Bouchercon 2026 Update: July 2026

In This Issue

• Meet the Guests of Honour – Steele Curry

• Call For Silent Auction Items

• Sponsorship

• Advertising

• Special Events For Authors

• Calling All Cozy Mystery Fans

• Book Bazaar

• Shipping Information

• Panels

• Add-ons to Make Your Trip Memorable

• Volunteers

• Fun Facts

• Registration 

• Travel Reminders

• Stay Connected

• Future Bouchercons

Welcome

Happy Canada Day!

July 1st celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which took place 159 years ago in 1867. Wherever you are, take a moment to thank Canada for insulin, cardiac pacemakers, the electric wheelchair, the electron microscope, the first Internet Search Engine, Java Programming Language, the telephone, the snowmobile, the zipper, basketball, lacrosse, ice hockey, and the Wonderbra, among other contributions. 

We can’t wait to welcome you this fall and show you all we have to offer. 

Meet the Guests of Honour: Steele Curry

Steele Curry was a passionate reader, collector, and sometime reviewer of mystery fiction and thrillers for over 40 years. Since 2000, he was a regular attendee of Bouchercon, and from 2008 to 2012, Steele was active in the Bouchercon National organization.

In 2021, Steele donated his collection of some 8,000 first edition books, mystery-related publications and archives to the University of Calgary to be held in its special book collections department as the “Steele Curry Mystery, Espionage and Thriller Collection.”

Steele passed away in 2024, but his contribution to the genre remains. We are thrilled to honour him at Bouchercon 2026 as the Fan Guest of Honour.

For a sneak peek of his collection, plan to attend the special pop up exhibit featuring the Steele Curry Mystery, Espionage, and Thriller Collection or attend the presentation led by Annie Murray, rare books and special collections librarian, who will guide the audience through Mr. Curry’s magnificent collection, exploring its depths, strengths, and surprises. The presentation will also provide advice to collectors. 

 

Call for Silent Auction Donations

In keeping with Bouchercon tradition, we'll be holding a silent auction at our Calgary event. Donations will not only help raise funds for the Further Education Society of Alberta but are also a great way to advertise you and your work. 



We are grateful for any contribution, big or small, but there are a few things to note. Auction items that do well usually contain more than books – they might contain swag, tea, coffee, chocolate, or handmade items. Auction baskets can have a theme, like Halloween, BBQ, murderer munchies, Canadiana, etc. Many attendees are traveling, so bulky items may be an issue. Consider donating a service, naming rights to a character, a virtual book club visit, a manuscript critique, etc. Due to border crossing issues, it is probably best to avoid alcohol, fresh fruit, or veggie items.

More information can be found here.

Sponsorship

We are looking for corporate and community support to help us welcome mystery and crime-writing fans and professionals from around the world. There are countless ways to get involved, and we’d love to work with you.

Sponsor the thrill, sponsor the mystery, sponsor the connection!

Check out our sponsorship page here or contact us at Sponsorship2026@bouchercon.com for more details. 

Advertising

*NEW* pocket program added.

For details on the new opportunities available, or to advertise in the souvenir program, reach out today. There is limited space available, and it is great exposure for you or your business. You can’t afford to miss out.

Please note the deadline to reserve your advertising is July 7, 2026. Reservations can be done via our website here.

Special Events for Authors

In addition to joining a panel, authors have other opportunities to promote their books! Consider applying for the following:

Cozies & Cocktails – applications now open – see below for details

Twenty on the Twenty – applications open on July 23

Author’s Fair – applications open on August 10

Speed Dating – applications open on August 10

Debut Authors Breakfast – applications open on August 10

To find out details and qualification requirements, check out the website here.

Please note: Readers (and everyone else attending the convention) don’t need to apply! Special Events are free and included with convention registration.



Calling All Cozy Mystery Fans

Cross-Border Cozies & Cocktails will take place on Wednesday, October 21^st, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. During the event, ten cozy authors will be selected for short readings and fifteen will be selected to provide giveaways — all chosen by lottery.

But don’t worry — every cozy author is welcome to bring swag for the swag table and can connect with readers throughout the convention. This is a great chance to share your work, meet fans, and spread that cozy magic!

Cozy and historical cozy authors interested in entering the lottery can fill out the form here. The deadline to enter the lottery is August 28, 2026. Authors who’ve been selected will be notified by September 13th.

Please note: Readers (and everyone else attending the convention) don’t need to sign up. Just come by and join in the fun. Whether you’re a die-hard cozy fan or just curious, we’d love to see you there!

Sponsors: Help make this event memorable for cozy fans, readers, and authors. Contact Sponsorship2026@Bouchercon.com for more details.

Book Bazaar

Do you love free books? Every convention attendee will receive tokens for free books at the Book Bazaar. Hooray!

Authors, please encourage your publishers to send us 30 - 300 copies of your newest release to stock the shelves of our Book Bazaar.

This is a great way for your books to reach new readers! Contact conmanager@bouchercon.com and watch the website for more details.

Shipping Information

Shipping or bringing Items into Canada for the convention? Whether you have items for giveaways or to sell, clear them with customs two weeks BEFORE you ship or carry them across the border. Our official customs broker/shipping provider, ConsultExpo, can assist you in this and may be able to reduce GST, duty and fees on your items. Note that items shipped to hotels or our warehouse with payment owing may be refused delivery.

For more information, contact Stefanie Lane, Operations Manager, at 778-229-3075 or StefanieL@consultexpoinc.com.

Panels

Thank you to all those who volunteered to be on a panel or moderate one this year. We appreciate your willingness to help out. Because we received so much interest, we will be reaching out to chosen participants near the end of the month, and the schedule will be posted in August.

Add-ons to Make Your Trip Memorable



Anderson Tours has provided guided excursions for attendees to experience some of the highlights of Alberta before or after the convention. Plan your trips now to ensure you don’t miss out. Tours that have very low, or no reservations will be cancelled on July 21. The remaining tours will continue to accept bookings until August 10.

Click here for more information.

Vertigo Theatre is hosting a special performance of THE LODGER for Bouchercon delegates on Tuesday, October 20. Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s famous silent thriller of the same name, renowned Canadian novelist Susie Moloney and award-winning playwright Vern Thiessen reanimate this classic suspense into a modern and stunning world premiere.  

Click here for more information.

Calgary Literary History Walking Tour - Shaun Hunter has added an additional tour option based on interest. This tour will take place on Wednesday, October 21 from 1-2:30 pm.

Click here for more information and to register.

Volunteers

Volunteer support is essential in delivering a fabulous convention for everyone, and we would love to have your help. Check out our volunteer web page for details on how you can get involved, the time commitment, skilled required, and more.

Sign-ups for volunteer shifts will begin in late August.

Fun Facts

Calgary is home to the Calgary Stampede. It starts the first Friday of July and is known as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Ten days of rodeo events, agricultural competitions, a giant midway, a concert series, and a variety of performances showcasing local and international talent. If you ever get the chance to visit Calgary in July, make sure you check this event out!

Registration

Bouchercon 2026 registration is available here. When you register, please use an email address that you regularly check. Look for convention information and important updates in the coming months so be sure to make these email addresses trusted senders: bouchercon@bouchercon.ccsend.com, support@exposent.com, and registration2026@bouchercon.com. Previous years' convention emails are no longer active or monitored.

Please Note: Convention registration and payment can only be completed through the Bouchercon 2026 website. We will never send a link for registration payment via email, PayPal, Zelle, etc. Payments are to Bouchercon Inc., in U.S. dollars.

Travel Reminders

Make sure you’re ready to visit Canada by reading through the information in the Visiting Calgary portion of our website, with emphasis on sections concerning passports, Canadian currency, and using your cell phone.

Stay Connected

For more updates, follow us on social media or check out our website. Keep checking for updates as more information will be forthcoming on a regular basis and increase as the convention draws closer.

To see our past newsletters for Bouchercon 2026, click here.

We look forward to seeing you in Calgary!

Future Bouchercons

Bouchercon 2027 – Washington, D.C.

Mystery Most Monumental – Sept. 1-5, 2027

Registration is open! Click here to register today.

Bouchercon 2028 – Indianapolis, Indiana

Secrets and Suspense in Speed City – Aug. 30 -Sept. 3, 2028

Website Coming Soon

Bouchercon 2029 – Miami, Florida

Deco, Decadence, and Death – Aug. 22-26, 2029



Website Coming Soon