Book Signing with Theresa Redmond

Join PEI author Theresa Redmond for a book signing from her novel The Governer's Granddaughter!

The Governor's Granddaughter tells a fascinating story of resilience, perseverance, female empowerment, and conflicting moral values. This sweeping story is lifted from the pages of Canadian history, detailing the social and political unrest that existed for generations following the colonization of Prince Edward Island, with a focus not only on the people who pushed for much-needed fairness and change but also revealing those who worked even harder to hold them back.

THERESA REDMOND is a descendant of Acadian and Scottish ancestors. Theresa worked for many years on Indigenous land rights issues. She has published articles in a range of publications including the Globe and Mail, Ottawa Citizen, Charlottetown Guardian, Eastern Graphic, and RED Magazine. She has a master’s degree in history and a bachelor’s degree in education. She lives on her family farm in eastern PEI with her husband, Barry, and two rescued cats. 

Thinking Out Loud Together: Why Civil Discourse Matters More Than Ever with Randy Boyagoda

Presented by Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada: In this talk, writer and professor Randy Boyagoda, the University of Toronto’s Advisor on Civil Discourse, reflects on the state and stakes of civil discourse these days, on and off campus, and across our personal professional, and shared public settings.

He will explore the importance of intellectual freedom and the freedom to read to civil discourse itself. He will also affirm the distinct mission and work of public libraries as both convening spaces and distinct sources for models and resources that ensure robust and vibrant cultures of productive disagreement. These efforts, which we might collectively describe as a commitment to thinking out loud together, support of advancing knowledge, serving the common good and the pursuit of truth.

Q&A with the audience and autograph session to follow. Bring your own copy or purchase one on site.

Light refreshments and conversation to follow.

Perfect Books bookstore will be on hand selling Randy's books.

Register here: https://booking.biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/thinking-out-loud-together-why-civil-discourse-matters-more-ever-randy-boyagoda

Ottawa Public Library is committed to ensuring that all programs are accessible to everyone. If you need assistance registering for this program or require specific accommodations to participate, please contact us. 

Randy Boyagoda is a novelist and Professor of English at the University of Toronto, where he also serves as the university's advisor on civil discourse, the first such position in Canada. He was named one of Toronto’s fifty most influential people by Toronto Life magazine because of his work in civil discourse. He is the author of seven books, including four novels that have been nominated for the Giller Prize, the IMPAC Dublin Literary Prize, and named New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice selections and Globe and Mail Best Books of the year. A frequent contributor to CBC Radio, including as a national columnist on civil discourse, and former President of PEN Canada, he writes opinions, essays and reviews for publications including the Atlantic, the New York Times, the Financial Times of London, the Globe and Mail, and The Walrus. He also podcasts for the Toronto Public Library and lives in the east end of Toronto with his wife and their four daughters.

Zak Jones Book Signing for Fancy Gap

Zak Jones will be in store signing books, don’t miss the chance to chat with him about his highly anticipated debut novel, Fancy Gap, an Indie Bookseller Pick!

Fancy Gap is an unflinching look at the desperation that throws kerosene on the flames of opioid use, poverty, illness, and apocalyptic Christianity. Profound and captivating, violent and lyrical, it introduces Zak Jones as a compelling and original new voice in Canadian literature.

ZAK JONES is a writer, literary scholar and US Army Veteran. A dual Canadian-American citizen, he grew up between rural North Carolina and Toronto. His short story, "So Much More to Say," won the Writers’ Trust of Canada’s 2023 Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers, and his story, "Love Handles," won the 2023 Norma Epstein National Award. Zak holds an MA in English Literature & Creative Writing from the University of Toronto, where he is currently a Ph.D. candidate studying veterans’ narratives in American Literature.

Crowd Pleaser with Yotam Ottolenghi

**TWO SHOW TIMES: 2:00PM and 7:30PM. See NAC website for details and to purchase! 

Note: The first 100 Perfect Books customers to pre-order SIMPLE TOO directly from us via our website or at the show will receive a SIGNED BOOKPLATE! 

In Crowd Pleaser, Yotam Ottolenghi blends live cooking, storytelling, and audience interaction in a warm, insightful stage event that explores the pleasures and pressures of feeding others. Seated between an armchair and a cooking station, Ottolenghi unpacks a "Mary Poppins" bag of ingredients while delving into the emotional and practical challenges home cooks face—from impressing in-laws to accommodating picky eaters. The evening moves between cooking demonstrations, humorous audience polls, and confessional slides drawn from real followers' dilemmas. Ottolenghi shares personal anecdotes about his children, kitchen failures, and shifting culinary ideals, offering reassurance and tactical advice in equal measure. He champions a modular, stress-free approach to meals built on a few dependable dishes like roasted chicken, potatoes, and vinaigrettes, all elevated by vibrant condiments. With warmth and wit, he encourages experimentation, celebrates imperfection, and emphasizes that cooking—at its best—is an act of love. The show ends with a finished meal, simple and celebratory, proving that pleasing everyone doesn’t mean losing yourself.

With book sales by Perfect Books.

Ottawa Writers Festival presents The Distance of a Shout with Michael Ondaatje

Join Ottawa Writers Festival for a conversation between Michael Ondaatje and Elizabeth Hay in celebration of The Distance of a Shout, a one-of-a-kind collection gathering fifty years of poetry by one of our most cherished authors.

Through poems that grow out of his profound understanding of how we lose and find ourselves, Michael Ondaatje navigates his own past, beginning with memories of his childhood in Sri Lanka and his eccentric family, to his life in rural southern Ontario with its beloved rivers, celebrations of treasured friends, the close ties of children. We follow him through the exhilarations of youth and into that “storm of music,” the passionate swerves of longing and desire, until we reach the calm of that moment when, with “only a cloud’s reflection holding you up, You swim into late afternoon.”

With book sales by Perfect Books.

Tickets available here: https://writersfestival.org/events/spring-2026/the-distance-of-a-shout

Book Launch for Dr. Maria Milland's Born at the Gates of Hell

We hope you'll join us for the launch of Dr. Maria Milland's book Born at the Gates of Hell: A Doctor's Frontline Story of Delivering Babies in Al-Hol Camp in Syria.

Maria Milland takes readers on a powerful, documentary journey to meet the pregnant and laboring women facing the difficult, harsh, and violent living conditions of al-Hol camp in northeast Syria. Her firsthand account provides vivid, unique, and honest insight into life inside the camp, which has never before been described to the outside world.

Amidst the brutal everyday realities of the camp, the maternity ward is a safe space, where health problems, as well as existential challenges, are displayed and embraced—and children are born. Behind towering fences, sprawling in the desert’s nothingness, they spend their childhood deprived of fundamental human rights, and with the looming risk of growing into a new generation of Islamic fundamentalists.

Beautifully written and carefully observed, this is not only a story of resilience and hope in the face of hopelessness, but also serves as a powerful reminder of our shared humanity.

MARIA MILLAND is a Danish obstetrician and gynecologist who has been deployed 11 times for international organizations to various countries throughout Africa, the Middle- and Far-East, and the Caribbean. In 2022, she was dispatched to Syria where she worked at one of the al-Hol-camp's hospitals for 9 months. Born at the Gates of Hell is her first book.

The Inaugural Father Jim Bleackley OMI Lecture on Indigenous Justice with Guest Speaker Niigaan Sinclair

Join us at the free event on the subject of Indigenous Justice with guest speaker Niigaan Sinclair, co-sponsored by St.Joseph's Parish and Kateri Native Ministry of Ottawa. 

Niigaan Sinclair is an Anishinaabe writer, editor, professor, and activist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He frequently speaks on Indigenous issues on CTV, CBC and APTN. His book Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre won the Governor General’s Award for English-language non-fiction at the 2024 Governor General’s Awards.

Perfect Books will be selling copies of Niigaan Sinclair's book as well as books by other Indigenous authors.

For more information, contact St.Joe's: 613-233-4095 x 251, or info@st-josephs.ca

Book Signing with A.V. Howland

Join local author A.V. Howland for a meet and greet about her book Jumping to Conclusions, the first book in the Fanta Delaney series.

Young Fanta Delaney loves horses. Ever since pony club days, she’s crushed on handsome Greg and followed his show jumping career from afar. Now, she’s a junior writer at the local paper north of Toronto, desperate to prove herself. Can she combine her skills as a reporter with her knowledge of the horse world to find out who killed her lustrous hero?

A.V. Howland is an award-winning feature writer and newspaper editor who continues to work in daily journalism, now with a hint of mystery and mayhem on the side. She grew up riding horses and now lives in Ottawa, Canada with two rescue dogs. Of course, she's always looking for ways to get back in the saddle.

Book Signing with Glenn McInnes

Join Glenn McInnes to talk about his book, Lessons in Philanthropy: The Legacy of Barb McInnes.

Barbara McInnes’s work in philanthropy has touched countless lives, creating ripples of change that continue to grow. This book is a heartfelt exploration of her journey, through the eyes of those who experienced her mentorship, kindness, and transformative vision. This book offers a unique perspective on what it truly means to lead with purpose.

Barb’s dedication to philanthropy has left an indelible mark on individuals, communities, and the world at large. From grassroots movements to global initiatives, Barb’s work speaks volumes about the impact one life can have. 

Versefest Day 1

Join us at Club Saw for Day 1 of VerseFest featuring poets like Olivia Tapiero, Robyn Sarah, and more!

More details here: https://www.verseottawa.ca/en/events

Versefest Day 2

VerseFest Day 2 kicks off at the Arts Court Black Box with tons of writers, such as Gwen Aube, T. Liem, and more!

Details here: https://www.verseottawa.ca/en/events?date=2026-03-25

Zena Sharman launches Staying Power

Join author Zena Sharman to celebrate the launch of her memoir Staying Power, with special guest Alexander McClelland, author of Criminalized Lives: HIV and Lgeal Violence. Toegher, they'll explore themes of queer kinship, grief, outlaw sexualities, and the power of documenting our lives and telling our stories through art and memoir.

ZENA SHARMAN is an essayist and non-fiction writer whose work explores themes of community, identity, and care. She is the editor of several anthologies, including The Care We Dream Of  and the Lambda Literary award-winning The Remedy (both Arsenal Pulp Press). Staying Power is her debut memoir.

ALEXANDER MCCLELLAND is an Associate Professor at the Carleton Institute of Criminology and the author of Criminalized Lives: HIV and Legal Violence.

David Suzuki and Tara Cullis – What You Won't Do for Love

“What’s love got to do with it?” A lot, according to David Suzuki.

After a lifetime devoted to climate activism, internationally-renowned environmentalists David Suzuki and Tara Cullis take to the stage in an intimate and inspiring theatre experience. A rare behind-the-scenes look at a life shaped by deep love, commitment, and the courage to act; they reflect on their extraordinary 50-year partnership in life and work.

Honest, warm, and thought-provoking, David and Tara share captivating stories, powerful insights, and heartfelt moments of humour as they celebrate their love for each other, their love of the planet, and love’s capacity to inspire action.

What You Won’t Do For Love is a personal and poetic performance, and a powerful reminder that change begins with connection.

“We’d love to see you there!”
Tara and David

With book sales by Perfect Books

More details and tickets here: https://shenkmanarts.ca/en/david-suzuki-tara-cullis

VerseFest Day 3

VerseFest Day 3 moves back to Club Saw with an Urban Legends Slam and a Qu'Art feature with Misha Solomon, Emma McKenna, and an open mic!

Details: https://www.verseottawa.ca/en/events?date=2026-03-26

VerseFest Day 4

Friday Night at VerseFest moves to Happy Goat in Hintonburg, bringing you fantastic poets like Vera Hadzic, Hajer Mirwali, and more!

Details: https://www.verseottawa.ca/en/events?date=2026-03-27

VerseFest Day 5, Plan 99

VerseFest presents Plan 99 at the Manx with Brandi Bird, Declan Ryan, and Stephanie Bolster!

Details: https://www.verseottawa.ca/en/events?date=2026-03-28

Versefest Day 6

Come on out for a full day of poetry goodness! Karen Solie, Nada Gordon, Lydia Unsworth, and more, as well as the Hall of Honour presentation!

Details: https://www.verseottawa.ca/en/events?date=2026-03-29