When Words Collide is a festival for readers, writers, artists and publishers of commercial and literary fiction, including genre, YA, children's books, and poetry.

When Words Collide is an annual non-profit festival modelled after the volunteer conventions popular in the Science Fiction and Fantasy communities. Nobody is paid for attending (though guests of honour have their expenses covered) and even the organizers buy passes.
The festival is designed to bring readers and writers together in a celebration of the written word. Up to 10 tracks of programming, beginning at 1 PM on Friday and running through 5 PM Sunday, offer informational, educational, and social activities covering a wide spectrum of literature including Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Historical, Literary, Script-writing, Poetry, Comics, and Non-fiction. Roughly 800 readers, writers, editors, publishers, agents, and artists attend with hundreds of presenters in our program.
Organizers and presenters alike volunteer their time and talents to make When Words Collide as accessible and varied as humanly possible. Here you can find out what is being developed for this year, to register for this year, to see what has happened in previous years, or to get involved in one of the largest literary events in Canada.