OTTAWA READING SERIES AND VENUE POSSIBILITIES FOR OUT OF TOWN WRITERS (updated June 15, 2020)
OTTAWA READING SERIES AND VENUE POSSIBILITIES FOR OUT OF TOWN WRITERS
published June 15, 2020
note that during Covid-19 shutdown, reading series may be having virtual events. check series’ sites for updates. stay tuned for occasional updates.
contact organizers and venue operators to find out how to book a reader.
Tree Reading Series, fourth Tuesday of the month from January to June
Contact info: info@treereadingseries.ca
Accessibility: currently in Happy Goat, 35 Laurel in Hintonburg, which has a main floor entrance and an accessible bathroom.
Funding: Canada Council for the Arts, City of Ottawa
Site: http://treereadingseries.ca/
Factory Reading Series run by rob mclennan. occurs occasionally.
venue: it's held upstairs at the Carleton Tavern in Hintonburg.
Contact info: rob_mclennan@hotmail.com.
Accessibility: not a physically accessible venue, since it's up a narrow flight of stairs.
Funding: no
In Our Tongues Reading and Arts Series is dedicated specifically to showcasing Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPoC) poets, writers, musicians and other artists, including those across the gender spectrum. 2nd Tuesday of the Month;
Venue, the Origin Arts and Community Centre
Contact: Shery Alexander Heinus, inourtongues@gmail.com
Site: https://www.inourtongues.ca/
Plan 99
David O'Meara runs Plan 99, mostly in conjunction with the Ottawa International Writers Festival.
Venue: the Manx Pub
Accessibility: not physically accessible for anyone in a wheelchair or scooter, since it's down a short flight of stairs.
Funding – on occasion thru the Canada Council for the Arts, possibly others
Contact: David O'Meara
FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/460762290611926/
NEW! Riverbed Reading Series Is driven by the belief that the artistic spheres are connected. Inspired by the spirit of Café le Hibou Ottawa (1965-70) and Cabaret Voltaire Zurich (1916), Riverbed is an inclusive, experimental gathering space at the very intersection of literature, music and performance. co-founded by Ellen Chang-Richardson + nina jane drystek
Site: https://riverbedreads.ca/
The Ottawa International Writers Festival takes place in spring (April/May) and fall (October) and sometimes holds events outside of these times.
Venues: they use numerous venues, primarily Christ Cathedral Church in Centretown, an accessible venue.
Contact: Sean Wilson - sean@writersfestival.org.
Site: https://writersfestival.org/
Funding: Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, League of Canadian Poets, City of Ottawa
VERSeFest is an annual poetry festival that takes place in March.
Contact: director Monty Reid: director@versefest.ca
Venue: Knox Presbyterian Church in Centretown
Accessibility: physically accessible venue
Site: https://versefest.ca
Funding: Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, League of Canadian Poets, City of Ottawa
There are two student-run series - Blue Mondays (U of Ottawa) last Monday of the month during the school year at Cafe Nostalgica, an accessible venue in Sandy Hill on campus and In/Words (Carleton U), readings during the school year one Friday a month but sporadic at times. held in a cafe in Centretown which isn't accessible. a small space. neither series has funding. [note that as of 2019, In/Words has been inactive]
Urban Legends is a spoken word series and an open mic held in an accessible space, all Saints in Sandy Hill, slightly east of downtown.
urbanlegendspoetry.wordpress.com
Funding: not sure
Bookstores do not have public washrooms, and not sure about their accessibility.
Octopus Books holds readings sporadically throughout the year at two locations, one in Centretown and one in the Glebe, the latter is a tiny bookstore with room for maybe 20 people or so.
site: http://octopusbooks.ca/. no funding, to my knowledge.
Perfect Books is a small book store on Elgin downtown that holds the occasional reading and has a great poetry section. no funding, to my knowledge.
Beechwood Books is a small book store in New Edinburgh east of downtown. no funding, to my knowledge.
Singing Pebble Books in Old Ottawa South also hosts readings It is a mind, body, and spirit bookstore with books on health and healing, women's studies, yoga, self-help, parenting, psychology, metaphysics, crystals, astrology, wicca, ayurveda and aromatherapy, vegetarian and raw food, Eastern and Western spirituality.
Contact Info: info@singingpebblebooks.ca
http://www.singingpebblebooks.ca/
Venus Envy is a small sex shop with a great collection of books (and dildos!). they are downtown, physically accessible and host readings often. no funding.
Physically Accessible venue.
For a list of accessible spaces in Centretown willing to have readings and spoken word, storytelling and nonfiction events at cost or free, please consult the Access Word Ottawa Accessibility guide on Bywords.ca.
Any errors and inaccuracies are my own. If you have corrections or additional suggestions, please contact me at amanda@bywords.ca