2026 AFTERWORDS LITERARY FESTIVAL

The eighth annual AfterWords Literary Festival will happen November 1 to 8, 2026 at venues around Halifax.

Please note:

Tickets are NOT REFUNDABLE. They are transferable—you’ll receive an email (that’s your ticket!) and you can forward it to someone else to use if you are unable to make it to the event.
There will be a limited number of tickets available at the door for each event. Plan to arrive at Doors Open time noted in order to purchase tickets at the door.
We reserve limited free equity seats in our events for those who face financial barriers. Use the code EQUITY26 at checkout to access a free equity seat.

See the full schedule below!

Fifth Annual Downtown Book Crawl

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

6:00 pm

to 8:00 pm

Various locations in downtown Halifax

Kids’ Day/Journée jeunesse

With Sara O’Leary, Darcy Whitecrow, Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail, Rebecca Rose, Meaghan Smith, Kai Cheng Thom, Réjean Roy, Caroline Bélisle, Florence Brunet, Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, Anna Lazowski, and Sal Sawler

Presented by Halifax Independent School

Sunday, November 1, 2026

12:30 pm

to 3:30 pm

Paul O’Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library

The Next Generation: Youth Mentorship Readings

With Luisa Ensslin, Stephanie Coldwell, Daniel Park, KR Byggdin, francesca ekwuyasi, and Sue Goyette

Presented by Arts Nova Scotia’s Artists in Communities program

Sunday, November 1, 2026

1:30 pm

to 3:00 pm

RBC Room, Halifax Central Library

Dodge City: In Conversation

With Patrick deWitt, Laurie Brown, and Tara Gereaux

Sunday, November 1, 2026

4:00 pm

to 6:00 pm

Doors Open: 3:30 pm

The Carleton

The World We Long For: Readings and conversation

With Vivek Shraya and Kai Cheng Thom

Presented by Dalhousie University

Monday, November 2, 2026

1:00 pm

to 2:30 pm

Doors Open: 12:30 pm

The Carleton

Monday Night in Millbrook: Wild People Quiet In Conversation

With Tara Gereaux and Amanda Peters

Monday, November 2, 2026

7:00 pm

to 8:30 pm

Doors Open: 6:30 pm

Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre

On Occasion: Readings and conversation

With Daryl Bruce, Sue Goyette, Sina Queyras, and Luke Hathaway

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

1:00 pm

to 2:30 pm

Doors Open: 12:30 pm

The Carleton

Still Here/GeneratioNS in Cherry Brook

With Thandiwe McCarthy and Aquakultre

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

7:00 pm

to 8:30 pm

Doors Open: 6:30 pm

Black Cultural Centre

Still Here/GeneratioNS at The Carleton

With Thandiwe McCarthy and Aquakultre

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

1:00 pm

to 2:30 pm

Doors Open: 12:30 pm

The Carleton

Party of Six

With Natalie Zina Walschots, Robert de la Chevotière, Jeff Miller, Clare Goulet, Kate Cayley, Jamaluddin Aram, and K.R. Byggdin

Presented by Rosie Porter Realtor

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

7:00 pm

to 9:30 pm

Doors Open: 6:30 pm

Cafe Lara on Agricola

To Be Seen and Treated As Human: In conversation

With Feisal G. Mohamed, Jamaluddin Aram, and Syed Adnan Hussain

Thursday, November 5, 2026

1:00 pm

to 2:30 pm

Doors Open: 12:30 pm

The Carleton

Open Workshop, Open House

With Sharon Bala

Thursday, November 5, 2026

5:00 pm

to 6:30 pm

Doors Open: 4:30 pm

The Bus Stop Theatre

A Class Act: Readings and Conversation

With Jaime Burnet, Feisal G. Mohamed, Michelle Hébert, Kate Cayley, Sharon Bala, and Bart Vautour

Presented by Starboard Wealth Planners

Thursday, November 5, 2026

7:00 pm

to 9:30 pm

Doors Open: 6:30 pm

The Bus Stop Theatre

Expanding Masculinities: Panel Discussion

With Stephens Gerard Malone, Alex Manley, and Cooper Lee Bombardier

Presented by the University of King’s College

Friday, November 6, 2026

1:00 pm

to 2:30 pm

Doors Open: 12:30 pm

The Carleton

Ghosts in the Machine: Readings and Conversation

With Sharon Bala, Michelle Porter, Jaime Forsythe, Robert J. Sawyer, and Natalie Zina Walschots

Friday, November 6, 2026

7:30 pm

to 10:00 pm

Doors Open: 7:00 pm

The Bus Stop Theatre

Saturday Afternoon at The Carleton

With Leonard Diepeveen, Ruth Ozeki, Robert J. Sawyer, and Erin Wunker

Saturday, November 7, 2026

1:00 pm

to 2:30 pm

Doors Open: 12:30 pm

The Carleton

Atlantic Voice: Live from AfterWords

With Lindsay Bird

Saturday, November 7, 2026

3:30 pm

to 4:30 pm

Doors Open: 3:00 pm

The Bus Stop Theatre

The Stories We Become: Readings and Conversation

With Mark Anthony Jarman, Kaie Kellough, Jennifer LoveGrove, Sharon Bala, and Ruth Ozeki

Presented by the University of King’s College

Saturday, November 7, 2026

7:00 pm

to 9:30 pm

Doors Open: 6:30 pm

The Bus Stop Theatre

Book Appétit Brunch

With Donna Morrissey, Amanda Peters, and Stephanie Domet

Sunday, November 8, 2026

11:00 am

to 1:00 pm

Doors Open: 10:30 am

The Carleton

The Language of the Present: Readings and Conversation

With Mai Nguyen, Zeta Paul, Farah Ghafoor, Sue Goyette, Kaie Kellough, and Jennifer LoveGrove

Sunday, November 8, 2026

3:00 pm

to 4:30 pm

Doors Open: 2:30 pm

The Bus Stop Theatre

WORKSHOPS

Our workshops have limited seats and sell out fast. Please bring your own writing materials. We reserve limited free equity seats in our workshops for writers who face financial barriers. Use the code EQUITY26 at checkout to access a free equity seat.