Bouchercon 2026 Update: May 2026

In This Issue

• Meet the Guests of Honour – Jennifer Hillier

• Sponsorship

• Advertising

• Crime Writers of Canada Podcast

• Panels

• Anthony Awards Updates

• Call For Historic Photos

• Calgary Literary History Walking Tour

• Fun Facts

• Registration 

• Passport Reminders

• Hotels

• Stay Connected

• Future Bouchercons

Welcome

Spring has arrived in Calgary! Then changed its mind, blew our houses down, dumped heavy, wet snow on us, arrived again, snowed, burnt it all off with golden sunshine, and lured us into the hope that (perhaps– maybe?) we can really put our toques away for the season.

Le sigh.

Bouchercon 2026 is on the horizon, and we want to make sure you have a great visit to Calgary and an excellent experience at the convention, regardless of the weather. (October will be fine, don’t worry, and if it’s a little blustery, you have a great reason to try out the indoor walkways that connect the Telus Convention Centre to hotels, shopping, dining, and even a Botanical Garden that will make it feel tropical whatever the weather.)  



Devonian Gardens-ROAR Creative



Meet the Guests of Honour: Jennifer Hillier

JENNIFER HILLIER is the USA Today, Toronto Star, and The Globe and Mail bestselling author of Things We Do in the Dark, described as “an intoxicating thrill ride” by the New York Times and “propulsive and chilling” by People magazine. It was an Indigo Top Ten Best Book of the Year, an Amazon Editor’s Spotlight Pick, a Goodreads Choice Award nominee, a Loan Stars pick, and her third consecutive novel to be honored as a Library Reads pick, which places her in their Hall of Fame.  

She’s also the author of six other novels including the USA Today bestselling Little Secrets, which is currently being adapted for television, and Jar of Hearts, which won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel. 

Her new novel, Heart of Glass, releases in August.

We are thrilled to have her join us at Bouchercon 2026 as the Canadian Guest of Honour.

For more information, visit her website here.

Sponsorship

Our team is ready to welcome Bouchercon to Calgary, Alberta, for the first time EVER, and we are looking for corporate and community support to help us welcome mystery and crime-writing fans and professionals from around the world. Check out our sponsorship page here or contact us at Sponsorship2026@bouchercon.com for more details.

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

Advertising

Highlight your books or brand in the Bouchercon souvenir program which will be placed in the hands of every attendee and will return home to Dubai, South Africa, Germany, and every corner of the U.S.A and Canada. With approximately 1,500 mystery lovers in attendance, the program will reach an international audience you can’t afford to miss out on.

The deadline to reserve your advertising is July 7, 2026, and can be done via our website here.

Crime Writers of Canada Podcast

Continue to tune in to the Crime Writers of Canada Podcast to hear interviews with our Guests of Honour throughout the month of May.

In each podcast, you can learn about the author’s writing processes, their books, and their connection to Bouchercon. These fun and informative interviews are a great sampler of the interactions you can look forward to at Bouchercon 2026.

If you like what you hear, scroll back in the archives and check out the backlist of Canadian crime writers featured to find your next binge read.

Panels

If you are interested in participating in a panel and have not received a questionnaire yet, please send an e-mail to Panels2026@bouchercon.com.

Note the deadline to express interest is June 1^st.

Anthony Awards Updates

Nominations for the 2026 Anthony Awards have closed, and we thank everyone who participated for taking the time to vote. The five works in each category with the most nominations will make up the final ballot. We hope to update the website with nominees in the next week. Check here for more information and plan to attend the ceremony on Saturday, October 24, 2026.

Call for Historic Photos

If you have photos of previous Anthony Awards ceremonies, the awards, or the winners and are willing to share them with us, you can upload them to the following location: Anthonys History

The photos will be used for a video montage at Bouchercon 2026. We will not use the photos for any other purpose without your permission. Thank you for being a part of this year’s event!

Calgary Literary History Walking Tour

Discover Calgary’s rich history and uncover a few literary gems in a 90-minute walking tour led by local author and historian, Shaun Hunter. 

Click here for more information. 

Fun Facts

Nervous flyer? The Calgary airport will be full of welcoming faces, ready to greet you. If you spot a white cowboy hat and a red vest, you’ve run into one of the White Hat Volunteers. These volunteers are at the airport to extend our warm, western hospitality to guests arriving from around the world. 



Photo by Colin Way

Click here for more information.

There are also therapy cats and dogs available at the airport at peak times thanks to a partnership between the Calgary Airport Authority and Calgary’s Pet Access League Society (PALS). Pre-Board Pals brings friendly cats and dogs to the airport to reduce stress and enhance our guests’ experience, so if you spot a furry companion with a red vest that reads ‘pet me’, feel free.  



Photo by Colin Way

Click here for more information. 

Registration

Bouchercon 2026 registration is available here. When you register, please use an email address that you regularly check.

As soon as you register, you'll receive two emails from support@exposent.com: a receipt and a confirmation email. If you don’t see them right away, check your spam folder. The confirmation email is where you’ll find the information and links to book your hotel room using the Bouchercon discount. These documents are also important for convention-time so keep them handy.

If you don't receive these emails within 24 hours, please reach out to registration2026@bouchercon.com and make sure you add support@exposent.com to your trusted email senders.

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.

Passport Reminders

If you haven’t checked your passports, now is the time! Passport applications can be slow and may face delays during busier travel seasons.

For more information specific to travel within Canada, please note the information in the Visiting Calgary portion of our website, with emphasis on sections concerning passports, Canadian currency, and using your cell phone.

Hotels

The room blocks in all three of our Bouchercon 2026 hotels are filling fast, so please book soon to avoid disappointment. 

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