Calgary, Ep. 10

October 16, 2026 — Literary Death Match returned to Calgary for a landmark 10th episode, once again teaming with the wonderful Wordfest for a Friday night showdown at DJD Dance Centre that saw wonder and mayhem as the judges revolted, declaring all four semi-finalists would advance to the finale. In the end, it was Richard Kelly Kemick toppling Kim Fu, Daniel Zomparelli and Jessica Johns in a Lost in Mistranslation finale to win Kemick the LDM Calgary, Ep. 10 crown and literary immortality to go with it. 

Here's the full lineup for the night:

ALL-STAR JUDGES:

Literary Merit: Liz Nugent, Dublin-based author of five #1 bestselling novels. She's winner of five Irish Book Awards and the James Joyce Medal for Literature. Her latest: The Truth About Ruby Cooper

Performance: Carol Off, award-winning journalist and longtime co-host of CBC Radio’s As It Happens, who has reported from conflict zones and political flashpoints around the world. Her latest: True Patriot Love: Reporting from the Frontlines of Canadian Sovereignty

Intangibles: Kurt Andersen, bestselling author, co-founder of Spy magazine, former editor-in-chief of New York, and co-creator and host of the Peabody Award-winning Studio 360. His latest: The Breakup. 

ALL-STAR READERS:

Round 1:
* Richard Kelly Kemick, award-winning poet, journalist and fiction writer whose books include Hello, Horse, I Am Herod and Caribou Run. His newest book, Decadence, is an essay collection about everything from volleyball and dogs to landfills and the absurdity of being alive

* Kim Fu, author of the acclaimed novels For Today I Am a Boy and The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore, and the award-winning story collection Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century. Born in Calgary, her latest is the darkly funny The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts

Round 2:
* Daniel Zomparelli, poet and fiction writer whose books include Jump Scare, Davie Street Translations, Rom Com and Everything Is Awful and You’re a Terrible Person. His latest: Super Castle Fun Park, mixes ghosts, technology, melancholy and pitch-black comedy.

* Jessica Johns, a queer nehiyaw aunty with English-Irish ancestry and a member of Sucker Creek First Nation. Her debut novel, Bad Cree, was shortlisted for the Amazon First Novel Award, won the MacEwan Book of the Year prize.

Hosted by LDM creator Adrian Todd Zuniga.

Produced by Shelley Youngblut & Rita Sirignano.

Where: DJD Dance Centre, 111 12 Ave SE, Calgary
When: October 16, 7:30pm
Cost: $25 (get tickets via Wordfest now!)