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Nowtown

Calgary, Mohkinstsis, is a place that resists simple summaries. It’s a young city in a constant cycle of renewal and reinvention, an ancient meeting place with history stretching back thousands of years, and a hive of creativity, entrepreneurial hustle, and experimentation that attracts new arrivals every day. Nowtown brings together voices and perspectives from across Calgary to explore the city’s restless spirit, unpack its contradictions, and celebrate its mavericks in an era when its urbanism is defined by much more than just oil.

Featuring essays from community leaders, journalists, historians, artists, and architects, Nowtown explores Calgary’s diverse communities and lesser-known spaces, interrogating its myths and challenging its stereotypes along the way. From artist-run centres and underground theatre to conservative political dominance and boom-bust economic cycles, these essays explore the varied architectural, cultural, political, and economic perspectives that make Calgary unique.

AUTHOR

Andrew Wedderburn

Andrew Wedderburn is a writer and musician from Okotoks, Alberta. He graduated from the University of Calgary in 2001. His stories have been published by filling Station and Alberta Views Magazines. His debut novel, The Milk Chicken Bomb, was published by Coach House Books in 2007. In 2008 it was a finalist for the Amazon / Books in Canada First Novel Award, and long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. As a musician and songwriter Wedderburn has written, recorded and toured extensively in the groups Hot Little Rocket and Night Committee, releasing seven full-length albums over the last two decades. Andrew Wedderburn currently resides in Okotoks, AB.


AUTHOR

Katie Lee

Katie Lee, OAA, is an architect, artist, and musician based in Toronto. Her work is profoundly shaped by her upbringing in Mohkinstsis, Calgary, as the daughter of Korean immigrants – a dual perspective that informs her music and specialization in cultural heritage at ERA Architects Inc. At ERA, she leads research-driven projects that explore the intersection of cultural heritage and the built environment. An acclaimed collaborator and recipient of multiple musical awards for her previous projects, Katie also records under her Korean name, Eejungmi. Her debut album, Water is a Shifting Mirror (2026), is a sonic exploration of identity and grief through the poetry of water.


AUTHOR

Brendan McCabe

Brendan McCabe is a heritage planner and writer from Calgary. Shaped by Calgary’s suburbs, and inspired by its concrete forms and DIY scenes, Brendan has dedicated his life to understanding and documenting how the built environment and cultural intersect. Through his work with ERA Architects Inc. and the City of Calgary, Brendan has spent a decade researching, analyzing, and conserving Canadian architecture and cultural heritage across the country. He has contributed to The Signs that Define Toronto (Spacing, 2022) and written for VICE.


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Details

Dimensions:

224 Pages
8.5in * 5.5in * 0.5in
0.7lb

Published:

October 27, 2026

Publisher:

Coach House Books

ISBN:

9781552455289

Book Subjects:

LITERARY COLLECTIONS / Essays

Language:

eng

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