Celebrate the power of words shaped by the mountains at Banff Centre. Writers from the three-week Mountain Writers Intensive will share new work exploring adventure, wilderness, and the human connection to landscape.

Guided by mentorship and time to hone their craft in Banff’s inspiring setting, participants present their voices in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and journalism. Hosted by award-winning faculty Helen Mort (A Line Above the Sky, The Illustrated Woman) and Kate Harris (Lands of Lost Borders), the evening highlights the spirit of mountain literature.

Enjoy a drink from the bar, hear fresh work, and connect with artists and faculty. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., readings begin at 7:00 p.m., and mingling will continue until 9:30 p.m.

Final frames — bold voices shaping the future of graphic literature.

Join us for an evening celebrating the power of visual storytelling as part of our Literary Cabaret series, featuring the Comics & Graphic Novels Residency at Banff Centre. This final showcase brings together original works from resident artists, spanning the deeply personal to the wildly imaginative through comics, zines, and graphic narratives. Short artist talks and readings from works-in-progress will offer a glimpse into creative process, character development, and illustrated storytelling in all its forms.

Hosted by Matt Madden – cartoonist and translator known for playful and inventive works like Ex Libris and 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style. A member of Oubapo (Workshop for Potential Comics), Madden was named Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 2013. His work includes translations, textbooks, and award-winning editorial projects, and has been published internationally. He will guide the evening, read from his own work, and share the stage with the residency’s artists.

Enjoy a drink from the bar, browse a curated selection of books at Pages Books, and immerse yourself in the vibrant literary atmosphere. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., presentations begin at 7:00 p.m. Stay after and mingle with artists and faculty until 9:30 p.m.

Breaking boundaries — mid-residency revelations in visual storytelling.

Join us for a mid-residency gathering that delves deeper into the creative evolution of our Comics & Graphic Novels artists. Chapter 2 showcases new developments and discoveries as residents test, tinker, and take bold narrative risks in the graphic narrative form. With informal readings, in-progress page reveals, and behind-the-scenes commentary, this evening offers a rare glimpse into the breakthroughs unfolding in the studio.

Hosted by Bishakh Som – Indian-American trans femme visual artist and author whose graphic novel Apsara Engine won the 2020 L.A. Times Book Prize for Best Graphic Novel and the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Comics. Her graphic memoir Spellbound was also a Lambda finalist. Som’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, Autostraddle, The Boston Review, and more. She will guide the evening, read from her own work, and share the stage with the residency’s artists.

Enjoy a drink from the bar, browse a curated selection of books at Pages Books, and immerse yourself in the vibrant literary atmosphere. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., presentations begin at 7:00 p.m. Stay after and mingle with artists and faculty until 9:30 p.m.

Illustrated beginnings — meet the resident artists shaping bold new graphic narratives.

Kick off the Comics & Graphic Novels Residency with an evening of introductions, inspirations, and illustrated beginnings. Chapter 1 invites you into the world of this year’s resident artists as they share early glimpses of their works-in-progress and the ideas driving their projects. Through short artist talks, readings, and visual excerpts, you'll meet a cohort exploring the boundaries of the graphic narrative form.

Hosted by Tom Hart – cartoonist and founder/executive director of The Sequential Artists Workshop (SAW). Hart is the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Rosalie Lightning, translated into five languages and nominated for two Eisner Awards. His work spans graphic novels, memoirs, instructional books, and syndicated comic strips, with features in Greatest American Comics and newspapers in New York and Boston. He will guide the evening, read from his own work, and share the stage with the residency’s artists.

Enjoy a drink from the bar, browse a curated selection of books at Pages Books, and immerse yourself in the vibrant literary atmosphere. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., presentations begin at 7:00 p.m. Stay after and mingle with artists and faculty until 9:30 p.m.