About the Banff Mountain Book Festival

Bringing Mountain Stories to Life

Now entering its 14th year, Banff Mountain Book Festival celebrates the mountain world through speakers, readings, seminars, book signings, a book fair and the presentation of internationally recognized awards for mountain literature. Awards are presented to the best books in the categories of Grand Prize, Mountain Literature, Mountain Image, Mountain Exposition, Adventure Travel, Mountaineering History, and Canadian Rockies.

The festival takes place annually on the Wednesday through Friday before the first weekend in November. It begins Wednesday night with a speaker presentation by a featured guest. Past speakers have included Jim Perrin, David Breashears, Tim Cahill, Greg Child, Yvon Chouinard, Wade Davis, Kurt Diemberger, Mike Fay, Alison Hargreaves, Jon Krakauer, David Roberts, Ed Webster, Terry Tempest Williams, Simon Yates and Lynn Hill.

The festival continues all day Thursday with seminars from early morning to late afternoon. Seminar topics include profiling notable writers and adventurers, presentations on the latest mountain books, and panel discussions of topical themes in the mountain book community.

Thursday also includes the first installment of the popular Literary Lunch Break series, which features a reading by a mountain author. Set against a dramatic mountain vista in the Banff Centre Dining Room, the Literary Lunches are one of the highlights of the festival. Thursday concludes with a second evening speaker presentation.

The festival continues Friday with another full day of seminars and a second Literary Lunch.

One of most eagerly anticipated features of the festival is the Mountain Book Fair, running from Thursday afternoon through until Sunday. Book signings give you the chance to meet your favorite mountain author or adventurer and to get that treasured — or brand new — book signed.

2007 Banff Mountain Book Festival
About the Banff Mountain Film Festival
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