Poetry and readings in Ottawa in October 2026

Thursday, October 22, 2026

• Literature

  6:30 PM

  Cultivating Courage and Unity in a Complex World

  Roshan Danesh · Jody Wilson-Raybould

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  8 PM

  Northern Exposure

  Michel Jean · Norma Dunning · Michelle Porter

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

Friday, October 23, 2026

• Literature

  6:30 PM

  Humanitarienne

  Kirsten Johnson

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  8 PM

  Instructions for the End of the World

  Maggie Helwig

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

Saturday, October 24, 2026

• Literature

  10:30 AM

  Workshop: Making Words Visual

  Amanda West Lewis

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  Tickets ↗

• Literature

  11 AM

  Life After AI

  Cory Doctorow

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  1 PM

  Encounters with Extinction

  Neil Griffin

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  1:30 PM

  Youth Workshop: Writing Graphic Novels

  Amanda West Lewis

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  Tickets ↗

• Literature

  2:30 PM

  The Book of Birds

  Jackie Morris

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  4 PM

  Exit Party

  Emily St. John Mandel

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  6 PM

  Sea Change

  Margaret Sweatman · Ayad Akhtar · Michelle Good

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  8 PM

  Cause and Effect

  Priya Guns · Dania Idriss · Vivek Shraya

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

Sunday, October 25, 2026

• Literature

  11:30 AM

  Into the Breach

  Wayne Eyre

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  1 PM

  First Principles

  Jesse Wente · Louise Bernice Halfe

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  2:30 PM

  Requiem for Gaza

  Chris Hedges

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  4 PM

  Safe Spaces

  Dina Del Bucchia · Frances Boyle · Isabel Bogdan

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  6 PM

  Lovers in A Dangerous Time

  Nyla Matuk · Damian Barr · Marina Nemat

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

• Literature

  8 PM

  Man Enough?

  David Szalay · Patrick deWitt

  Ottawa International Writers Festival · Downtown (Library and Archives Canada)

  • Literature

  $25 Tickets ↗

Thursday, October 29, 2026

• Literature

  7:30 PM

  CBC Massey Lectures 2026 Housing Inc.: A Global Takeover and Our Fight for Home

  National Arts Centre · Downtown (Confederation Square)

  • Literature

  $35 Tickets ↗

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