Sept. 20 - 27 — Perhaps because literary types like things a bit autumnal, fall is a big season for book/author/reading festivals. Though Toronto’s International Festival of Authors, which takes place at the end of October, is the big kid on the block — especially this year, its 30th (more on that here, BTW) — there are a number of festival’s in smaller cities that bring in both big-name authors and word-hungry crowds.

Winnpeg’s week-long “Thin Air” festival, now in its 12th year, takes place mostly at the CanWest Global Performing Arts Centre, and this year features such authors as Guy Maddin, Robert Charles Wilson, Bonnie Burnard, Laureen Kirshner, Robert J. Sawyer, and Jake MacDonald. There will also be a business breakfast on the 25th featuring “culture commentator” and Peep Diaries author Hal Niedzviecki yakking about “The New Rules of Social Media: Why the Customer Doesn’t Care about Privacy—and What You Should Do About It.”

(Image by Isaac Leedom)