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Booktoberfest

Booktoberfest is our annual literary festival that celebrates Nova Scotian authors & publishers and the books they've published over the past year. It offers a place for authors & readers to meet; book sales & signings; and free readings & creative writing workshops.

For questions about this program, contact program lead Andy Verboom at communications@writers.ns.ca

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Booktoberfest 2025 will be held at Halifax Central Library on Saturday, October 11 (11am – 3pm).

The book fair (in Paul O’Regan Hall) will feature 31 vendor tables, including 60+ Nova Scotian authors and 7 Nova Scotian publishers.

Free creative writing workshops (in the BMO Community Room) will be led by Gina N. Brown, Lesley Choyce, Corinne Lewandowski, and Marjorie Simmins.

Free author readings (in Room 301) will be offered by Robert de la Chevotière, Renée Hartleib, Nicole Northwood, and Bryn Pottie.

Want to extend the celebration? Peruse our recommendations for other NS literary events occurring around Booktoberfest!

Book Fair

AUTHORS

Matthew R. Anderson

Tracy Barron

Sean Paul Bedell

Renée Belliveau

Allan Billard

Bruce W. Bishop

Gina N. Brown

Wanda Campbell

Lesley Choyce

Peter C. Church

Roland Daigle

Robert de la Chevotière

Laura Churchill Duke

Arwen Falvey

Deanna Foster

Francene Gillis

Georgina Godfrey Lewis

Sheila Graham-Smith

Jacqueline Halsey

Jessie Harrold

Renée Hartleib

Corinne Hoebers

Katie Ingram

Martine Jacquot

Grace Keating

Alan Kemister (Phil Yeats)

Janice Landry

Cory Lavender

Cheryl Lawson

Susan LeBlanc

Corinne Lewandowski

Kathy Mac

James MacDuff

Jill MacLean

Dawn MacNutt

Alison Maher

Meghan Marentette

Shelagh Meagher

Mireille Messier

Carol Moreira

Peter Moreira

donalee Moulton

Sue Murtagh

Mirriam Mweemba

Carolyn Jean Nicholson

Nicole Northwood / Nicole Bea

Bryn Pottie

Teresa Ramsay

Maureen Reynolds

Joseph Robichaud

Cristina Santos

Beverley Shaw

Norma Shephard

Marjorie Simmins

Anne M. Smith-Nochasak

Tricia Snell

Julie Strong

Camilla Thompson

Andy Tolson

Jen Tsang

Brenda Tyedmers

Lori Weber

Kimberley Williamson

DJ Wiseman


PUBLISHERS

Askance Publishing

Hippie Hill Press

OC Publishing

Open Heart Forgery

Pottersfield Press

Riddle Fence Publishing

Somewhat Grumpy Press


SPECIAL GUESTS

Digitally Lit

The Writers’ Union of Canada

Free Workshops

Booktoberfest workshops are offered in the BMO Community Room (2nd floor) of Halifax Central Library.

Pre-registration (up to 15 per workshop) is open to General Members of the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia.

Walk-in participants (at least 10 per workshop) will be welcomed on a first-come-first-served basis. Stop by to see if space is available!

Free Readings

Booktoberfest readings are offered in Room 301 (3rd floor) of Halifax Central Library.

No registration is required. Drop in with your attention and your questions!

Booktoberfest recommends...

Booktoberfest 2025 - satellite Booked for Murder rev

Booked for Murder: An Evening with Halifax Crime Writers

Wednesday, Oct 8
(7pm – 8:30pm)

Halifax Central Library
(5440 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax)

More info

Booktoberfest 2025 - satellite Solo Camino rev

Renée Hartleib launches Solo Camino: An Empowering Guide for Women

Thursday, Oct 9
(6pm – 8pm)

St. Mary’s Book Club
(1641 Fairfield Rd, Halifax)

More info

Booktoberfest 2025 - satellite FGU rev

Fantastic Grown-Up Book Fair

Saturday, Oct 11
(10am – 2pm)

Mahone Bay Centre
(45 School St, Mahone Bay)

More info

Booktoberfest 2025 - satellite Head On

Head On: A Poetry Reading with Kathy Mac

Sunday, Oct 12
(2pm – 3pm)

Halifax Central Library
(5440 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax)

More info

Vendor Application
& Guide
Past
Booktoberfests

Partner

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia is grateful to Halifax Public Libraries for their annual partnership in realizing Booktoberfest.

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Experience Levels

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) uses the following terms to describe writers’ experience levels:

  • New writers: those with less than two years’ creative writing experience and/or no short-form publications (e.g., short stories, personal essays, or poems in literary magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks).
  • Emerging writers: those with more than two years’ creative writing experience and/or numerous short-form publications.
  • Early-career authors: those with 1 or 2 book-length publications or the equivalent in book-length and short-form publications.
  • Established authors: those with 3 or 4 book-length publications.
  • Professional authors: those with 5 or more book-length publications.

Please keep in mind that each form of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, writing for children and young adults, and others) provides you with a unique set of experiences and skills, so you might consider yourself an ‘established author’ in one form but a ‘new writer’ in another.

The “Recommended experience level” section of each workshop description refers to the above definitions. A workshop’s participants should usually have similar levels of creative writing and / or publication experience. This ensures that each participant gets value from the workshop⁠ and is presented with information, strategies, and skills that suit their career stage. 

For “intensive” and “masterclass” workshops, which provide more opportunities for peer-to-peer feedback, the recommended experience level should be followed closely.

For all other workshops, the recommended experience level is just that—a recommendation—and we encourage potential participants to follow their own judgment when registering.

If you’re uncertain of your experience level with regard to any particular workshop, please feel free to contact us at communications@writers.ns.ca