WWC2026 - Masterclass - Fiction as Riot: Writing when the World is F*cked
Saturday, August 15, 2026 | 3pm-5:45pm
Hyatt Regency Calgary - Bannerman
with Finnian Burnett
NOTE: Have you registered for Festival Pass? You MUST have a pass to enter a masterclass. If you haven't yet, choose the appropriate ticket combo below to purchase a pass with your masterclass.
When the world sucks, writing is an act of resistance. This masterclass explores how to channel rage and grief into powerful fiction without sacrificing your craft. We’ll talk about play, joy, and creativity-care, and we’ll also dive into the how of writing about the difficult stuff. Perfect for writers who want both escapism from the evils of the world and the tools to shine a spotlight on those evils.
Dr. Finnian Burnett is a writer whose work explores the intersections of the human body, mental health, the gorgeousness of human complexity, and gender identity. They are a recipient of a Canada Council for the Arts grant and a finalist in the 2023 CBC nonfiction prize. Finnian is a staunch supporter of emerging writers and encourages all writers to experiment with their writing, to get weird with it, to learn how to use words in a way that showcases their own unique and glorious voice.Finnian’s work appears in Writer’s Digest, Geist, Pulp Literature, CBC books, See You Next Tuesday, and more. Finnian’s novellas-in-flash, THE PRICE OF COOKIES and REDSHIRTS SOMETIMES SURVIVE are available from Off Topic Publishing. Finnian lives in British Columbia and enjoys walking, Star Trek, and cat memes.
