Writers Festival Mentorship Schedule
Location: The Explorer Hotel…
Full Event DetailsFREE Writing Workshop: The Bones of Fiction with Esi Edugyan
BACupNorth
5:30pm - 7:00pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room D

This workshop explores the craft of fiction. It is geared towards writers in all stages of their projects and their careers. The focus will be a mixture of workshopping original material and lectures covering various aspects of technique.
Esi Edugyan is the award-winning author of 3 novels…
Full Event DetailsBlush: An Evening of Erotica & Sensual Spoken Word
Robyn Scott
7:00pm - 11:00pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Rooms

This popular NorthWords NWT event is a saucy and titillating open mic event showcasing our guest authors Jody Chan,…
Full Event DetailsPancake and Pajama Party!
NWT Literacy Council
9:00am - 10:30am
Northern United Place

5$ per person; Tickets on Eventbrite
Presented in partnership with the NWT Literacy Council
Come cozy up for a fun-filled morning of pancakes and stories! Wear…
Full Event DetailsThe Story Behind the Story: Writing at the Intersection of Fact and Art
Cassandra Blondin Burt
10:30am - 12:00pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Rooms

In an age of shifting narratives and evolving media landscapes, the boundary between journalism and creative writing has never been more porous—or more powerful. This panel brings together journalists and authors who blur the lines between reportage and storytelling. How do narrative…
Full Event DetailsWorkshop: From Page to Screen with Richard Van Camp
Western Arctic Moving Pictures
10:30am - 12:00pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room D

Presented in partnership with Western Arctic Moving Pictures, From Page to Screen will focus on adapting pieces of creative writing (short stories, novels, graphic novels, etc.) into screenplays. As part of the workshop, a screening of the 2024 short film Inkwo For When the Starving…
Full Event DetailsBook Club: Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Robyn Scott
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Yellowknife Books

Meet Esi Edugyan, Giller Prize-winning novelist and author of Washington Black (2018)
Stories That Carry Us: Indigenous Memoirs and Memory
Richard Van Camp
1:00pm - 2:30pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room B & C

Memoir is more than a personal record—it’s a vessel of memory, resilience, and cultural continuity. In this powerful conversation, Indigenous leaders, writers, and knowledge keepers—Stephen Kakfwi, Katłı̨̀ą Lafferty, and Niigaan Sinclair—gather to explore the role of memoir in preserving history…
Full Event DetailsBook Club: Through the Woods by E.M. Carrolll
Yellowknife Public Library
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Yellowknife Public Library Meeting Room

Meet E.M. Carroll, graphic novelist and author of Through the Woods (2014) for a discussion and Q&A with other readers in the community.
Workshop: What Is Poetry For? with Jody Chan
1:00pm - 3:00pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room D

Shadows in Ink: Exploring Dark Themes in Graphic Novels
Jay Bulkaert
3:00pm - 4:30pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room B & C

From trauma to transformation, graphic novels have become a powerful medium for confronting the darker corners of the human experience. In this bold and visually compelling panel, artists and authors E.M. Carroll, Alison McCreesh, Royce, and Richard Van Camp delve into the creative and emotional…
Full Event DetailsWorkshop: How to Make the Truth Interesting with Niigaan Sinclair
3:00pm - 4:30pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room D

NorthWords NWT Authors Showcase & 20th Anniversary Celebration
Jared Monkman
7:30pm - 10:00pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room B, C & D

Join us for an evening of imagination and inspiration as we celebrate 20 years of literary magic with NorthWords NWT 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…
Full Event DetailsPanel Discussion: Rooted in Verse: Poetry and the Natural World
Amber O'Reilly
10:00am - 11:30am
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room B & C

Nature has long been both muse and mirror for poets, offering language for beauty, belonging, grief, and change. In this evocative panel, poets Jody Chan, Miranda Currie, Carly Straker, and Cassandra Blondin Burt gather to share work that speaks to land, water, animal life, and our place within…
Full Event DetailsPanel Discussion: Kunuuksayuukka: The Spirit of Winter Storms by Rose Marie Kirby
Inuvialuit Communications Society
11:30am - 1:00pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room B & C

Kunuuksayuukka: The Spirit of Winter Storms
An Intergenerational Book Talk, Reading & Video Showcase
Join us at the 2025 NorthWords NWT Writers Festival for an evening that honours legacy, language, and the enduring strength of…
Full Event DetailsNorthern Quill Publishing Meet & Greet
Northern Quill Publishing
12:00pm - 1:00pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room D

Northern Quill Publishing is a female-owned and operated company born from a shared love of seeing the North reflected in literature. Our journey began with a simple phone call, and now, here we are, starting this business as a social…
Full Event DetailsPanel Discussion: Unearthing the Past: The Art of Historical Research
Katłı̨̀ą Lafferty
1:00pm - 2:30pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room B & C

Behind every powerful story of the past lies deep research, careful listening, and a search for truth that often challenges dominant narratives. In this illuminating panel, Esi Edugyan, Lee Selleck, Michelle Swallow, and Patrick Scott/Paul Andrew come together to discuss the tools, ethics,…
Full Event DetailsWorkshop: The Dream Language of Horror Comics with E.M. Carroll
E.M. Carroll
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Explorer Hotel

20$ General Public
15$ NorthWords Members
10$ Full-Time Students & Low-Income
Dreams have influenced major horror ideas and imagery in Carroll’s comics, and how they translate them down to a sequential format. Participants will use a four panel square grid to distill their…
Full Event DetailsClosing Words: Telling Uncomfortable Truths: Storytelling as a Mirror to Society
Jessica Davey-Quantick
2:00pm - 4:00pm
The Explorer Hotel Katimavik Room B, C & D

This panel delves into how authors confront challenging societal issues through their narratives. Discussions may include confronting historical injustices, exploring personal and collective traumas, and challenging societal norms. The panelists can share how their works serve as a medium to…
Full Event Details