Ottawa's Festival of Ideas Since 1997
Fri Jan 1 • 7:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Test Event
Music
Tue Feb 2 • 4:00pm • St. Alban's Church
Megaphono Festival Official Launch: Keynote Address by Jessica Hopper
Fiction
Fri Feb 5 • 7:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
The High Mountains of Portugal One on One with Yann Martel
Hosted by CBC’s Alan Neal
History
Thu Feb 25 • 5:30pm • Irene's Pub
Adapting in the Dust: Lessons Learned from Canada's War in Afghanistan
Carleton Presents: Lessons Learned from Canada's War in Afghanistan
History
Tue Mar 8 • 7:30pm • Main Floor Reading Room MacOdrum Library
McLuhan and Frye: A Reading by B.W. Powe
Mon Mar 21 • 7:00pm • Southminster Church
The End of Protest with Micah White
Hosted by CBC's Adrian Harewood
Thu Mar 31 • 5:00pm • Pressed
Author Meets Readers: Federal Decisions with Local Implications
Presented by Carleton University
Thu Apr 14 • 5:00pm • Festival Café in Christ Church
Thursday’s Menuat the Festival Café
History
Thu Apr 14 • 5:30pm • Social
Book Launch: Two Freedoms: Canada's Global Future with Hugh Segal
Hosted by Jennifer Ditchburn
Fiction
Thu Apr 14 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
SAFE AND SOUND with Paul Lynch, Abdourahman A. Waberi and Carol Daniels
Fiction
Thu Apr 14 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
RADICAL EMPATHY with Sara Baume, Sunil Yapa and Joan Crate
Hosted by Sean Wilson
Fri Apr 15 • 5:00pm • Festival Café in Christ Church
Friday’s Menuat the Festival Café
Fiction
Fri Apr 15 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
ALL IN THIS TOGETHERwith Farzana Doctor,Nadia Bozak andChristine Dwyer Hickey 
Fiction
Fri Apr 15 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT with Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Kris Bertin and Danielle McLaughlin
Hosted by Susan Birkwood
Science
Sat Apr 16 • 12:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart with James R. Doty M.D.
Fiction
Sat Apr 16 • 2:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Room C
Writing Workshop with Nadia Bozak
Science
Sat Apr 16 • 2:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Concussion and the New Science of Brain Plasticity with Clark Elliott
Hosted by Stephen Brockwell
Science
Sat Apr 16 • 4:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Switched On with John Elder Robison
Hosted by Joanne Laucius
Sat Apr 16 • 5:00pm • Festival Café in Christ Church
Saturday’s Menuat the Festival Café
Fiction
Poetry
Sat Apr 16 • 5:00pm • Manx Pub
BookThug Spring Launch with Jacob Wren and Phil Hall
Presented with Plan 99
Fiction
History
Sat Apr 16 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
THE WISEST COURSE with Craig Davidson, James Bartleman and Carmen Aguirre
Hosted by Peter Schneider
Fiction
Sat Apr 16 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
CONTAINED IN TIME PAST with Alissa York, Daniel Poliquin and Katherine Govier
Hosted by Stephen Brockwell
Fiction
Science
History
Music
Poetry
Sun Apr 17 • 2:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Blog Out Loud: Listen. Look. Laugh. LOUD.
History
Sun Apr 17 • 4:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Martyrdom, Murder and the Lure of ISIS with Mark Bourrie
Hosted by Laurence Wall
Poetry
Sun Apr 17 • 5:00pm • Manx Pub
Plan 99 Poetry Cabaret with Alexandra Oliver and Nick Thran
Hosted by David O’Meara
Sun Apr 17 • 5:00pm • Festival Café in Christ Church
Sunday’s Menuat the Festival Café
Fiction
History
Sun Apr 17 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
WHERE WE BELONG with Pamela Mordecai, Lynne Kutsukake and George Elliott Clarke
Hosted by Adrian Harewood
Fiction
Sun Apr 17 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
SCENE OF THE CRIME with John Lawton, Brenda Chapman, Joy Fielding and Linwood Barclay
Hosted by Barbara Fradkin
History
Mon Apr 18 • 12:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
WriteOn! Resilience and Triumph: Immigrant Women Tell Their Stories with Monia Mazigh andDr. Vanaja Dhruvarajan
Hosted by Neil Wilson
Mon Apr 18 • 5:00pm • Festival Café in Christ Church
Monday’s Menuat the Festival Café
Fiction
Mon Apr 18 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Room C
BOOK LAUNCH: The Light That Remains with Lyse Champagne
Fiction
Mon Apr 18 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
FUTURE IMPERFECT with Sylvain Neuvel and Robert J Sawyer
Hosted by Peter Schneider
Fiction
Mon Apr 18 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Room C
BOOK LAUNCH: Monstrous Little Voices with Kate Heartfield
Poetry
Mon Apr 18 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
HOUSE OF ANANSI POETRY BASH with Michael Crummey, Baziju, Suzanne Buffam and Steven Heighton
Hosted by David O’Meara
Tue Apr 19 • 5:00pm • Festival Café in Christ Church
Tuesday’s Menuat the Festival Café
Tue Apr 19 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE with Teva Harrison and Bif Naked
Hosted by Lucy van Oldenbarneveld
History
Tue Apr 19 • 7:00pm • NAC Panorama Room
The Idea of Canada: Letters to a Nation with Governor General David Johnston
Hosted by Mark Sutcliffe
Fiction
Science
History
Music
Poetry
Tue Apr 19 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
The Best of Writers & Company with Eleanor Wachtel
Hosted by Charlotte Gray
Music
Poetry
Sat Apr 23 • 7:00pm • Centretown United Church
Mountain City Girls: An Evening of Storytelling and Song with Anna and Jane McGarrigle
Hosted by Lynn Miles
Fiction
Sat May 14 • 2:00pm • Glebe Community Centre
WriteOn! Youth Writing Workshop with David A. Poulsen
Wed May 25 • 5:30pm • Library and Archives Canada
RECLAIMING THE COMMONS
Presented by the Canada Council for the Arts
Poetry
Tue Jun 21 • 8:30pm • NCC's Urbanism Lab
An Evening with Indigenous Authors: A National Aboriginal Day Celebration
Fiction
Poetry
Sun Aug 21 • 3:00pm • The barn at Fieldwork
Framework: Words on the Land - 2016
Tue Sep 13 • 12:00pm • Metropolitain Brasserie
Literary Luncheon with Alexandre Trudeau
Tue Sep 13 • 7:00pm • Library and Archives Canada
Travels in the New China with Alexandre Trudeau
History
Wed Sep 21 • 7:30pm • Ottawa City Hall, Councillor Lounge
Marion Dewar: A Life of Action with Deborah Gorham
Fiction
Sat Sep 24 • 2:00pm • The barn at Fieldwork
Storywork: Telling Tales Rooted in the Land
Fiction
History
Poetry
Tue Sep 27 • 7:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
When We Are Bold: Women Who Turn Our Upsidedown World Right
Presented by The Nobel Women's Initiative with support from with Equal Voice
Thu Sep 29 • 5:30pm • Irene's Pub
Armchair Quarterbacks: Canadians and Sports
Author Meets Readers Presented by Carleton University
Fiction
Fri Sep 30 • 12:00pm • Metropolitain Brasserie
Literary Luncheon with Emma Donoghue
Fiction
Fri Sep 30 • 7:00pm • Southminster United Church
Barkskins: One on One with Annie Proulx
Presented with Kingston WritersFest and the Embassy of the United States
Fiction
Mon Oct 3 • 6:00pm • Southminster United Church
Every Hidden Thing with Kenneth Oppel
Fiction
Mon Oct 3 • 8:00pm • Southminster United Church
Slade House: One on One with David Mitchell
Presented in partnership with Kingston WritersFest
Music
Thu Oct 13 • 7:00pm • Ottawa Little Theatre
Random PlayHosted by All In A Day'sAlan Neal
Sponsored by RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Group
Fri Oct 14 • 5:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Festival Cafe
Friday, October 14 menuat the Festival Café
Science
History
Fri Oct 14 • 7:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
à la carte: Science, History and Health at the Table with Stephen Le and Maya Shetreat
Sat Oct 15 • 5:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Festival Cafe
Saturday, October 15 menuat the Festival Cafe
Science
History
Sat Oct 15 • 5:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
à la carte: The Ethics of Eating with Sonia Faruqi
Science
History
Sat Oct 15 • 7:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
à la carte: Farm to Table
History
Mon Oct 17 • 7:00pm • Library and Archives Canada
The Promise of Canada with Charlotte Gray
Fiction
Poetry
Wed Oct 19 • 7:00pm • Ottawa City Hall, Jean Pigott Place
CITY OF OTTAWA BOOK AWARDS / PRIX DU LIVRE D”OTTAWA
Thu Oct 20 • 5:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Festival Cafe
Thursday's Menuat the Festival Cafe
Science
Thu Oct 20 • 5:30pm • Irene's Pub
Author Meets ReadersHubris: The Challenge of Climate Change
Presented by Carleton University
History
Thu Oct 20 • 6:30pm • Library and Archives Canada
Stories about Canada with Jane Urquhart
Hosted by CBC's Sandra Abma
Fiction
Thu Oct 20 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Time After Time with Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, Terry Jordan and Jen Sookfong Lee
Hosted by J.F. Martel
Fri Oct 21 • 8:30am • Azrieli School of Architecture + Urbanism
POP / CAN / CRIT:Current Conditions in Popular Canadian Architecture Criticism
Presented by Spacing Magazine / Azrieli School of Architecture + Urbanism
Fri Oct 21 • 5:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Festival Cafe
Friday's Menuat the Festival Cafe
Fiction
Poetry
Fri Oct 21 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
In/Words Presents Refuge(e)
Fiction
Fri Oct 21 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Children of Earth and Sky with Guy Gavriel Kay
Hosted by Kate Heartfield
Fiction
Fri Oct 21 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Paranormal Prose with Kristi Charish, Nathan Adler and Kelley Armstrong
Hosted by Marie Bilodeau
Music
Poetry
Fri Oct 21 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Bywords 2016 John Newlove Poetry Award Ceremony and Reading
Sat Oct 22 • 12:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Jane Jacobs and the Livable City with Nathan Storring and Robert Kanigel
Hosted by CBC's Joanne Chianello
Sat Oct 22 • 2:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Truth to Power: Inside Canada’s Parliamentary Press Gallery with Manon Cornellier, Helene Buzzetti and Josh Wingrove
Sat Oct 22 • 4:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
The Easter Uprising of 1916 with Dermot Keogh
Hosted by Neil Wilson
Sat Oct 22 • 5:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Festival Cafe
Saturday's Menuat the Festival Cafe
Poetry
Sat Oct 22 • 5:00pm • Manx Pub
Plan 99 Poetry Cabaret
Hosted by David O'Meara
Fiction
Sat Oct 22 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Character Studies with Jowita Bydlowska, Mary Morrissy and David Szalay
Hosted by Rhonda Douglas
Fiction
Sat Oct 22 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
What Tomorrow Brings with Michael Helm and M.G. Vassanji
Hosted by Peter Schneider
History
Sun Oct 23 • 2:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
A Canadian Soldier's Fight Against the Islamic State with Dillon Hillier
Hosted by Jody Mitic
Sun Oct 23 • 4:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Running for Office with John Laschinger and Noah Richler
Hosted by Maclean¹s Magazine’s John Geddes
Sun Oct 23 • 5:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Festival Cafe
Sunday's Menuat the Festival Cafe
Fiction
Sun Oct 23 • 5:00pm • Manx Pub
Spotlight on Biblioasis with Kathy Page and Leon Rooke
Fiction
History
Sun Oct 23 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Trigger Warning with Deni Bechard, Peter Behrens and Kevin Patterson
Hosted by Stephen Brockwell
Fiction
Music
Poetry
Sun Oct 23 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Own Self Be True with Gwen Benaway, Vivek Shraya and Ivan Coyote
Hosted by Jeremy Dias
Fiction
Mon Oct 24 • 12:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Respect with Vivek Shraya, Zoe Whitall and Ivan Coyote
Mon Oct 24 • 5:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Festival Cafe
Monday's Menuat the Festival Cafe
Fiction
Mon Oct 24 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Family Matters with Zoe Whittall, Katherena Vermette and David Bergen
Hosted by Carleton University’s Susan Birkwood
History
Mon Oct 24 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Past Imperfect with Deborah Campbell, Alexandra Shimo and Joy Kogawa
Hosted by CBC's Adrian Harewood
Tue Oct 25 • 5:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Festival Cafe
Tuesday's Menuat the Festival Cafe
Fiction
Tue Oct 25 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
The Tempest / Hag-Seed with Margaret Atwood
Fiction
Tue Oct 25 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Cause and Effect with Jared Young, Nathan Whitlock and Iain Reid
Hosted by CBC's Alan Neal
Wed Oct 26 • 5:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral - Festival Cafe
Wednesday's Menuat the Festival Cafe
Fiction
Wed Oct 26 • 6:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
The Ever Present Past Stephen Henighan, Ann Y. K. Choi, and Anosh Irani
Hosted by Peter Schneider
Poetry
Wed Oct 26 • 8:30pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Poetry Cabaret with Stephen Brockwell, Gregory Scofield, Sandra Ridley and Stuart Ross
Fiction
Sun Oct 30 • 7:00pm • Centretown United Church
Do Not Say We Have Nothing with Madeleine Thien
Hosted by the CBC’s Lucy van Oldenbarneveld
Thu Nov 3 • 7:00pm • Christ Church Cathedral
Wade Davis: Photographs
Presented with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Fiction
Thu Nov 17 • 7:00pm • Library and Archives Canada
The Witches of New York with Ami McKay
Science
History
Wed Nov 30 • 7:00pm • Centretown United Church
Waiting for First Light: My Ongoing Battle with PTSD with Roméo Dallaire
Music
Sat Dec 10 • 1:00pm • Southminster United Church
Garnet Rogers and Lynne HansonBook Launch
Presented by folkzone as part of Ochsfest2
Music
Sat Dec 10 • 3:00pm • Southminster United Church
Garnet Rogers and Lynne HansonConcert
Presented by folkzone as part of Ochsfest2