Cary Fagan (Can) is an award-winning children’s author, writer of adult novels, and editor and contributor to a number of magazines and newspapers, including The Globe and Mail, The Montreal Gazette, and Books in Canada. His work has won the City of Toronto Book Award and the Jewish Book Committee Prize for Fiction. Cary has written several picture books and novels for children, among them The Market Wedding, Daughter of the Great Zandini (winner of a Mr. Christie’s Silver Medal), The Fortress of Kaspar Snit and Ten Old Men and a Mouse. His latest book is My New Shirt. He is a native of Toronto.

Larry Loyie and Constance Brissenden (Can) are partners in both writing and life. They have worked together since 1993 and are the founders of the Living Traditions Writers Group, which encourages writing within First Nations communities. When the Spirits Dance, the second book in the Lawrence series, recounts the dramatic changes to a First Nation’s boy’s life when his father is sent overseas. The Gathering Tree is an illustrated story of a First Nations family facing the issue of HIV. In 2003, Loyie won the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction for his first children’s book, As Long as the Rivers Flow. Brissenden is a noted magazine writer and author of fourteen books of travel and history. .

Sylvain Meunier (Can) dreamed of being an author as soon as he learned to read and write. His first novel appeared in 1995, and since then he has published over twenty titles for both youth and adults. He is a two-time finalist for the Governor General’s Award. In addition, he is head of the Union des Écrivains Québécois and President of the Association des Auteurs de la Montérégie. His children’s books include Les malheurs de mon grand-père, a novel from his funny and touching Germaine series; Le grand corbeau, a first chapter book; and Le bon sommeil du roi de Sucredor, a picture book.

Michel Noël's (Can) Hush! Hush! was inspired by the author’s own childhood. Set in the 1950s, it tells the story of a fourteen-year-old Algonquin boy and his dream of living the life of a traditional trapper. Noël has over fifty books to his credit and has received many prizes, including the Governor General’s Award in 1997. Noël was named Citizen of the World by the Canadian Association for the United Nations for his work in seeking better understanding between people. In 2002, he received the Canadian Senate’s Medal of Recognition for his contributions in promoting the French language and culture

Martine Noël-Maw (Can) was born and raised in Quebec, and has made Saskatchewan her home since 1993. There she draws from the province’s enchanting landscape and rich history for her writing. In 2007, she collaborated with students in Moose Jaw to create two youth books: Drôle de zèbre, a tragic story of a zebra transformed into a hideous ogre, and La malchance d’Austin, a story about a twelve-year-old boy who is fitted with a revolutionary bionic leg after a farm accident. Her second book, Amélia et les papillons, won many honours, including the Prix du Livre Français of the 2006 Saskatchewan Book Awards.

Kenneth Oppel (Can) wrote his first novel, Colin’s Fantastic Video Adventure, when he was just fourteen. He has since gone on to write more than twenty books for children and young adults, among them the million-selling Silverwing Saga. In 2004, Kenneth won the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature, for Airborn, and The Times (London) Children’s Novel of 2005, for Skybreaker, which was also named a 2006 Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association. His latest novel, Darkwing, brings the reader into a prehistoric world set 65-million years ago, when the very first bat, Dusk, discovers he has the gift of flight.

Andrée Poulin (Can) has always believed that books can change the world. Her passion for reading brought her to her first career in journalism. Later, her interest in Asia and Africa led her to international relations, and she continues to split her time between writing and international development. She has published a dozen picture books and novels and has received many literary awards. Les Impatiences de Ping, for example, is on the Communication-Jeunesse 2004–2005 list of favourite books selected by youth. She brings three books to WordFest, including the award-winning Mes parents sont gentils… mais tellement girouettes.

Richard Scrimger (Can) The Nose from Jupiter, winner of the 1999 Mr. Christie’s Book Award, was the beginning of a series of zany, daring and delightful children’s books featuring the affable, nose-dwelling alien Norbert. A WordFest alumnus, Scrimger is also the author of three adult novels, Still Life with Children, Crosstown and Mystical Rose. His latest children’s books include the paperback release of the mystery adventure From Charlie’s Point of View—featuring a blind middle-school sleuth and his quest to clear his father of being the enigmatic Stocking Bandit—and the forthcoming fall title Into the Ravine.

Meg Tilly (Can), born Margaret Chan, is best known as an actress. Her career started on television with Hill Street Blues, followed by roles in such films as The Big Chill, Leaving Normal, and an Oscar-nominated performance in Agnes of God. Now an established author for adults, Tilly brings her first foray into young-adult fiction, Porcupine, to WordFest. The novel follows the journey of a young woman, Jack, and her siblings after the death of their father. With their mother lost in sorrow, they end up across the country on a run-down prairie farm. Jack learns that families come in many different forms and that love, trust and faith can build a home anywhere. three books to WordFest, including the award-winning Mes parents sont gentils… mais tellement girouettes.

Dr. Dale Auger (Can) is a renowned Cree artist and motivational speaker with a unique perspective on education and the communication of knowledge; he brings his first book, Mwakwa - Talks to the Loon, to this year's Festival.

Yvon Brochu (Can) has written more than thirty-five books for readers of all ages and pens the hilarious Galoche Supercaboche series of novels and comics; his latest works are Galoche en grande vedette and Galoche Supercaboche et les Jeux olympiques.

Marty Chan (Can) is an award-winning playwright and author of teen fiction; he makes his return to WordFest with The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul, the follow-up to his hit début novel The Mystery of the Frozen Brains.

Natale Ghent is an award-winning journalist and the author of the acclaimed novel No Small Thing - nominated for the Silver Birch Award among other honours -- whose sequel she brings to this year's WordFest.

Hazel Hutchins (Can) is the award-winning author of over thirty children's books and a regular presenter at venues across Canada; she brings the latest volume of her popular TJ series, TJ and the Sports Fanatic, to the Festival.

Michael Kusugak (Can) is an award-winning writer and traditional Inuit storyteller; he returns to WordFest with his latest book The Curse of the Shaman, a classic tale of adventure, perseverance and first-time love.

David A. Poulsen (Can) embarked on his writing career in 1984 when he won the Alberta Culture Short Story Writing Competition; he now has a total of eighteen books published, most recently The Vampire's Visit and The Hunk Machine.

Larry Verstraete (Can) has been bringing the world of science alive for teens since the early Nineties; his latest book is Lost Treasures, a collection of more than eighty real-life stories about treasure hunters and their fabulous finds.

Elizabeth won high praise for On the Edge, a history of women's hockey; she recounts Olympic gold-medallist Hayley Wickenhaiser's rise to fame with previously unpublished stories and photographs in Born to Play.

En 2000, Charlotte Gingras a de nouveau reçu le Prix du Gouverneur général pour son roman jeunesse Un été de Jade. Elle est membre de l'Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois. La courte èchelle inc.

François is an award-winning writer with a following among adults and youth alike; his latest novels are Adieu, Betty Crocker and the children's titles Sekhmet, la déesse sauvage and Klonk contre Klonk.

Caroline publie également des romans pour les jeunes avec plusieurs éditeurs. Elle apportera L'île aux monstres à WordFest cette année..

Simon lives and writes in Calgary, where he is in constant demand as a presenter for youth audiences. He comes to WordFest with a brand new novel, The Clone Conspiracy.

Arthur writes the hilarious "Great Scott" comic strip, and his series Hallowed Knight has earned glowing reviews and worldwide popularity. He studies the strange and wondrous Tribes of high-school in his new book of the same name.

Bill is an award-winning illustrator with over fifty children's books to his credit; the enchanting children's science book Transformed: How Everyday Things Are Made is his latest solo project.

Eric is among Canada's most successful writers of children's mysteries, having sold almost a million books in this country alone; the latest in his popular series is The Emily Carr Mystery.

Ange Zhang is an author, illustrator and theater designer. He has illustrated many children’s books, and has recently written and illustrated his own, Red Land Yellow River: A Story from the Cultural Revolution.

Laurent Chabin est né et a grandi en France. En 1994, il déménage à Calgary avec sa famille. Depuis 1996, il a écrit plus de cinquante livres en français qui sont bien reçus autant chez les jeunes que chez les adultes.

Originaire de la ville de Québec, Sophie Bérubé vit en Nouvelle-Écosse où elle se laisse inspirer par la magie et la beauté qui l’entourent. Son premier recueil pour enfants Le chef-d’oeuvre de Lombrie, a gagné le prix Lilla Stirling au printemps 2002. Son deuxième livre pour enfants, La truelle magique, a été publié au printemps 2001.

Pamela Paige Porter is a poet and writer of children’s books. She will be presenting Sky at this year’s Book Rapport; a story set in Montana and southern Canada after the great floods of 1964. Sky tells the story of the devastation caused by the flood and the impact it caused on farm land, families and interracial relations.

Born and raised on southern Alberta farm, Hazel Hutchins has enjoyed the West’s beauty her whole life. Hazel Hutchins brings three new books to this year’s festival: Beneath the Bridge, The Sidewalk Rescue and TJ and the Rockets.

Richard Scrimger won a Mr. Christie’s Book Award in 1999 for his book The Nose from Jupiter. The series of zany, daring and delightful children’s books featuring the affable alien Norbert continued with A Nose for Adventure, Noses are Red and the latest book is The Boy from Earth.

Linda Bailey is an award-winning author of children’s books, and enjoys a huge following for her classic Stevie Diamond mysteries and the Good Times Travel Agency series; her latest is Adventures in Ancient China.

David Baudemont is an innovative Fransaskois children’s novelist and playwright; his novels Les beaux jours and Les pierres du Nil were composed in semi-improvised creative workshops including young people.

Norma Charles is the author of thirteen books for children, including her latest work All the Way to Mexico, a lighthearted yarn about one boy's struggle to adjust to a changed family situation.

Marie-Danielle Croteau hails from Eastern Québec with a pair of new children’s novels, Un rêveur qui aimait la mer et les poissons dorés and La petite fille qui voulait être roi.

Sheree Fitch is a renowned performance poet, storyteller, author, and educator; she released her first young adult novel One More Step last year, and The Rock A Bye Rock is her latest book.

Caroline Lawrence brought her training in the classics to the writing of The Thieves of Ostia, the first of her immensely popular Roman Mysteries series; her latest is The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina.

Rosemary Sadlier is a noted author and activist who was instrumental in making the celebration of Black History Month a national event in Canada; her latest is The Kid’s Book of Black Canadian History.

Andrea Spalding is a renowned and multi-talented children’s author and entertainer; her latest works are The Disappearing Dinosaur – part of the unique Internet-integrated Adventure Net series – and Dance of the Stones.

Julie Burtinshaw earned critical praise for her innovative debut novel, Dead Reckoning, and returns to WordFest with an equally gripping and fascinating tale of the sea in Adrift.

Laurent Chabin began writing in 1994, and has since published over forty-five well-loved books in French for readers of all ages; his most recent works include Le meilleur ami du monde and La conspiration du siècle.

Julie Lawson is an award-winning children’s writer whose potent imagination animates her new works The Klondike Cat, Emily: Disaster at the Bridge and A Ribbon of Shining Steel.

Raymond Plante is a prolific and award-winning writer with over forty books in French for youth and adults; his latest books are Les lanternes de Shanghai and Marilou Polaire et la magie des étioles.

Richard Scrimger has taken children's literature by storm with adorable characters like the nose-dwelling alien Norbert, who returns in Noses are Red, and Winifred in Princess Bun Bun.

Nicky Singer is an accomplished and versatile writer who debuts as a children's writer with feather boy, a coming-of-age tale that has been praised as a moving, original and captivating book.

Arthur Slade is a major new voice in children's literature; he won a Governor General’s Literary Award in 2001 for Dust and trains his sights on high school in his latest, Tribes.