If people think of the Ottawa International Writers Festival they may think of readings, conversations, and book signings.
While those are certainly elements of a Writers Festival event – they fail to capture the true nature of its work as the festival headstowards it’s 30th Anniversary in 2027.
“It began as celebration of literature from all over the world but we began with a smudging ceremony at the first festival – a small act towards reconciliation.” said Neil Wilson, the festival’s founder and current development director.
Since then the Festival’s Republic of Childhood has brought authors into schools, run workshops, published children’s chapbooks and in 2025 partnered with Christie Lake Camp for Kids to run classes in underserved communities.
“That’s the thing, when you look under the hood, you find that this Festival is actually an engine to do good. In 2026, we’ve started a partnerships with both Ottawa Community Housing and Aging in Place,” said David Currie, director of community outreach.
“When people buy a ticket to the festival, not only are they opening up your own horizons but that $20-$25 ticket is paying for dozens of programs the audiences don’t see but the community feels. As soon as money comes into the festival; we have a team of staff, board, and volunteers looking for ways to use it to do good,” he added.
The events topics vary widely, with the first half of the festival taking place from May 1 to 4.
Opening Night welcomes Cree author Monique Grey Smith to join Shelagh Rogers around the psychological practice of joy and resilience she proposes in her book “Sharing the Light.”
Immediately following that literary superstar Maria Reva of Ukraine and the brilliant Ashraf Zhaghal of Palestine share their debut novels. Endling (Reva) and Seven Heavens Above (Zaghal) are both grounded in their respective homelands but ask the same question – how does a young person come of age in the midst of crisis.
“I hope I can humanize Ukrainians, so they’re not just a headline or a number. They’re real people. And also show that what’s happening there could happen to us here in Canada.” Said Maria Reva.
In a separate interview on the Writers Festival Radio Podcast Ashraf Zaghal offered that for him “There is a lack in literature about teenagers in Palestine…So I felt that talking about that generation, in that part of violent history, was a moral obligation for me.”
Opening night is not an anomaly; Friday begins with the debut of Pizza Before We Die an on the piece of citizen journalism from Hassan Kanafani with editor Yasuko Thanh and host journalist Rachel Gilmore before transitioning into a Poetry Cabaret featuring three poets whose work asks what is language in a world of so much noise.
The Festival continues on throughout the weekend; three Science Saturday panels, a sold out Mary Walsh event, Governor General winners, a partnership with the French Embassy – 15 events in total.
“I hope audiences will find an intimate approachable program that spotlights excellent writing, community conversation and deep thinking on today’s biggest issues. This is Ottawa’s Festival of Ideas,” said artistic director Sean Wilson.
Find out more information here.