Is a River Alive? with Ottawa Writers Festival

Ottawa Writers Festival brings celebrated writer, observer and naturalist Robert Macfarlane to Ottawa, with his brilliant, perspective-shifting new book, which answers a resounding "yes" to the question of its title.

At the heart of Is a River Alive? is a single, transformative idea: that rivers are not mere matter for human use, but living beings, who should be recognized as such in both imagination and law. Macfarlane takes the reader on a mind-expanding global journey into the history, futures, people and places of the ancient, urgent concept.

Tickets and details at writersfestival.org

Elegy for Opportunity Launch

Join Natalie Lim as she launches Elegy for Opportunity (Wolsak and Wynn) alongside local poets Manahil Bandukwala and Ellen Chang-Richardson. Kai Cheng Thom calls this debut "urgent, arresting, and gorgeously sincere." Don't miss a lovely spring afternoon of poetry!

The Mind Mappers Launch

Join Globe and Mail journalist Eric Andrew-Gee in conversation with Charlotte Gray as he launches The Mind-Mappers: Friendship, Betrayal, and the Obsessive Quest to Chart the Brain (Penguin Random House Canada). A compelling dual biography that follows the friendship between two neuroscientists, one famous, and one forgotten. Don't miss this event for fans of biography and science writing alike!

Resisting Orders Book Launch

Join local authors Christine Gervais and Shanisse Kleuskens for the launch of Resisting Orders: Catholic Sisters Contest Their Church (McGill-Queen's University Press), as they discuss what it means for religious women to agitate for change from within and beyond the Catholic Church.

Future-Generation Government

Join Ottawa author and public servant Nicholas Chesterley as he brings his insider take and a fresh perspective on why governments so often focus on the short-term rather than the long. Don't miss the timely launch of Future-Generation Government: How to Legislate for the Long Term.

Water Borne Book Launch

Ottawa-based writer Dan Rubinstein launches Water Borne: A 1200-Mile Paddleboarding Pilgrimage (ECW Press) at the Black Pug!

The Fulcrum Book Launch

Michael Decter launches his latest book, The Fulcrum, at Perfect Books. Join us for an in conversation about this sweeping climate thriller.

Book Signing with Tamara Levine

Pop by the store, and bring the kids! Tamara Levine will be here signing copies of The Warmest Blanket in the World (Second Story Press), a tender intergenerational children's book about a child and great-grandmother.

Living Beyond the Shadow Book Launch

We welcome Diane Sims to the store to launch her memoir, Living Beyond the Shadow. Join us for a conversation on the author's deeply personal book about her life's journey, and the decision to end it through MAID.

Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems Book Launch

We hope you will join us for this conversation between author Adam Kahane and host Claude Schryer about Adam's latest book Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems: The Catalytic Power of Radical Engagement (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). In a time when it is easy to feel hopeless, this a a guidebook to create habits towards action and change.

From the publisher: "Whether you're battling climate change, reinventing healthcare, or simply trying to make your community better, this book is your essential guide. It's time to stop feeling powerless and start creating the change you want to see."

Sanita Fejzić Joint Book Launch

We are excited to welcome Ottawa playwright, poet, and writer Sanita Fejzić to the store for a double launch of two of her recent works:

-Refugee Mouth (Frontenac Press): A debut poetry collection grounded in the haunted aftermath of the Siege of Sarajevo and the ethnic cleansing of the Bosniak people during the 1992-1995 Balkan War, this poetry collection interweaves war-devastated landscapes and queer joy.

-Blissful State of Surrender (Playwrights Canada Press): This play is a poignant dramatic comedy that delves into the lives of a Bosnian Canadian family grappling with trauma, social-class limbo, and intergenerational differences, challenging the notion of Canada as a safe haven for refugees.

Book Signing with Sarah Selecky

Writers of all experience levels! Don't miss your chance to chat with acclaimed writing instructor and Giller Prize finalist Sarah Selecky's about her brand new book on writing craft, Story is a State of Mind: Writing and the Art of Creative Curiousity (Assembly Press).

From the publisher: "Designed for authors seeking support on individual projects or their practice as a whole, this book is overflowing with tips and tools to develop and support creative curiousity and whole-minded writing."

Stop by and grab a signed copy!