When Words Collide 2017

I want to tell you about an amazing event that occurs every summer in Calgary. Before you scream "Yee haw!" and scramble to find your cowboy hat, let me assure you I'm not referring to the Stampede.

From August 11th to the 13th, 750 readers, writers, artists and publishers come together to celebrate the written word. While there is much socializing to be had, a significant portion of the weekend is spent in various learning opportunities. Which, let me nerd out on you for a minute, I LOVE!

If you are attending When Words Collide you can catch me Friday, August 11th on the following panels:

Humour: Anything Goes
Authors who deal in humour discuss the rewards and dangers of publishing humorous fiction.

Social Responsibility and Artists
Not every writer feels compelled towards including social responsibility in their craft, but for some it is a foundational part of their work. Join us as our panel discusses how artists play a role in fostering positive social change and why that role is vitally important.

What's your opinion?
I'm curious what your thoughts are on these two topics.

• Do you have favourite authors who use humour effectively to engage readers and move the storyline forward?
• When does humour, in your opinion, go to far?

•Do you see a role for writers in addressing and bringing attention to social issues?
• Are there authors you particularly admire who do a good job of balancing story and social justice?