Countdown to the 2023 Festival!

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Celebrate the art of groundbreaking writing back in-person.

The New Quarterly literary magazine, Words Worth Books, and the Balsillie School of International Affairs are proud to present the 12th annual Wild Writers Literary Festival on October 27-29, 2023. Join us for an in-person celebration of the feral and free in poetry, the short story, and everything in between.

Last Year's Wild Writers!

Wild Writers Literary Festival #11

Our Wildly Gracious Donors

We couldn’t present the festival without the generous support of our donors. They ensure world-class writers can share their knowledge with our local reading and writing community. They fund our bursary program so that young and emerging writers can attend the festival for free. In short, they are champions of literature.

Thank you,

The Story Behind Our Sponsors

The Knapp Wealth Management Team of RBC Dominion Securities believes that True Wealth Management extends much beyond investment advice and portfolio management. It incorporates all aspects of personal finance to protect your lifestyle, manage your nest egg, plan for retirement, and create a legacy. Create a roadmap for your financial future today!

Audi Kitchener-Waterloo has catered to the needs of luxury vehicle buyers and owners with an unwavering commitment to customer service and honesty for decades. They look to surpass the expectations of every person that walks through their doors, providing an environment where you will truly enjoy purchasing your next vehicle. Visit their experts and find the right vehicle for you.

The New Quarterly is a literary magazine based out of Waterloo, Ontario. From poetry to fiction to essays, the magazine has published a diverse array of emerging and established Canadian writers. Look toThe New Quarterly for a varied and balanced representation of literary excellence in contemporary Canada.

Words Worth Books has been at the heart of vibrant Uptown Waterloo for over 30 years. Not only is the store a valuable resource for procuring unique, quality books and magazines, they provide the region with a thriving cultural drop-in centre for community events. Words Worth Books is more than just a great bookstore; they’re champions of the printed word.

“It’s a new world. It’s accelerating. Its problems are borderless, converging and increasingly urgent. Some societies and institutions are changing fast to meet the challenges, aggressively and irrevocably. But others are falling further and further behind. Answers to the world’s problems must reach beyond the borders of nationality, creed and discipline. The Waterloo area in Canada provides the ideal crucible for research and teaching to find these answers.”
— Jim Balsillie

The Ontario Arts Council (OAC), an agency of the Government of Ontario, serves as the primary funder of the arts in the province. For more than 55 years, the OAC has played a vital role in promoting and assisting the development of the arts for the enjoyment and benefit of Ontarians. In 2018-19, OAC invested $61.1 million in 228 communities across Ontario through 2,252 grants to individual artists and 1,424 grants to organizations.

The Musagetes Foundation makes the arts more central and meaningful in peoples' lives, in our communities, and in our societies. Musagetes recognizes the role the arts can play in addressing the faultlines of modern society and the perplexing problems that beset contemporary life.

The City of Waterloo has made cultural development a priority, making Waterloo a more vibrant and an even better place to live, work, learn, and play. Remaining true to our past, building on present strengths, and making the most of opportunities, Waterloo is a culturally transforming city – vibrant and resilient.

The City of Kitchener takes great pride in supporting local arts communities. At the heart of Kitchener's vibrant arts and culture scene are the artists, the cultural activators and digital-content creators, who nurture the soul of our community and help fuel the economic engine of our city.

Since 2001, Keith Kuepfer and Mark Brubacher have led operations at the historic St. Jacob's Printery. Keith and Mark continue the same philosophy as their predecessors; they run an efficient operation and keep up with new trends and technologies. The Printery team is proud of our community and continues to support many local initiatives and organizations.

Hugging a creek bank at the core of the University of Waterloo, St. Jerome's University offers a small-college oasis in the midst of the bustling University of Waterloo campus. For more than 150 years, they have been nurturing students’ hearts, minds, and spirits.

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