Engagements & Recent Speeches
- November 23, 2023 – JRS talks with Haroon Siddiqui about his new book “My Name is Not Harry” At The Ismaili Centre in Toronto, JRS joined Haroon Siddiqui, editorial page editor emeritus of the Toronto Star and former President of PEN Canada, in conversation about Siddiqui’s new book My Name is Not Harry.
“Veteran Toronto Star editor Haroon Siddiqui, brown and Muslim, has spent a life on the media front lines, covering conflicts both ...
- October 29, 2023 – JRS discusses John Greyson’s film “International Dawn Chorus Day” about the deaths of two Egyptian activists JRS, The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson, Leena Manimekalai and John Greyson discussed Greyson’s award-winning short film “International Dawn Chorus Day” at The Ageless Film Festival in Toronto. The event was moderated by Kaveh Shahrooz and co-hosted by The Ageless International Film Festival, HotDocs, PEN Canada, Rainbow Railroad and the Centre for Free Expression.
“International Dawn Chorus ...
- October 17, 2023 – JRS reflects on his 1995 CBC Massey Lectures ”The Unconscious Civilization” “Knowledge, the Enlightenment believed, could protect us from the follies of ideology. But John Ralston Saul maintains that ‘knowing’ has not made us ‘conscious.’ Instead we have become increasingly passive, our society increasingly conformist. There are no easy solutions to this problem, Saul says, but change is still possible.”
In celebration of Massey College’s 60th anniversary, ...
- March 22, 2023 – WATCH JRS discuss the past, present and future of Canadian democracy at Massey College March 11, 2023 marked the 175th anniversary of Canadian Democracy. JRS is joined by CBC Journalist Omayra Issa and Kia Dunn of Ecotrust Canada to discuss questions like: How well Canada has lived up to the ideals set out in 1848? What does the future of Canadian democracy look like?
- October 23, 2022 – WATCH JRS speak about freedom of expression at the Ageless Film Festival JRS is joined by The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Louise Dennys, Sturla Gunnarsson, Deepa Mehta, Ric Young and Bob Rae to talk about freedom of expression at The Ageless Film Festival in Toronto.
- September 27, 2022 – JRS delivers opening remarks at TIFA’s “Freedom to Write and to Read: Standing with Salman Rushdie” Following the brutal attack on Salman Rushdie, JRS delivered the opening remarks at an event co-organized by the Toronto International Festival of Authors, PEN Canada, Penguin Random House Canada and Writers’ Trust of Canada.
JRS’s remarks were followed by a solidarity reading from Rushdie’s works by Margaret Atwood, The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson, John Irving, Ian ...
- August 30, 2022 – JRS delivers the keynote address at the International Network of Parliamentary Properties conference “The International Network of Parliamentary Properties (INPP) is a global community of professionals and experts dedicated to exchanging and sharing knowledge regarding the conservation, restoration and rehabilitation of heritage parliamentary buildings. Its purpose is to foster engagement and collaboration with a global community of peers with particular experience and expertise in dealing with complex parliamentary ...
- May 16, 2022 – Block 2 Architectural Competition Block 2 Architectural Competition
The Block 2 design competition was an international architectural competition for the city block immediately south of Parliament Hill. The winning design will directly face Centre Block and the Peace Tower and complete the fourth side of Parliament Square.
The independent jury, chaired by Bruce Haden and Anne McIlroy, was a diverse group ...
- September 24, 2021 – READ JRS’s remarks at the PEN International Centenary Congress JRS delivered the keynote address at the PEN International Centenary Congress in September 2021. JRS spoke about his time as International President (2009-2015) and the continuing importance of PEN’s work fighting for freedom of expression, the rights of writers (including, crucially, those in prison or exile) and support for Indigenous and minority languages.
- February 3, 2021 – LISTEN to Interview with JRS on Art & Democracy for The Glenn Gould Foundation’s Podcast “The Gould Standard” February 3, 2021 - LISTEN to Interview with JRS on Art & Democracy for The Glenn Gould Foundation's Podcast "The Gould Standard"
Interviews
- August 20, 2021 – LISTEN to JRS on Radio-Canada speaking on the protection of French in Canada August 20, 2021 - LISTEN to JRS on Radio-Canada speaking on the protection of French in Canada
- December 28, 2020 – JRS interviewed for South Korean television on Globalism in 2021 and repairing division of Trump Era – Arirang Global Insights December 28, 2020 - JRS interviewed for South Korean television on Globalism in 2021 and repairing division of Trump Era - Arirang Global Insights
- May 31, 2020 – WATCH Interview with Chris Hedges “Covid-19 & critic of globalization John Ralston Saul” – ON CONTACT May 31, 2020 - WATCH Interview with Chris Hedges "Covid-19 & critic of globalization John Ralston Saul" - ON CONTACT
- May 31, 2020 – INTERVIEW with Radio-Canada – “Un appel à sortir des vieilles ornières dans l’après-COVID” (FR) May 31, 2020 - INTERVIEW with Radio-Canada - "Un appel à sortir des vieilles ornières dans l’après-COVID" (FR)
- May 13, 2020 – INTERVIEW: Watch JRS speak to South Korean TV series Arirang Global Insights on the COVID-19 crisis and what it means for the collapse of globalism – Full Interview Here May 13, 2020 - INTERVIEW: Watch JRS speak to South Korean TV series Arirang Global Insights on the COVID-19 crisis and what it means for the collapse of globalism - Full Interview Here
