A Bookish Festival for Parents Who Love to Read

Finding time to read can be a challenge for parents but it is so important, now more than ever.

I remember nursing my babies and letting them sleep in my arms while I read just one more chapter. Then, when they were toddlers, I would frequent cafés with children’s play areas so I could read or write between keeping an eye on them. Years have passed and my children are pre-teen and teenagers. The demands of parenting have changed but remain. Now it means driving them to sports, helping with homework, making them food, all the while listening to my audiobooks in the margins of this time.

Through all the stages of my children’s growth, I have held onto my love of reading and writing. It has not always been easy to do, but these are activities that enlarge my capacity in the world and as a parent. Reading fills up not just my mind but my ability to love, be patient and present, and guide my kids through their own life phases with renewed energy and focus. This is why chances to connect with our reading and writing selves are so important.

When an opportunity arose for me to work with LitFest: Canada’s Original Nonfiction Festival I jumped at it. With my children growing and one now driving, I was eager to involve myself with a festival all about books. Plus, my husband is a great help on the parenting front while I’m at festival events.

LitFest is special. It brings people of all walks of life together unified by the shared pleasure of storytelling. Nonfiction is all around us. It is there when we read the newspaper, share an update with family, pick up a memoir, listen to a podcast, or read a museum display.

The 2026 theme for LitFest is: “Nonfiction shows us who we are.” In this highly charged political climate, the messages we choose to listen to, the opinions we share, and the way we vote reflect our interaction with nonfiction content.

We are confronted with messages every day. As parents, it is powerful to know what is going on in the world, reflect on our values and beliefs, and be good examples for our children. One powerful way we do this is through intentionally reading nonfiction.

I will be at LitFest this year and not just because I work with the festival. I will be there because I want to be in places where big ideas are discussed. I want to meet the authors who are experts in their fields, witnesses to the world, and hear what they have to say. I want to connect with fellow readers and be a part of this meaningful community. That is what LitFest means to me. I hope to see you there.

LitFest 2026 runs October 14 – 18, 2026, in downtown Edmonton.

Learn more about LitFest: Canada’s Original Nonfiction Festival by clicking here.

See the full event line-up and get your tickets by clicking here.