performances, informal public receptions and more. Festival alumni include Margaret Atwood, Roch Carrier, Austin Clarke, Douglas Coupland, Roddy Doyle, Timothy Findley, Richard Ford, Lawrence Hill, Nancy Huston, Tomson Highway, Wayne Johnston, Thomas King, Alistair MacLeod, E. Annie Proulx, the late Mordecai Richler, Jane Urquhart and Guy Vanderhaeghe. In the past, Wordfest's children-geared component operated under The First Calgary Savings Book Rapport Programme, an award-winning education segment that ran throughout the festival in October, bringing children's authors to schools and other public venues. According to the First Calgary Savings, "[i]n 2006, 5,600 students participated" in the Book Rapport Programme. Recently, Wordfest has expanded its youth programming to bring authors to Veronica Roth, Lemony Snicket, Ruth Ohi and Arthur Slade Calgary schools throughout the year. Beyond the days-long festival held in October, Wordfest also coordinates single-artist readings/events, which feature one artist per night and allow more time for the exploration of their works; alumni of such events include YouTube personality and author Lilly Singh, author Barbara Gowdy, comedian and screenwriter Mike Myers, musician and actor Robbie Robertson, writer George Saunders, and Canada's governor general David Johnston. In addition to the single-artist events, Wordfest also hosts Dick Lit's Trivia Night year-round, as well as a summer book club. Wordfest has an active network of approximately two-hundred volunteers who assist with events year round. Wordfest is supported by private donors and many organizations, including the Government of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, Mount Royal University, the Calgary Public Library, and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Cultural References Wordfest is also the name of the festival in Michael Chabon's 1995 novel Wonder Boys. This is a total coincidence. See also Literary Festivals In Canada List of festivals in Calgary References External links Wordfest official website Wordfest blog Literary festivals in Alberta Festivals in Calgary