Octopus Books

Kids deserve to see themselves and their experiences reflected in the stories they read. They deserve to feel seen and welcome at home, at school, and in their community. When we host events like drag storytime, we show kids that it’s ok to be themselves and that we stand with them, all while promoting a love of reading.

We’re partnering with Cyril Cinder and our friends at Octopus Books to bring the magic of drag and reading to our communities. Join us for a FREE drag storytime at the Glebe Community Centre this Saturday.

Learn more and RSVP at thespanielstale.ca/events. This event is free however, RSVPs help us make sure there is enough space for everyone.

Thank you to everyone who came by last night to talk about “Colossus” with New York author .barkan, joined by local author . As scandal and ambition collide, “Colossus” becomes the story of American hunger for reinvention and the blatant self-interest beneath its surface.

Pick up signed copies at Octopus Books!

What’s better than Indigenous History/Heritage Month and Pride Month both being in June? Discovering books that meet at these intersections! Here are a few recommendations surrounding Q***r Indigeneity.

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Excited to be at the Riverkeeper series - Current Conversations in their science lab. Jen Lynn Bailey and Rochelle Strauss are here to share their books and wisdom!!

Happy Pride Month from Octopus Books 🐙 🌈
Q***r liberation is a constant struggle but Pride is also a time for celebration for how far we’ve come. But we’re not free until everyone is free. The fight goes on and here are some books recommendations to help keep the fire going!

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Join us to celebrate the launch of Colossus, a new novel by award-winning author and journalist .barkan.

📍 Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave., Ottawa
🗓️ Tues June 16th
🕒 Doors open at 6:30pm, program begins at 7pm.
🎟️ Please RSVP at octopusbooks.ca/barkan [link in bio]

Teddy Starr has it all. A beloved pastor in a small Midwestern town, a devoted husband and father of three, and a rising real estate magnate, he has built a life that gleams with virtue and success. Self-made in every sense, Teddy is a man of conviction, or at least it seems. But behind the pulpit and the polished smile lies a fractured past, and when a figure from that buried life reemerges, the once-sturdy walls of his world begin to fall.

As scandal and ambition collide, Colossus becomes the story of American hunger for reinvention and the blatant self-interest beneath its surface. Written with the moral gravity of Robert Penn Warren and the psychological insight of Philip Roth, Ross Barkan offers a timely update on the examination of the American identity in an age of performance and decay.

“Colossus earns its grand title. . . Family secrets are nothing new to family saga novels, but I don’t think I’ve ever read one with such diabolical ingenuity.”—Hugh Blanton, Quadrant Magazine

Ross Barkan is the author of five books, including the novel Glass Century. He's a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine, a columnist for New York Magazine, and the editor-in-chief of The Metropolitan Review, a books and culture review publication.

Happy Indigenous Heritage Month from us as Octopus Books. To celebrate we’ve compiled a collection of a few substantial nonfiction works from Indigenous authors.

We are sad to hear of the passing of Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-French cartoonist and Oscar-nominated filmmaker. Her graphic memoir Persepolis is a powerful coming-of-age memoir detailing the universal struggle of maintaining individual identity against the crushing weight of political and religious extremism, as well as Satrapi’s subsequent experiences navigating life in exile in Europe as an Iranian woman. Her films include a 2007 adaptation of Persepolis, co-directed by Vincent Paronnaud, which won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar. Satrapi was a fearless voice for feminism, human rights and freedom.