“A new way to explore the city”

LiveWire Calgary

“Cowtown through a literary lens that goes back 200 years.”

The Calgary Herald

“A clear picture of Calgary’s evolution: truly a wonderful way to view the city.”

I’ve Read This Blog




calgary through the eyes of Writers

Shaun Hunter tours readers and urban explorers around a place that has captivated writers since 1792. She has selected excerpts from over 150 novels, stories, poems and essays that sing the city’s human and natural terrain, plumb its past, and question its prevailing mythologies.

Alongside each excerpt, Shaun presents connections between place and story. A timeline anchors the passages and marks significant moments in its literary history. Maps and an index invite readers to find their own trails through a complex and storied city.

The author

Shaun also shares her passion for Calgary’s literary landscape through guided walks, presentations, and her blog. In 2020, she served as Historian in Residence at the Calgary Public Library. If you are interested in having her speak to your group, please send Shaun an email through her contact page.

Buy the book

In Calgary? Contact your favourite independent bookstore: Owl’s Nest, Shelf Life and Pages on Kensington. You can also find the book at Chapters/Indigo and Amazon.ca.

find out more

CBC Daybreak Alberta / The Calgarian podcast / I’ve Read This blog / Sprawlcast / Calgary Herald / LiveWire Calgary / CJSW LiveWired/ CJSW ArtsLink

Source Notes

For the book’s chapter-by-chapter source notes, please click on the link below, or send Shaun an email through her contact page.