Intimate events with good books and the people who write them.
The idea behind Authors Unbound is simple: a series of intimate events in Ottawa to connect authors with their readers and provide an opportunity for dialogue and discovery, brought to you by your local independent bookstores.
Each season, we'll bring you new authors who are sure to excite, and the chance to connect with them and their stories.
Spring 2025 Season
Book launch
February 20, 7:00pm
Melissa Blair
An Honored Vow
Celebrate the release of the latest novel in The Halfling Saga, An Honored Vow, with author Melissa Blair!
@ The Spaniel's Tale Bookstore, 1131 Wellington St W
Author Event
February 25, 7:00pm
Pavna Sodhi
Decolonizing Mental Health: A Conversation on Racism and Racial Trauma
Join author and registered psychotherapist Pavna Sodhi for a conversation around racism, racial trauma, and the effects of systemic oppression, including an overview of her new book, Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy for BIPOC Communities: Decolonizing Mental Health.
@ The Spaniel's Tale Bookstore, 1131 Wellington St W
Book Launch
March 6, 7:00PM
Catherine Richardson
Stitching Our Stories Together: Journeys into Indigenous Social Work
Join us for a discussion of Stitching Our Stories Together, a collection of graduate research by Indigenous social work scholars, with one of the book's editors, Catherine Richardson. Catherine will be joined in conversation by Patricia McGuire of Carleton University’s School of Social Work.
@ Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave.
Author Event
March 20, 6:15PM
Sadiya Ansari &
Manahil Bandukwala
Defying Expectations and Undoing Generational Curses: Exploring South Asian History and Folklore
Join Sadiya Ansari, author of In Exile, with Manahil Bandukwala, author of Heliotropia, for a conversation about the impact of relearning their histories as women in the diaspora.
@ Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave.
Book launch
April 15, 7:00PM
Shannon Arntfield &
Christine McNair
The Body Remembers
Join Shannon Arntfield, author of Python Love, and Christine McNair, author of Toxemia, for a conversation on maternal mental-physical health, generational trauma, birth, chronic illness, and what the body remembers.
@ Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave.
Book launch
April 17, 7:00PM
Nick Hutchinson
A Mingled Yarn
Join us for the Ottawa stop of the national book tour by theatre icon Nick Hutchinson, celebrating the launch of his memoir A Mingled Yarn.
@ Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave.
Book Launch
April 22, 7:00PM
Leila Marshy
My Thievery of the People
Join us for the Ottawa launch of My Thievery of the People, a short-story collection by former Ottawa resident Leila Marshy.
@ Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave.
Book Launch & Storytime
May 4, 10:00am
Alison McGauley
Kenzie's Little Tree
Join author Alison McGauley and illustrator Emilie Leduc for a storytime of their new book, Kenzie's Little Tree.
@ The Spaniel's Tale Bookstore, 1131 Wellington St W
Book Launch
May 13, 7:00PM
David Camfield
Red Flags: A Reckoning with Communism for the Future of the Left
Join us for the launch of Red Flags with author and social justice activist David Camfield, in conversation with queer activist and labour organizer Genevieve Latour.
@ Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave.
Author Event
May 29, 7:00PM
Vanessa Rosa
Race, Class, and Urban Revitalization
Join us for a discussion with Vanessa Rosa on the ideas presented in her book Precarious Constructions: Race, Class, and Urban Revitalization in Toronto.
@ Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave.
Stay up-to-date with our future events:
Want to be an author at one of our events?
We're still adding to our Spring 2025 season, and looking ahead to Fall 2025. Get in touch with the bookstore of your choice: Octopus Books or The Spaniel's Tale Bookstore.
Presented by your local independent bookstores:
©2025 Authors Unbound.