Shelf Life Books

Thank you @albertandp.ca for helping us celebrate our 15th birthday last weekend in such an exciting way! We're so proud to be recognized for fostering community, curiosity, and a love of reading!

The background is a faded version of the cover of No Depression in Heaven focused on the cowboy silhouette with the guitar slung to their back. Inside the silhouette are a series of clouds in dark grey to apocalyptic orange-brown rising up from the belly to just below the shoulders. The text reads: Calgary, AB || October 21 Shelf Life Books | Doors at 7:00 p.m. with Conor Kerr, Jason Purcell Vancouver, BC || October 24 Martha Lou Henley Rehearsal Hall | Doors at 8:00 p.m. with Rahat Kurd, bill bissett, Scott Jackshaw, Drew McEwan Winnipeg, MB || November 5, 2025 with Cam Scott Toronto, ON || November 13 Flying Books | Doors at 6:30 p.m. with A Jamali Rad, Hajer Mirwali Hamilton, ON || November 14 The City & The City Books | Doors at 7:00 p.m. with A Jamali Rad, Steacy Easton, Zane Koss

Good news! @ryanfitzpublic.bsky.social is hitting the ole dusty trail and bringing No Depression in Heaven to a bookstore near you! Get your local dose of the Grand Ole Opry at @shelflifebooks.bsky.social, @mcnallyrobinson.com, and more!

⁠📖No Depression in Heaven is available now! 📖

LET'S GO JUN!! Everyone go buy your copy of Abode!! Written by our delightful former events host and we couldn't be more proud!

Happy 15th to Calgary's @shelflifebooks.bsky.social! Check them out on October 4th.

Shelf Life Books is turning 15!

We're celebrating on October 4th with 15% off everything, in store and online. Giveaways, swag & treats all day! Enter to win a $500 shopping spree, 20% off for free and other prizes!

A beige background with a centred, large typewriter. In the foreground, across the top, reads "Triple Book Launch, Shelf Life Books, Tuesday, October 21, 2025 7 p.m. MDT" in the top left corner are the logos for Shelf Life Books, Arsenal Pulp Press, and Talonbooks. In the centre in round frames are author photos of ryan fitzpatrick, Conor Kerr, and Jason Purcell. Underneath are the book covers for No Depression in Heaven (navy, western font, the silhouette of a cowboy with a guitar on his back with a dust cloud rising up inside the silhouette), Beaver Hills Forever (black and white cover, white on top, a beaver swimming with a lit match in black water. The orange of the fire and the author's name is the only colour in the cover), and crohnic (the cover isn't, but looks like, a cyanotype of tall navy trees and grass. There's an interplay of light and shadow).

Calgary! Head to @shelflifebooks.bsky.social on October 21 to celebrate the launch of No Depression in Heaven by @ryanfitzpublic.bsky.social, Beaver Hills Forever by Conor Kerr, and crohnic by Jason Purcell. Can't wait to see you there!

Edmonton was a blast. See you soon Calgary at @shelflifebooks.bsky.social

The poster says book launch. Featuring the presenters at Shelf Life Books on September 11th at 7pm, and the artwork by Kat Simmers.

Calgary readers! Join us this Thursday 7pm at @shelflifebooks.bsky.social to celebrate positive love and comics.

Alberta Comics Love is our new anthology featuring 50 short comic stories about love in all its unique, quirky & diverse dimensions can bring us.

#yyc #booklaunch

Hello, friends! I’m excited to be on the creator panel for the volume 2 book launch of ALBERTA COMICS: LOVE—this Thursday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m. at @shelflifebooks.bsky.social downtown. Come on out! Jackson Gee and I have a story (FUR HEART) in this wonderful anthology. @renegadeartsent.bsky.social

Zine Party returns! Apply here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

The books “metadata from a changing climate” by Ian LaTourneau, “Contraband Bodies” by Jide Salawu, “Heaven Looks Like Us: Palestinian Poetry” edited by George Abraham and Noor Hindi, “The Anthropologists” by Ayşegül Savaş, and “Strange Houses” by Uketsu and translated by Jim Rion, arranged on a dark wood patio beside a pink begonia plant.

Back to school book haul from the always amazing @shelflifebooks.bsky.social! 😍📚

Ready? Set! Go! 🎉 We’re thrilled to introduce the inaugural edition of The Booksellers’ List! For the first time ever, Canadian readers can look forward to a list of trusted recs—handpicked and voted on by local booksellers.

All titles are available for pre-order now!

Congratulations once again to Rona Altrows, winner of this year's Prairie Grindstone Prize. Here she is at a wonderful celebration at Shelf Life in Calgary (L: Rona / R: Lisa Murphy-Lamb).
https://bit.ly/3zoWZAk

Photo credit: Carol Gauzer.
@ronaaltrows.bsky.social ‪@shelflifebooks.bsky.social‬

At the top there is the header: “2025 Alberta Book Publishing Awards: Sponsor.” Below is a Graphic of an open book. On the right page is the Shelf Life logo. At the bottom to the left there is the footer: “The 2025 Alberta Book Publishing Awards”. To the bottom right there is a circular badge: “BPAA 50 YEARS”.

We’d like to acknowledge @shelflifebooks.bsky.social's generous sponsorship of the 2025 Alberta Book Publishing Awards! You are a valued indie bookstore and community member. #ABPubAwards #ABbooks

UKETSU HIVE!

We are delighted to reveal the #BookerPrize2025 longlist – 13 books ‘all alive with great characters and narrative surprises’.

Huge congratulations to the authors who make up this year's Booker Dozen.

➡️ Discover the full list: thebookerprizes.com/bp2025

Some of our summer reading books have hit this list! Check out all of our recommended reads here: bit.ly/45dwVc4

Abby 😍

What does Climate Justice mean to you?

Join us and Calgary Climate Hub for a free zine-making workshop that invites you to creatively explore your perspective on climate justice. Get creative, share stories, and spark conversation!

We'd love to be included!

This July we are excited to be reading Iris and the Dead by Miranda Schreiber, out now from @bookhugpress.bsky.social

This book deftly explores love and desire, disability and madness, trauma and recovery. Our latest episode of Bookstorm delves into the book further! Listen here: bit.ly/4ltz4Xb

Hello 👋 We're open from 11-4 today!

Special visitor

TONIGHT! TONIGHT! TONIGHT!

Tonight! Come celebrate our Book of the Month with Chyana Marie Sage!

See you Thursday!!

A Celebration of Queer Storytelling with Rae Spoon and Cassia Hardy. Event takes place Thursday June 19 at 7 pm.

Join us for an evening of conversation and connection as acclaimed author and musician @raespoon.bsky.social and artist Cassia Hardy come together to explore the intersection of queer identity, community, and artistic expression. More information is available at shelflifebooks.ca/events

TODAY!!

CALGARY folks, mark your calendars! Join us at @shelflifebooks.bsky.social on June 25 at 7 PM for the launch of Elizabeth J. Haynes' Food for the Journey: A Life in Travel! This Thistledown Press 50th Anniversary Event will feature an author reading, book signing, and conversation with Joan Crate.

Giant, happy author shaped thank you to @shelflifebooks.bsky.social for letting me sign Tinseltown stock.

What you can’t see is the Sharpie tucked behind my ear!