Banff Book Festival

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Now entering its ninth 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 Exposition, Mountain Image and Adventure Travel. The festival takes place annually during the last week in October. It begins Wednesday night with a speaker presentation by a featured guest. Past speakers have included 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 and Simon Yates. The festival continues all day Thursday with seminars from early morning to late afternoon. Seminar topics range from the "Voices of Adventure" series profiling notable writers and adventurers, to presentations on the latest mountain books, to panel discussions of topical themes in the mountain book community. Thursday also includes the first installment of the popular Literary Lunch 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 Book Fair, running from