Edmonton

Book Celebration – Almost Loved

"What if you spend the rest of your life 

chasing love, only find her cowering

in the pit of your stomach?

What then?"

Almost Loved, a poetry collection written by emerging poet, Alberta-based author Rena Joy, will be connecting with readers this October and November. 

Almost Loved follows an adoptee from foster care as she searches for love and healing while pushing back on the labels assigned to her. Grappling with subjects of abuse, mental health, and deeply held grief, this collection aims to answer: what does it truly mean to be loved in a world where you're seen as second best? ​​

This debut collection has been described as “real, vulnerable, evocative,” offering a rare glimpse into the adoptee experience and a safe space for readers who may struggle with their mental health. 

Almost Loved is available for purchase wherever books are sold. Rena will be connecting with readers in October during Foster Care Awareness Month in Alberta and in November for National Adoption Awareness Month. 

Book Signing Dates, 12-4 pm. 

October 4, Chapters St. Albert.

October 11, Indigo Sherwood Park.

November 1, Indigo South Edmonton Common. 

Poetry Reading - November 27 - Stony Plain Library, 7 pm.

Rena Joy is a 2023 Canada Council for the Arts grant recipient for her poetry work and 2021 Alberta Foundation for the Arts grant recipient for her work for children. She was also the 2024 featured writer with the Edmonton Public Library. She lives in rural Alberta, on the outskirts of Edmonton. For more information about Almost Loved and Rena Joy, visit renajoypoetry.com.

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Almost Loved, a poetry collection written by emerging poet, Alberta-based author Rena Joy, will be connecting with readers this October and November.

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Almost Loved, a poetry collection written by emerging poet, Alberta-based author Rena Joy, will be connecting with readers this October and November.

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Almost Loved, a poetry collection written by emerging poet, Alberta-based author Rena Joy, will be connecting with readers this October and November.

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BIG STUFF

Big Stuff is a funny and heartfelt memoir of a married comedy duo as they take a deep dive into grief and the stuff we hold onto long after we’ve experienced a loss. Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus have created “one of those pieces of theatre that will stay with you for the rest of your life”. (Globe and Mail).

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll never look at your stuff the same way.

Lorna Crozier featured at this year's Monica Miller Memorial Lecture

MacEwan University's Monica Miller Memorial Lecture is an annual event celebrating women's voices in literature and creative writing. CKUA listeners around the world know Monica Miller was passionate about music. However, she was just as passionate about literature, particularly works by female authors. The annual Monica Miller Memorial Lecture features a prominent female writer, with the aim of amplifying women's voices in literature.

The Works Art & Design Festival 2026 Call to Enter

The Works International Visual Arts Society produces art and education initiatives that engage diverse communities, disrupt the everyday, and facilitate connection and wonder. The Works is now calling for proposals for exhibits and installations, to animate Sir Winston Churchill Square and other public spaces in Edmonton, June 19 to July 1, 2026.  

Applicants are encouraged to apply with projects that consider location, environment, proximity, and influence, while considering the following guiding questions:  

Edmonton Chamber Music Society presents Ivan Zenaty, violin & Martin Kasík, piano

Ivan Zenaty reaches a broad public without abandoning the world of classical music for even a moment. Besides the technical perfection one would expect, he is also appreciated for his taste, style and a captivatingly beautiful tone.

With his exceptional wealth of repertoire including more than 50 violin concertos, he is a favored guest artist with many international orchestras. Known for his versatility, his engagements also include solo recitals and chamber music collaborations.

Edmonton Chamber Music Society presents Balourdet Quartet

“Absolute musical perfection… full, robust sound… impeccable balance” 
– The Boston Musical Intelligencer

The Balourdet Quartet is acclaimed for their vibrant energy and masterful blend of technical precision and emotional depth that brings a fresh perspective to both beloved classics and modern compositions.

Its unique closeness and willingness to take creative risks earned it the 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant, as well as Chamber Music America’s 2024 Cleveland Quartet Award.

Edmonton Chamber Music Society presents Ayreheart Early Music Band

Ayreheart presents Early Music alongside traditional folk and original music with lute, vocals, colascione (a kind of bass lute), violin, guitar and percussion.

“Here is music that is born of what has come but leads us into where we can go: old forms born anew and ever fresh.”
– Robert Aubry Davis, creator, producer, and host of Millennium of Music

Friday, March 27, 2026
7:30 PM

*Robertson-Wesley United Church

Edmonton Chamber Music Society presents Sitkovetsky Trio

The Sitkovetsky Trio has quickly become one of today’s most acclaimed piano trios, known for their thoughtful musicianship and passionate performances.

They have appeared in prestigious venues worldwide, including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Wigmore Hall, and Lincoln Center, and have received numerous awards such as the BBC Music Magazine Chamber Music Award and the International Commerzbank Chamber Music Award.

Friday, February 20, 2026
7:30 PM

*Robertson-Wesley United Church

Edmonton Chamber Music Society presents Amarcord

Five voices which have become legendary for their homogenous sound. Five singers who jointly explore the character of each song in order to bring it to life for the audience. Five singers so perfectly in tune with each other that their ‘vocal instrument’ spans the range of an entire orchestra.

Listening to amarcord reminds us that singing is the most natural form of music – produced by the body for the human soul.

Saturday, December 13, 2025
7:30 PM

*Robertson-Wesley United Church
10209 123 St. NW 

Edmonton Chamber Music Society presents Tafelmusik

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra is a testament to what hard work and dedication to art and scholarship can do over time. This is a world-class period instrument ensemble … the playing is superb.
—Ludwig van Toronto

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear one of Canada’s premier Early Music ensembles up close.

This concert is part of Tafelmusik’s Western Canada & USA Tour in collaboration with violinist Rachel Podger as Principal Guest Director.