As part of our mapping of literary Ontario, we're highlighting five things about literary life in communities throughout the province. What do our cities, towns and villages have to offer writers, readers and the curious? Follow Five Things Literary to find out.
Today's feature on literary life in Ottawa was contributed by Meghan Rose Allen, author of “Eleven Miles There, Twelve Miles Back”, one of the fine stories featured in Found Press’ spring issue .
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Ottawa was once described to me as a slush-ridden city of dour civil servants with no imagination. Sure, there are many civil servants (I'm one of them), but on the literary scene, Ottawa has so much more, such as:
1. The Rosemount Branch Library — The only remaining Carnegie library in Ottawa, the Rosemount Branch Library is located in the Ottawa neighbourhood of Hintonburg. Built between 1917 and 1918, the imposing brick facade with large windows masks a cozy inside with a charming children's section. And just so you know, on Saturday mornings the girl who refuses to let go of the library's stuffed monkey and who is stacking up all the Dora books she can find is my daughter.
2. The Great Canadian Theatre Company — Established in 1975, The Great Canadian Theatre Company's focuses on Canadian plays and has produced work by such dramatists as Ann-Marie McDonald, Michel Tremblay, and Judith Thompson. Since 2007, The Great Canadian Theatre Company is also located in Hintonburg, just steps away from the Rosemount Branch Library.
3. The Ottawa International Writer's Festival — Since 1997, this festival fetes both fiction and non-fiction from Canada and around the world. With autumn and spring literary celebrations, as well as small events spaced throughout the year, no matter one's inclination in terms of writing, there will be something of interest.
4. Library and Archives Canada (which, I admit, does come with civil servants — It's Ottawa, you really can't get away from us) — With a mandate "to acquire and preserve the documentary heritage" of Canada, Library and Archives Canada is the place where all written words in, from and about Canada ends up. With over 160,000 items in circulation and 3.18 megabytes of digital information available at its Wellington Street location downtown, it's the ideal place to go if one is experiencing severe reading withdrawal.
5. Ottawa in fiction: Terry Fallis' Stephen Leacock and Canada Reads winning novel Best Laid Plans is the current “it” Ottawa novel, but for those who want to more Ottawa, here is a brief (and no means comprehensive list) of other books which feature Ottawa as a locale: A Secret Between Us by Daniel Poliquin, Fall by Colin McAdam, The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields, Garbo Laughs by Elizabeth Hay, and most works of Brian Doyle. And of course, Ottawa has been immortalized forever in the universe of Archie comics.
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Meghan Rose Allen has been a fiction writer her entire life, although until recently she has spent more time writing and reviewing scientific articles than having anything to do with fiction. Perhaps one day she will quit her day job and write full-time. Meghan received a Ph.D. in mathematics from Dalhousie University and she currently resides in Ottawa.
Would you like to contribute five things about literary life in your community? Send an email with your ideas to grace@openbookontario.com.
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